Top 10 best hot hatches 2018

To find something that corners with the same ability, breathtaking confidence and mind-bending mechanical trickery of the third-generation Focus RS, you'd have to look at a car such as the Nissan GT-R.

This is a Ford that democratises specialness to a degree that you might well buy one solely for weekend use. And yet, beyond a thirsty 2.3-litre engine and seats that are set to high, you can of course live with this car as a daily driver.

Our only qualm is that the limits of its handling prowess are set so high that opportunities to explore them can be fleeting.

Upping the excitement quotient of the Golf GTI while delivering usability alien to the Focus RS is what the Golf R excels at. Indeed, here is a car that blends the sophistication that you’d expect of a Volkswagen with the rawness and sheer driver appeal of the best superheated hatches.

The ride can be a bit brittle and it lacks the aural drama of the old R32’s V6 but, for what it can do, it’s a bargain. In fact, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this 'ultimate Golf' is a cult classic in the making.

4. Renault Sport Mégane RS 280 Cup

The fourth-generation Mégane RS isn’t a hot hatch for pretenders; with Cup chassis specced, this is a hard-riding, sharp-edged B-road weapon that demands some serious commitment if you’re to get the best out of it.

Four-wheel steering virtually shortens its wheelbase through tighter bends, while its 1.8-litre four-pot provides plentiful performance - though not as much as a Civic Type R - on the way out.

Ergonomics aren’t that great, and neither is the shift quality of its manual 'box. But on the right road, in the right conditions, there’s a lot to like here.

It’s not particularly surprising that Mercedes-AMG’s most junior offering is characterised by indecent levels of grunt, given that its turbocharged engine makes 376bhp from only two litres of displacement. That it remains drivable, and tractable, is a credit to the engineers.

It is a little short on character, though, and while the chassis develops quite magnificent levels of grip and traction, the A45 is certainly not the most balletic of hot hatches. If you want class-leading point-to-point pace, however, we doubt that will matter too much.

This is the quickest Leon money can buy. Well, money could buy, if you were one of the 24 Brits who were able to get their hands on this limited-run performance model.

With 306bhp on tap from its turbocharged four-cylinder motor, the Cupra R is no slouch. Unlike the Golf R to which it’s closely related, though, the Seat doesn’t come with four-wheel drive. Instead, power is sent exclusively to the front axle, where torque is controlled by an electronically locking diff.

It doesn’t bite quite as hard as the Golf R on corner exit, though there’s still an impressively incisive, well-balanced hot hatch on offer here - if you can manage to get your hands on one.

The price of Audi’s most junior RS model is colossal, but what it gets you is a simply incredible 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine and dual-clutch gearbox. It’s a combination that allowed the 395bhp RS3 to hit 60mph in just 3.9sec during Autocar testing and dispatch 100mph in less than 10 seconds. That’s double-take stuff for a hatchback and puts the model into sports car territory.

If there’s a caveat, it’s a familiar one – the quattro four-wheel-drive system still doesn't contribute much to handling appeal. That said, cross-country pace is mighty all the same. Fitting the optional adaptive dampers is a must.

The most iconic hot hatch of them all is not as powerful or hardcore as some – far from it – but it remains desirable, superb on the road and great to own.

Breadth is arguably its greatest strength. However, even in its Performance guise, this ultra-composed Golf GTI is no match for the dynamic finesse of a Renault Sport product. And while it’s perfect for every day of the week, it’s incapable of blowing off the cobwebs come Sunday.

If Volkswagen made the Golf GTI a bit more visually appealing and a little more interesting at its limits, then it could give the car the additional joie de vivre it needs to be a real thriller.

Endowing a hatchback with a turbocharged six-cylinder engine still makes for rather a lot of proper, old-fashioned fun and lessens the disappointment that this BMW isn’t as sharp as it needs to be to challenge the most rewarding cars in this class.

Indeed, the rear-drive chassis is nicely balanced but isn't quite the entertainer it should be, and neither does it generate enough grip and poise for the M140i to match the point-to-point pace of the Seat Leon Cupra or four-wheel-drive Volkswagen Golf R.