Hatchback

Since Elon Musk announced a new affordable Tesla model at the 2020 Battery Day, the internet has been buzzing about it, trying to unearth every detail possible. Although Tesla is known to keep the cards close to its chest in such matters (remember what a surprise the Cybertruck was?), there are a few bits of information out there apart from the ones that Musk has announced. One – it could arrive sooner than expected. And, two – it will cost not $25,000; but $18,000!

Hyundai has had the Ioniq moniker in its arsenal for quite some time. In fact, it has jumped shipped within the portfolio many times. It was first launched as a hybrid car, then as an electric one, and finally as a plug-in hybrid. Last year, however, it received a promotion and became the South Korean automaker’s electric sub-brand. Hyundai plans to have 23 EVs by 2025 and the journey commences with the Ioniq 5.

The Ioniq 5 comes with futuristic looks, a couple of battery pack options, and an insanely spacious cabin that makes it one of the best crossover utility EVs in the market today. Will it set the tone for Ioniq’s bright electric future?

With millions of units sold worldwide and some love from a future Pope, this is everything you need to know about the VW Golf mark 4, one of the best AND most boring cars ever made.

I should know, I own one.

So stick around and read until the end to find out how Volkswagen managed to transform a cheap-ish hatchback into basically a premium compact car, paving the way for the luxuryfication of the whole brand. And if that isn’t a word, it is now. Also, it’s one of the best, cheap and most reliable second-hand cars you can buy today, with tons of parts available and easy servicing at home, so it’s got that going for it, I guess…

When you think about compact cars with great tuning potential, 8 out of 10 people would probably think of the Honda Civic. However, in Europe, there’s another popular alternative – the Volkswagen Golf. A while back, a video was circulating around the internet where someone in a Nissan 350Z was chasing a Porsche 997 GT3. At the same time, a stock-looking Golf Mk1 came out of nowhere and embarrassed both the Z-car and the 911, without even a sweat. The Golf on the video is an Mk2 and it’s said to be the fastest on the Nurburgring.

Would you pay $140,000 for an old Honda Civic? Not really, right? So, let us ask the question differently. Would you tweak and tune your Civic to such extremes that all the mods cost $140,000? This guy did just that.

This is the new and improved 2022 Chevrolet Bolt hatchback, and this is its slightly bigger, more crossover-looking brother, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV. They’re both all-electric vehicles with a range of at least 250 miles on a single charge, and they cost from $32,000. In other words, less than the outgoing Bolt, but with more standard kit. So, let’s see what’s what with these electric cars that are meant to get the masses rolling on electrons.

Engine swaps, we’ve see quite a few. Burly V-8s replacing puny flat-fours or screaming V-10 engines giving new life to Japanese sports cars and muscle cars alike. A motorcycle engine powering a Mini, however, is not something you see every day.

At the 2020 Tesla Battery Day event, Musk announced that the company will build a $25,000 ‘affordable’ EV. This came as a surprise because Musk had mentioned in the past that the company will not build an inexpensive vehicle. There are no specific details about the car yet, not even the body style, but it is expected to be a hatch.

An artist who goes by the handle ‘KDesign AG’ has rendered the $25,000 EV and uploaded it on Behance. The artist calls it the Model H, and honestly, it looks super classy.

The Toyota GR Yaris is arguably the hottest subcompact hatchback available right now. Developed as a homologation model for the World Rally Championship, the GR Yaris packs well in excess of 200 horsepower and an impressive amount of race-spec tech. Some say the GR Yaris is the supercar of the subcompact market. But is it capable enough to go against full-fledged supercars? Autocar decided to find out by pitting it against the Nissan GT-R Nismo on the race track.

When it comes to small-displacement crate engines available for immediate purchase, nothing beats Honda’s K20C1 unit. That’s the mighty 2.0-liter turbo-four from the Civic Type R, which has been available as a crate engine since 2017. Not exactly news, yes, but Honda is now offering an HPD Controls Package with it to make the process of getting it into your car much easier. It is now a complete package so you don’t have to deal with things like ECU and engine wiring harness. It’s a drop-in replacement so you might as well start working on that car project you’ve been dreaming about.

Subaru and Toyota, the companies that co-developed the 86 and BRZ twins, might be working on a new high-performance car. According to a report from Japan, the two brands are jointly developing an all-wheel-drive hatchback inspired by rally-spec machines from the 1990s. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? But what is it?

The 2021 Audi RS3 LMS is an upgraded version of the company’s customer race car for the TCR racing series. Based on the fourth-generation Audi A3, which went into production in 2020, the 2021 RS3 LMS is the brand’s first all-new design for the racing series since the LMS debuted in 2016. On top of the updated exterior design that borrows from the road car, the 2021 RS3 LMS also features a more ergonomic cockpit with improved safety, a revised four-cylinder engine, and a new transmission. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.

The 2021 Cupra Leon is the performance version of SEAT’s Leon compact hatchback. Just like the regular Leon, it is offered as a wagon under the Sportstourer moniker.

The Cupra Leon, be it the hatchback or the estate, can be had with a plug-in hybrid powertrain geared for performance as well as a bunch of exterior and interior styling cues to set it apart from its more pedestrian-looking peer. Here is all you need to know about the Cupra Leon.

