Hatchback

The Toyota Yaris GR Sport is the more down-to-Earth version of the limited-run GRMN. It features some sporty styling, but much of the oomph of the GRMN is gone, akin to a sheep in wolf’s clothes.

Last year, at the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota unveiled the Yaris GRMN hot hatchback to the world. A run of only 600 units was slated for 2018 for the car that was inspired by the Yaris WRC but, confusingly, presented itself with GRMN logos all round. GRMN stands for Gazoo Racing Masters of the Nurburgring – so not really related to rallying. In any case, the 209-horsepower pocket rocket was fun to drive and powerful enough to excite.

Now, a year later, Toyota brought to the Paris Motor Show a GRMN for the masses: the Yaris GR Sport. It’s based off the hybrid Yaris, so the figures are, frankly, negligible, but you do get great economy. What is more, the car comes in the usual Gazoo Racing white with red and black inserts and black wheels. It isn’t a hot hatch, but it’s sort of a stepping stone, a ”warm hatch.”

Keep reading to learn more about the Toyota Yaris GR Sport.

After all the mumbo jumbo surrounding the i3’s existence, the automaker has finally confirmed that the little electric hatchback will continue to live on. When the i4 was announced at the Paris Motor Show, it looked like a legit replacement for the i3; also because BMW did not address the i3. Now, however, BMW has confirmed that it has got future plans for the i3, according to The Drive.

Okay, what the hell just happened here? A Mazda2 Supermini came speeding into a parking lot, smashed through a gate, landed on the roof of an office, and rolled backwards before falling to the ground. What is up with people these days?

Mercedes is working on an all-new A45 AMG model to sit at the top of its A-Class lineup, and even though it’s set to debut sometime next year, we’re already learning new details about it - exciting details regarding how it will be very different from (and just plain better than) the outgoing A45 AMG.

The new Toyota Yaris GR Sport was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and it showed its finely built body, GRMN-tuned suspension and courageous face that looks for trouble. Limited edition Toyota Yaris GRMN was met with great enthusiasm from the car community, but that was just a highly limited car. The Yaris GR Sport isn’t. It also isn’t as special as the Yaris GRMN.

Mercedes-Benz finally showed the AMG A35 in the metal at the Paris Motor Show. Even though the car made an online debut a couple of weeks back, this is the first time we’ve seen it in its physical form. People have been waiting on the ropes for this car to arrive after the A-Class hatchback was launched a few months ago and it was well worth the wait.

Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the Skoda Vision RS shows the path the Czech manufacturer is likely to take for the next generation of its cars. This is a hatchback, sized like a Volkswagen Golf, but sharpened up to the level of a hot-hatch. The Vision RS, a concept car, rolled under the Paris Motor Show lights with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gas engine producing 148 horsepower but assisted with an additional electric motor good for 100 horsepower. As a hybrid, the Vision RS demonstrates Volkswagen’s uncanny ability to craft modern compact cars and transform them into hot hatchbacks - a type of a car the company is definitely versed in (just remember the Golf GTI, the Leon Cupra, the Audi S3, and the Octavia, among others).

The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class is here. If nobody remembers the previous generation, that’s okay, because Mercedes has made their new compact minivan crossover taller, longer, and more in-line with the current Merc styling trends.

The new B-Class just dropped at the Paris Motor Show while everyone’s looking at the new EQC and the brash-looking A35 AMG. But the B-Class doesn’t deserve to be overlooked - within its tight minivan-crossover class niche, only BMW’s 2-Series Active Tourer provides any real competition.

Some may argue that there isn’t much market left for these compact minivan crossovers, as people look towards SUVs of varying shapes and sizes as grocery-getters and family carriers. But Mercedes hopes there is. The problem with the B-Class is that it’s not particularly good looking - you can thank the headlights from the A-Class for that - but, at least, it looks better than the visual atrocity that is the 2-Series Active Tourer.

The first-gen Audi A1 was launched in 2010. Since then, the car has earned a reputation for getting better with tiny tweaks and additions added every now and then. Eight years later, the Audi A1 is back with an all-new iteration. It has improved in every aspect over the 2010 A1. The next-gen Audi A1 was revealed at the Paris Motor Show.

Skoda just unveiled a cool concept car that makes us a bit jealous that the company’s products won’t be sold in the U.S. anytime soon. It’s called the Vision RS, and it appears to be a premium competitor for the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. Do we want it in U.S. dealerships? Hell yeah!

The color blue never goes out of style, so it’s fitting that in the Fashion Capital of the World, Mercedes-AMG unveiled the feisty A 35 in a resplendent blue shade that accentuates its sporting good looks. The hot hatch officially made its debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show with a point to prove. While it does trace its roots to the A-Class, the AMG 35 is nothing like the model it’s based on. It looks angrier and more aggressive, and more importantly, it has a powerful 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that can embarrass the socks off anyone who underestimates its performance capabilities. The Mercedes-AMG A 35 doesn’t have a price yet, but those details will be announced sometime in 2019. Unfortunately, it’s not coming to the U.S.

