Hatchback

It’s been almost a year since Mercedes-Benz introduced the fourth-generation A-Class and we’re pretty anxious to see the new AMG A45 model. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long as the beefed-up hatchback is set to break cover at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. And the good news is that it will deliver more than 400 horsepower!

Volkswagen is approaching the end of the development phase of the new Volkswagen Golf 8 - the most connected Golf of all time. But before I proceed with bombarding you with all the incredible things I’ve learned about it, let me just give you a glimpse of its importance through my experience.

It was 2004, my finishing year of elementary school when Volkswagen revealed the Golf MkV GTI. I remember that day vividly because that was the day I was directly exposed to the culture of the Volkswagen Golf aficionados that I subconsciously wanted to avoid. That day, during recess, one kid came running in the schoolyard carrying a ProAuto car magazine in his hands and basically yelling, “New GTI, New GTI.” He did not buy lunch out of his pocket money, but a car magazine with a GTI on its cover. Every single kid that had heard him charged at him to see what kind of a Golf the new GTIwill be. I ran too. I was struggling to see what the new Golf looks like and we all jostled each other to get a glimpse of the car.

That moment alone changed my perception of Golf for a lifetime. And, believe it or not, that car magazine I was telling you about - I started working there some years later.

Now, exactly 15 years after I saw the Golf MkV GTI for the first time, I have the opportunity to witness the reveal of the Golf 8 (and I believe the GTI). 15 years ago, Volkswagen proudly chanted in its press release “It is [Golf GTI] stronger, better and more sought after than ever.” The Golf MkVIII will be exactly that - stronger, better and more sought after than ever. But also, more connected than ever.

Mini is a company that should be taken seriously when it sets about building a performance car. That’s why we stood up and listened when, late last year, we heard that the Mini Cooper JCW GP was coming back in 2020 after what will be a seven-year hiatus. Now, we’re seeing the first spy shots and, as you’d expect, it’s the Cooper JCW dialed up to 11 with some cues ported straight from the devilishly cool 2017 Cooper Works GP Concept. We want it now, together with its +300 horsepower!

Traditionally, the GP version of the Cooper Works is the ultimate performance model. In the past, John Cooper Works, which is long for JCW, built two GP models based on the previous two generations of the Mini. Of the last GP, which bowed out in 2014, only 2,000 examples exist, and just 500 were sold in the U.S., so expect the new model to also be a rare bird. Talking about birds, the GP will once again mark the swansong of the third-generation Mini Hatch with a new one coming soon.

The 2019 Ford Focus ST is the performance-oriented version of the fourth-generation Focus, a hatchback unveiled in 2018. Introduced in February 2019, the new Focus ST brings many changes to the table, including a bigger EcoBoost engine, more power than ever, and state-of-the-art technology. Unlike its predecessors, the new Focus ST won’t come to the U.S., as Ford decided to stop offering most of its passenger cars in North America. The previous-gen Focus ST was already more powerful than its main competitor, the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and the new hatchback takes things up a notch. Rated at 276 horsepower, it’s also more powerful than the Hyundai i30 N with the Performance Package, which places the Focus ST at the top of its segment. Alongside the new 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, Ford also unveiled a new EcoBlue mill for diesel enthusiasts that want an alternative to the Golf GTD. Let’s find out how the new Focus ST compares to its rivals in the review below.

Citroen is a manufacturer that many still associate with clever technical innovations wrapped in a unique styling package and, by that definition, the new Ami Concept fits right into the brand’s historic mold. It’s also not the first Citroen to be called Ami, so maybe the automaker is timidly trying to play the history card with this petit concept.

Let’s start your Mondays off on a good note with a story about a young nurse from California and the generosity of a Scion xB owner. Kayla Cooper walked into an Auto City dealership with the intent of purchasing a vehicle. What she got instead was a free car from Dan Laguardia, who handed her the keys to his Scion xB after learning that Cooper couldn’t close a deal on her car purchase. There’s obviously more to this story — we’ll get to that — but, in a nutshell, it shows the power of kindness and generosity in a world that probably needs more doses of both.

Ford Performance has finally unveiled the all-new Ford Focus ST. Although it does not feature a lot of exterior and interior changes, the hatch is pumped up on the inside. Under the hood sit’s as much as 276 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque just waiting to be unleashed. On paper, the 2020 Ford Focus ST seems very promising. Does it have enough to take on the Volkswagen Golf GTI/GTD?

Hyundai is slowly but surely shifting its image from what it used to be a decade ago to one of a manufacturer that is on par with more established rivals. This is being achieved not only by making better everyday cars but making sportier cars too. The next one in line is the 2020 Hyundai i20 N - a model that’s slated to take on the Ford Fiesta ST and Renault Clio RS.

The BMW 1 Series is arguably one of the best hatches to drive on the market today. It has the grunt, it has the power, and it has the Bavarian DNA. The 1 Series is due for a new generation this year, however, BMW has no plans to carry the rear-wheel-drive system and the six-cylinder engine over to the next-gen. To mark the end of this journey, BMW is bidding adieu to the M140i to this unique combination with the Finale Edition model.

After the first journalist drives of the Volkswagen ID Neo prototype, we can almost understand what Volkswagen wants to do with its compact electric car. The Volkswagen ID Neo is a Golf-sized hatchback created on top of Volkswagen’s new MEB architecture, and it will be unveiled later this year. It is a close competitor to the Nissan Leaf. Yet, as Volkswagen promoted it as a car with the size of a Golf but roominess of the Passat, I am sure it will embark on its way to steal some buyers from the likes of the Kia E Niro, the Hyundai Kona Electric, or other similarly sized electric cars and crossovers.

