Hatchback

Being one of the most popular and the oldest-selling plug-in hybrids is something the 2022 Prius Prime boasts about. But since its introduction back in 2017, it has been heavily criticized for what it offered back then. But now, it is a well-equipped compact PHEV with exceptional mileage figures and decent interior amenities too.

When the Kia Stinger came out in 2017, it changed many people’s perceptions of the Korean brand. It also turned out to be a very quick car that responds very well to minor modifications. With this in mind, YoUTube channel Sam CarLegion has arranged for a tuned Kia Stinger GT to show up on the drag strip. However, it’s not going to run by itself, as it is joined by a ROUSH-modified Ford Mustang GT.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R will most likely be revealed sometime this year. Throughout history, the Civic Type R always came with a manual transmission, but a report from Japan suggests that the upcoming hot hatch could be launched with an automatic transmission.

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division has been pumping out exciting cars and concepts as of late. Okay, so we’re probably not counting the recently-announced Toyota Corolla Sedan GR Sport, but the GRMN Yaris and GR GT3 Concept are undeniably as hot as any new and exciting car could get. This latest report, however, might leave a number of car enthusiasts unwelcoming of the upcoming GR Corolla hot hatch.

At the beginning of January 2022 Hyundai revealed its i20 N Rally1 contender for the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC). As you probably know by now, Rally1 is a special WRC series with cars using a hybrid powertrain and traveling specific road sections in electric mode only.

Now, is time for the i20 N Rally1 to meet its competition: the Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1. The car will be making its competitive debut at the Monte Carlo Rally, January 20-23.

Even with COVID-19 and the digital world looking to wipe live, brick-and-mortar auto shows from existence, Japan is giving these ancient relics at least one last shot. The Tokyo Auto Salon has produced several interesting cars in 2022, although most will never see the light of day ever again. Honda, however, showed off the new Civic Type R in the flesh, albeit covered in camouflage. The Japanese marque also released a new teaser video to get even more hype for the hottest of hatchbacks.

After months and months of rumors and even our spy photographers capturing prototypes being tested at the Nurburgring, Toyota has finally unveiled the GRMN Yaris at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon, and everything about it makes us jealous of the fact that it isn’t coming to North America.

If you are in the market for a car, you will be surprised at the number of offerings you get in every single segment. Right from your Nissan Versa to a Ferrari F8 Tributo; there is competition in every segment. Whether you’re into classic cars, imported models or luxury items, you will be spoilt for choices. But, not every car you see is a cool one. There are a number of factors in determining whether a car is cool or not. There’s the exterior, the interior, the performance, and most importantly, it’s every individual’s opinion. You may or may not agree with some of the entries here, but here’s a look at the coolest cars of 2021.

In order to prepare for an all-electric era, the 2022 World Rally Championship (WRC) will introduce a new set of technical regulations known as the "Rally1." For the first time in the WRC history, the Rally1 cars will use a hybrid drivetrain and they will have to travel in electric-only mode on specific road sections.

Hyundai is the first one to announce its Rally1 contender with a few weeks before the season’s start later this month. The car - the i20 N Rally1 - is based on the road-going version i20 N, but it has been developed from the ground up to accommodate the new hybrid setup.

Mini’s plans to produce only electric vehicles starting in 2030 obviously gives some time for the brand to transition, and that’s why we’re looking at an ICE-powered prototype of a next-gen Mini Cooper today. Since this is an early prototype, it’s covered in heavy camo, so we can’t see most of the design changes.

What we can tell you, though, is that it will retain that classic – and arguably outdated – Mini shape. It will feature a revised front fascia, new headlights, and a refreshed grille. This prototype doesn’t seem to be flaunting any changes in the rear, but the Mini Cooper EV does feature trapezoidal lights, so those could make their way to this model before it shifts into production.

With all of that said, don’t expect to see much in terms of powertrain or performance updates. Tweaks, if any, will probably be limited to updates to comply with emissions standards. The interior should see some updates, though, with the larger infotainment system being the highlight and the driver information center carry-over being the downside. There’s currently no solid debut date, but sometime in 2023 is a good guess, with sales to commence for the 2024 model year.

Toyota just can’t stop teasing everyone about its upcoming GR Corolla hot hatch as this is now the third time that we’re getting a glimpse of their heavily camouflaged prototype. Darn it, Toyota, just show the damn thing already.

Even with the holidays closing in, carmakers are working hard on their upcoming or refreshed models. With this in mind, the facelift version of the Mercedes A-Class was spotted not long ago, testing in heavy snow. In October, we sawthe refreshed Mercedes AMG A35 testing, although not in snowy weather. Just like the A35, the regular A-Class features almost no camouflage, so almost all of the exterior is visible.

The first generation of the Subaru Impreza debuted in 1992, which means that the compact all-wheel drive (AWD) car will be in its 30th year in 2022. As a way to celebrate, Subaru is unveiling the new Impreza Black Accent Edition that’s limited to Japan.

When you think of 1980s Mercedes-Benz cars, you probably think of the bulletproof W124-generation or maybe its smaller brother, the 190E (W201), also known as the “Baby Benz”. But what you probably didn’t know is that, in the 1990s, a tuning company called Schulz took a Mercedes 190E and turned it into the first Mercedes hatchback, way before the A-Class and BMW 1 Series. It’s called the Mercedes 190E Stadt (City).

The 2021 season of Formula 1 recently concluded with a new champion. Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing Honda effectively ended the streak of Mercedes-AMG Petronas’ Lewis Hamilton, albeit in a controversial fashion. But that’s a story for another day. What we have here is a chance for you to own his Honda Civic Type R.

A few months ago, Honda gave us a preview of the 2023 Civic Type R. Since then, the Japanese automaker has been silent on its upcoming hot hatch. To maintain its excitement, Honda has dropped a set of new photos showcasing the Civic Type R undergoing development at Suzuka Circuit.

Following a previous spotting of a jacked-up A3, a new set of spy shots has essentially confirmed that Audi is, in fact, designing an A3 Allroad. Like the previously spotted model, this one was wearing a lot of camouflage on the lower body, meaty tires, and it clearly has elevated suspension – enough for at least 2-3 inches of extra ground clearance over that standard A3. Although the camo does a good job at concealing what’s underneath, if you look closely, you can make out cladding around the wheel arches, especially in the front. The side skirts don’t appear to be any beefier, but there’s a good chance that are plastic for added protection.

Beyond this, there will likely be more hard plastic all around to protect the car on mild off-road adventures. The rear doesn’t appear to be any different, though the front will likely take on a more rugged appearance. Little else is known about this specific car. It may not even be known as an Allroad as the Citycarver name – previously found on the jacked-up A1 – could also make a comeback. The A1 Citycarver actually had a taller suspension (about two inches), larger tires, some plastic cladding, and an overall more rugged appearance. This A3 could simply be a larger version of that, leaving the Allroad name for larger models.

Hoonigan’s YouTube channel returns with another “Hoonicorn versus the world” episode and this time it’s all on the line because the mighty Hoonicorn goes up against a Tesla Model S Plaid – the bane of many high-performance, combustion-powered vehicles. So far the Lia Block – Ken Block’s, 14-year old daughter - has been crushing it, losing only to a 2,000 horsepower Nissan GT-R. Will Tesla take another scalp or will the Hoonicorn finally put it in its place?