The Hyundai i30N ’N Option’ is the i30 N customized to your preferences. Yes, the i30 N is already one of the best hot hatches on the market, but Hyundai reckons their customers want to make the cars their own, which is where the ’N Option’ steps in.

The Korean manufacturer thinks the 274-horsepower i30 N could take on some visual enhancements to make it look even meaner. That’s why Hyundai brought the i30 N ’N Option’ Concept to Paris. Yes, a concept, not the production-ready version. Granted, Hyundai assures us that this concept is the face of things to come in terms of ways you can personalize your own i30 N - as well as other Hyundais from the N lineup in the future.

Performance figures weren’t altered with the ’N Option’, but we don’t think that is a must. I mean, the i30 N already has a top speed of 155 mph from that buzzing 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot and 260 pound-feet of torque at just 1,500 rpm.

Read on to find out more about the i30N ’N Option’

Nissan has made the Japan-only Note e-Power Nismo even faster than before, with the new Note e-Power Nismo S. That “S” entails it has some extra power thanks to a boost in its electric output.

The Note e-Power Nismo, as its name suggests, is a Nismo-tuned version of the already existing Note e-Power and the Nismo S is one additional tier above. It features not only a power boost over the regular Note e-Power, but also gets a reinforced chassis as well as a much sportier suspension setup to transform its driving experience.

This extra performance is also mirrored in the way it looks, with new red-accented bumpers and side skirts and obligatory Nismo S badges front and rear - on the sides; the e-Power badge is displayed instead. According to Nissan, the car should provide “exhilarating acceleration,” while at the same time also being quiet and is touted as a new kind of Nismo experience.

In order to avoid confusion - Nissan also sells non-electrified Nismo and Nismo S versions of the Note, alongside the electrified ones. This new model detailed here is the e-Power Nismo S, which is a range extender hybrid.

BMW introduced the i3 in 2013 and literally invented the premium compact EV segment in the industry. Not to mention, it has been ruling ever since. However, the i3 has been facing some heat lately from other market players like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Bolt. In my opinion, it’s got the best looks and interior, but was lagging behind in its core duty – long travel range. But it seems like BMW has worked on this and has introduced the 2019 model with 120Ah battery pack.

PSA has been attempting to reduce the number of platforms across its brands and increase more ‘sharing’ within the family. As such, Opel and Vauxhall will be using the EMP2 platform for the Astra L. The same platform underpins other products including the new Grandland X SUV. This also opens a wide array of options for Opel/Vauxhall, as the EMP2 platform will allow the Astra L to go for electrification.

Honda is testing an all-new Jazz subcompact hatchback, also known as the Fit in some markets. It’s the fourth generation for the nameplate and it looks like it will retain the wedge-nosed one-box design of its predecessors, albeit with a slightly sportier design twist.

The camouflaged prototype spotted by our spies reveals quite a lot about the car, which is slated for a reveal no earlier than 2020, since the refreshed version of the current model only came out last year. Aside from the completely new and slightly more rakish-looking body, changes will be made to its powerplant lineup and interior. The hybrid version may share its powertrain with the new Insight.

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the fourth-generation A-Class in 2018, it basically dropped a giant anvil on the hatchback market. Fitted with never-before-seen technology and infused with design cues from the bigger sedans inside and out, the new A-Class trumps the BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3 in just about every department. With a handful of models already available, Mercedes-Benz just unveiled the AMG A35. Offered for the first time, it slots above the A250 and below the upcoming AMG A45.

The A35 is Mercedes’ answer to the long-standing Audi S3 and BMW M135i and arrives just when these two hatchbacks are getting a bit long in the tooth. But while the 1 Series is almost out of the market, to be replaced by a front-wheel-drive model, the S3 was facelifted recently and will be around for a few more years. That’s why we decided to throw the S3 into the lion’s den and find out how it compares to the new Mercedes-AMG A35.

Whether you call it the Vauxhall Corsa GSi or the Opel Corsa GSi, one thing is for certain - the Corsa GSi is one zippy concoction made to make a lot of bang for not a lot of buck. Available in mainland Europe as Opel and in the U.K. as the Vauxhall, the Corsa GSi packs a tiny, 1.4-liter turbocharged, engine, enough power to surge to 62 mph in less than 9 seconds and, with a proper amount of sporty features honed by the OPC, enough character to make you happy.

Ford offers an array of Focus-derived variants of its latest generation compact hatch that include the base model, a sporty looking ST Line, a posh Vignale and a high-riding Active. All are available as practical wagons, and the Active is no exception, arguably making more sense to buy as a wagon than the standard hatch.

The Focus Active tourer (and the regular hatch too) sit 30 millimeters higher on its suspension compared to the standard model and features plastic body cladding for a more rugged overall appearance. Front and rear bumpers are different too, as is the grille which gets its own unique design.

This is Ford’s response to similar models from other automakers, like the Skoda Octavia Scout or VW Golf Alltrack, although unlike these models, Ford doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.