Hatchback

Hot hatchbacks have come a long way since their inception in the seventies. The current hot hatches have an accepted formula: taking a standard model, increasing the engine output, and beefing up the suspension to go around corners a bit too quickly. The current high-performance versions offer between 250 and 400 horsepower, with better agility than they did decades ago. The emissions and running costs are infinitely much better. For 2022, automakers have upped the ante with a few offerings that will maintain the ongoing theme. So, with that said, here’s a list of 10 hatchbacks to look out for in 2022.

After many teasers, spy shots, and racetrack runs, the all-new Civic Type R will launch by the end of June or in the first week of July. Yet, surprisingly, Honda has been keeping quiet about its best hot hatch of all time. But given the massive fanbase of the Civic Type R, it has been the subject of many renderings, like this rendering from UNESS DESIGN of the 2023 Type R model. At best, this is what the new Civic Type R will look like when launched in the summer of 2022.

As of 2022, it’s safe to say that EVs are mainstream. With all major mass-market automakers offering multiple EVs in their portfolio, it is confusing to choose one. EVs, with their convenience and refinement, make for great family runabouts if the range isn’t a major concern, but, with a whole range of EVs to choose from, the decision-making process is getting increasingly difficult. So, here is a list of 10 EVs that we think should be on your list if you are on the lookout for an electric family car.

A subsidiary of Stellantis, Abarth, is well known for the 595 thanks to its cheap-to-own-and-maintain character and nippy performance. But keeping the racing heritage of the Italian carmaker in mind, a few renderings of the 595 have surfaced with a racing livery and a BMW V-8 powering the two-seater hatchback.

Toyota’s GR division recently unveiled its latest project, the all-new Toyota GR Corolla which plans to capitalize on the success of Gazoo Racing and is the perfect sequel to the limited-run GR Yaris. With deliveries expected to commence before the end of 2022 for the entry-level "Core" variant, the new GR Corolla range has to be the most eagerly awaited Hot Hatchback of the year, so before we get to see these running around the street, here are ten reasons why the Toyota GR Corolla is the hottest new hatchback that should be on your shopping list.

The latest generation of Škoda’s little hatchback, the Fabia, was launched back in 2021, but to keep things spicy, the Czech automaker finally announced the Fabia RS Rally2 race car. This iteration of the Fabia is not only more powerful but also comes with a five-speed sequential gearbox, dual-axle differentials, and all-wheel-drive madness. Built for racing, the new Fabia RS Rally2 is wider, longer, and has all the qualities of a rally car from your dream. But is it worth it?

For those of you who are more into fashion than cars, Sir Paul Smith needs no presentation. For the rest, Paul Smith is a British fashion designer mainly specialized in men’s clothing. His relationship with Mini started back in 1999 and the relationship has continued very successfully ever since. Last year, he designed the Mini Strip - a simplified version of the famous hatch that has its debut at the 2021 IAA Motor Show.

This year, Sir Paul Smith is back with another cool creation. His new project is based on a 1998 Mini and was presented at the Salone Del Mobile 2022 in Milan. The model also pays tribute to the past and it is a reminder of the 1998 MINI Paul Smith Edition that is limited to 1,800 units.

Seat’s standalone brand, Cupra, has big plans for the future: it aims to sell 500,000 units yearly and will launch three new electrified models by 2025. This will represent a huge jump for Cupra, when you consider that since its launch in 2018 it has only delivered 200,000 units. The three new models coming are the Terramar, Tavascan, and UrbanRebel. If the last name sounds familiar is because a concept with the same name was launched last year. Now, Cupra is back with a new version of the UrbanRebel with a closer to production body compared to the previous version.

It seems like the internal combustion engine is breathing its last dying breath. The rise of electric cars and the massive question mark on top of hydrogen fuel cells leave gasoline down on one knee. V-10s are all but gone, as are V-12s, and the beloved but quirky straight-5 is only placed in one new car on the market: the Audi RS3. However, the loony Germans at MANHART are giving the classic Audi five-cylinder a new brain so it can create some more oomph.

Gone are the days when three-cylinder engines were only meant for urban commutes. These engines were light and focused more on fuel efficiency than performance. However, things are changing, and with upsizing not an option anymore, thanks to stricter emission regulations, automakers are making the best they can with fewer cylinders and lower displacements. Companies don’t just offer them with forced induction now; they even pair them with electric motors and batteries to generate all the oomph possible. Believe it or not, there are a handful of high-performance three-cylinder engines that can blow larger engines out of the water.

The Volkswagen Golf R Mk8 has some serious upgrades over the previous Mk7 straight from the factory. But it seems that it is not enough for Blaire from the YouTube channel Mighty Car Mods. This Australian YouTuber took the delivery of a brand-new Mk8 Golf R from the Leichhardt Volkswagen dealership and headed straight to his garage to perform some serious upgrades. The upgrades involve swapping the exhausts, updating the suspension, and inserting new wheels, among others. He also confirmed that his Golf R is the first customer-delivered Mk8 in Australia and would be the first to possess the modifications.

Toyota made waves in September 2020 when the GR Yaris went into production. It was the first true homologation hot hatch we had seen in decades, but Americans thought there was just one problem with it-we weren’t getting it. So, to appease us and make even more money, Toyota crammed the four-wheel-drive, the gearbox, engine, brakes, and everything else they could take from a GR Yaris into a Corolla Hatchback.

As a result, the GR Corolla now exists, and while it only matters to those in the U.S., it is doubtlessly a good car nonetheless. Now though, Toyota is making the GR Corolla even more extreme with the MORIZO edition. Only 200 examples will be produced, and all of them have real performance-enhancing modifications installed and are for the 2023 model year.

Rear-wheel drive in compact hatchbacks has never been a thing and for a good reason. An RWD architecture needs a lot of space, which is in short supply for hatchbacks. The transmission eats into the rear legroom and while the rear axle can eat into boot space. In addition, the longitudinal engine layout required in most cases also means longer hoods, which makes them bigger and, obviously, totally against the ethos of a compact and practical hatchback. But that didn’t stop certain manufacturers from trying their hand at this layout for their hatchbacks, so here’s a list of the top 5 most memorable RWD hatchbacks of all time.

The 2023 Toyota GR Corolla made headlines when it finally broke cover a couple of months ago. This is because, for years, the enthusiast crowd has yearned for its little brother the GR Yaris, but that car was never sold here.

However, Toyota has come full circle and has launched the GR Corolla for 2023. Designed specifically for the U.S. market, it packs more power to compensate for the extra weight, all-wheel drive, and crucially, this one is stick-shift only for that proper analog driving experience inspired by Toyota’s roots in rallying.

The Toyota GR Yaris was one of the most unexpected cars to come from Toyota. By all accounts, it can be viewed as the spiritual successor to the Toyota Celica GT Four, despite the GR Yaris not being entered in rallying yet. The DIYers from Mighty Car Mods have taken it upon themselves to utilize all available aftermarket modifications for the GR Yaris in order to create the ultimate version of the compact hot hatchback. Can they build the most powerful GR Yaris yet?