Hot hatches have a major problem on their hands. Perhaps one they will not be able to overcome. Ever. This is the plot:

You are in your late twenties or early thirties, and you want something mad, rowdy, and catchy for yourself, but, as usual, the budget is a bit tight. A hot hatch seems to be the perfect fit for your dream Sunday morning stint in the mountains (or the occasional illegal drag race in the middle of the night down in Mexico.) A lot of “hothatchness” now resides in the 300 horsepower range, can hit 60 mph in low 5 sec (some even quicker) and have features with strange names like torque vectoring, damper control, dual-axis struts, and titanium exhausts.

Perfect!

You’ll buy one and be happy for a short while. However, after you actually find out that you simply do not have the time to visit twisties in the mountains (or will ever go down to Mexico, for that matter,) a strange thing will happen. The Audi SQ5 diesel SUV with a mildly reprogrammed ECU will line up next to you. Behind its wheel sits a middle-aged man with a smirk on his face, eager to impress whoever sits next to him. Your hatch and your heart are ready to rumble.

Launch control on, sweaty palms on the steering wheel, and eyes on the traffic light.

Let’s go!

Plot twist:

The black diesel SQ5 TDI SUV will smoke you, literally and figuratively. You’ll try to reason with the situation driving in your hot hatch with massive exhausts, shouty spoilers, and red paint job, but deep down you will have one thought, and one thought only - “WTF am I doing with my life?”

Do you not think this is a problem? Just take a look at how many overpowered SUVs are sold every year!

Now, this may not be the only reason why hot hatches are going overboard with power, technology, and, ultimately, price, but it is a part of it. Apart from being fast, they need to be cool or incredible in some [expensive] way and offer something more than just being fast.

These are all hot hatches with engines developing 300 horsepower or more. They were all made to liven up your life before someone with an SQ5, or its likeness takes it away from you in 5 seconds. Or less.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 S is one of the hottest hatches from the factory that you can buy today. It can give even some supercars a run for their money. With a sub-four-second 0-60 mph time, the AMG A45 S is undoubtedly a beast on the track.

The folks at Carwow recently pit it against the BMW M3-rivalling sedan, Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Quadrifoglio. Although it seems like a mismatch at the onset, it made for quite an interesting race.

It’s been around six years since Citroen spun the DS line into its own sub-brand, and while the latter has had a modest amount of success standing in its own legs, there’s a general feeling that the DS brand still has plenty of untapped potential. The French automaker hopes to unlock some of that potential with the new DS4. The upscale four-door hatchback is an important model for DS, largely because of the popularity of the segment it occupies.

That popularity, though, comes at a price, specifically with the models that the DS4 will compete against. We’re not talking about riff-raffs here; this segment is also occupied by a handful of German stalwarts, including the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, and Mercedes A-Class. Still, if DS wants to be taken more seriously as an upscale brand, this is the segment where it needs to show its mettle. The DS4 will be tasked to do just that, and if the hatchback lives up to DS’s expectations, it can go a long way in adding some shine and boosting brand awareness for Citroen’s luxury brand.

Brabus builds are quite expensive at the onset, but there’s no denying that they’re fun. This time around, the aftermarket company has laid its hands on the Mercedes-AMG A45 S. The Brabus build of this hatch is more than just a remap. The car comes with part upgrades under the hood, new wheels and tires, an upgraded suspension system, and a few changes inside the cabin.

Introduced in 1976 and produced continuously over eight generations as of 2021, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is arguably the world’s most famous and popular hot hatchback. The Golf GTI is often regarded as the world’s first hot hatch and the car that started it all, but it’s no true. There are at least four companies that unleashed performance-oriented hatchbacks before Volkswagen and this article will set the record straight.

Volkswagen has brought back one of its most famous colorways for a one-off showcase that’s sure to delight — and somewhat disappoint — fans who have lived long enough to remember the famous color scheme. Twenty-five years ago, Volkswagen launched the Polo Harlequin — it was called the “Harlekin” in Germany — to tremendous fanfare. The Polo Harlequin ended up being such a big hit that Volkswagen turned it into a limited-run production model.

Fast forward to 2021 and Volkswagen Netherlands decided to tap into the old magic well, bringing back the Harlequin name and colors on a one-off 2021 Volkswagen Polo.

The 2021 Renault 5 Prototype is a concept car that the French automaker unveiled during the presentation of its "Renaulution" strategic plan in January 2021. A modern tribute to the iconic Renault 5 produced from 1972 to 1996, the Renault 5 Prototype previews a production model that will arrive by 2025. The modern Renault 5 will be one of seven all-electric vehicles that the French brand wants to launch over the next four years, but apparently it won’t replace the Zoe or the Clio. What makes the Renault 5 Prototype special and how much of it will go into production? Let’s find out in the review below.

The Abarth 595 is a pocket rocket that makes you grin every time you drive it. If you are someone who prefers driving a slow car fast instead of a fast car slow, this needs to go on your bucket list. And, it looks like Pogea Racing understands that. The company has brought out a Hercules version that doesn’t just look sinister, but also comes with a significant power boost that will plaster a wide smile on your face.

Hyundai initially launched the Ioniq as a hybrid car, then as an electric one, and finally as a plug-in hybrid. But, in 2020, the company decided to relaunch it as its sub-brand that will consist of all-electric models only. Fast forward to the present day and we already have a glimpse of its first vehicle, the Ioniq 5 mid-size crossover. Hyundai released three teaser images of the Ioniq, a month before it makes its full-fledged debut.