However, the car that hides under the body of the Golf Sportsvan shown here is probably a bigger, family version of the same kin. Make no mistake; this one is also based on the same ID Neo architecture. Apparently, Volkswagen has plans to introduce as many as 50 new electric models by 2025. The ID Neo will create an electric VW avalanche and, at first, it will be priced in a similar bracket as the Golf Diesel. I believe that the electric Golf Sportsvan’s brother will cost a tad more.

The Chevy Bolt tends to have a bad rap because of the bow-tie emblem; it’s quirky DNA mashup between MPV and hatchback, and the fact that it’s not a Tesla. But, we managed to spend some one-on-one time with the Chevy Bolt and, well, let’s just say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Despite the general consensus surrounding GM’s compact EV, and all the hype generated by Tesla, the Bolt has found a place in our hearts. Here’s our story of a simple yet enjoyable getaway with none other than the 2019 Chevy Bolt.

Volkswagen has always offered a GTI version of its Golf hatchback, but in recent years their hot hatch offering has started to look a bit safe and tame compared to some of the newer, bonkers rivals it has competed against over the years - especially in terms of power. The current GTI can be had with up to 286 horsepower if you opt for the limited series TCR model, but apparently, the next-gen 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI may have just as much power in standard form.

The much anticipated new 2019 Renault Clio city car finally showed its face. In an effort to move towards the premium spectrum of the city car segment (you know, where the A1 and the Mini reside), the new Renault Clio gained many of the design traits from the latest line of Renault vehicles such as the Talisman sedan and the Megane hatch. It showed its face before the imminent reveal at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year and it is a fundamentally better car than before. Yet, with the new platform, new engines, new interior, and new dimensions come new thinking as well. The new Clio is actually shorter compared to the predecessor. Lower too. But roomier inside. Somehow, Renault engineers achieved the Tardis effect with the new Cio and I will tell you how. First things first. Why the hell does it look so similar to its predecessor?

Renault seems really proud of its 2020 Clio city car’s interior as it’s been revealed separately and before the exterior. The French giant has all the right to be pleased with it because, at least from the photos, it looks fantastic through its design, combination of materials and textures, and its newfound techy feel.

Mazda has launched an all-new yet evolutionary looking 2020 Mazda 3 in hopes that it will help it in its quest to improve brand image while, at the same time, move its products further upmarket. The car was mostly well received at launch, although not everybody was on board with the shape of the hatchback’s hind quarters. Now, journalists are finally getting their hands on the 2020 Mazda 3 and have tried it out on the road at the Mazda3’s official international launch venue held the U.S. Despite the controversial look of the hatchback’s rear, the Mazda 3 has been praised for its upmarket feel and overall build quality.

Volkswagen is renowned for playing it really safe with the design of most of its cars, and there’s no better example for that than its lineage of Golf models. It may have grown in size quite a bit over the years, but if you line all generations of the model side by side, you will undoubtedly be struck by just how little it has evolved from one generation to the other. You can certainly see progress if you skip a couple of generations or more, but not as much as you see from other long-running nameplates out there.

With a launch set for early March, the Geneva Motor Show is just around the corner, and that means we’re already getting an early look at the huge list of upcoming debuts. One of the first out the gates is Honda with its new Urban EV concept, which looks to offer funky, simplistic styling, cute proportions, and a torquey electric powertrain, all of which will carryover to a full-fledged production model this year.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR is a hardcore GTI focused at amateur track day enthusiasts, and it’s heavily inspired by one thing - the TCR competition. No, it is not a race car, but a production, roadworthy hot hatch that spruced out of a four year long TCR competition. Volkswagen has been part of the TCR touring car series since 2016 with the awesome GTI based racer.

Since the inaugural TCR season in 2015, the TCR touring car series saw a number of cool entries. Including the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, the Subaru WRX TCR, and, as you may have noticed if you followed our coverage of the 2019 Detroit Motor Show, the Hyundai Veloster N TCR. It is quite an impressive competition that already gave birth to some cool cars. Like the N badged Hyundais for example.

Back on the streets, the new Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR will fight its fight against the Hyundai i30 N, the Honda Civic Type R (also in the TCR competition), the Renault Megane RS and the RS Trophy, among many others.

The Hyundai Elantra GT N Line has the makings of a solid hot hatch, though if you’re going to seat in the back of one, you might want to brace yourselves. Space isn’t so much of a problem as it is a minor inconvenience for a model that doesn’t have a good amount of rear head- and legroom in the first place. Still, even with the tighter-than-expected rear section, the Elantra GT N Line is a solid first offering in the U.S. from Hyundai’s new N Line performance trim. Even though it’s still the same model, the Elantra GT N Line, in essence, replaces the Elantra GT Sport nameplate, and does so with slight aesthetic, powertrain, and chassis upgrades. Unfortunately, space in the rear of the hot hatch didn’t change, proving that even highly rated debuting models aren’t immune from minor flaws.

As part of its worldwide effort to spice up its lineup, today Hyundai introduced the 2019 Hyundai Elantra GT N Line for the U.S. market at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. We have already seen the N Line branded car for Europe - dubbed the Hyundai i30 N Line - when we learned that the N Line performance goodies include something more than just an exterior touch up. It is a similar story for the U.S. car although I did notice some clear differences. In short, the U.S. Elantra GT N Line may well be somewhat better compared to the i30 N Line for Europe.

The Hyundai Elantra GT N Line did not come alone to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit; it has the 2019 Velostar N TCR for company. This race car from the South Korean is eligible to race in the 2019 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Michelin Pilot Challenge series and the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge. Doesn’t it feel tempting to own a car that has raced the tracks?