10 of the Hottest Hatchbacks for 2018

2018 Kia Stinger rear three quarter hatch open ・ Photo by Kia

Hatchbacks offer a combination of utility and good looks without the added mass and higher center of gravity of an SUV. Because of this, a hatchback is an ideal base for a sporty, yet practical, car.

Before our editors could come up with a list of the 10 hottest hatchbacks for 2018, we first had to determine what exactly constitutes a hatchback. After some discussion, we decided to define a hatchback as a car with at least two rows of seats (that isn’t a station wagon or crossover), but where the rear glass opens with the trunk. While this eliminates some sportier cars, it ensures that all the vehicles on our list are somewhat sensible. With that sorted, let’s get on to the cars.

2018 Tesla Model S P100D

The Tesla Model S is the only electric car on our list of 10 of the Hottest Hatchbacks for 2018, but with a 259-horsepower motor in the front and a 503-horsepower in the rear, the P100D is capable of out-accelerating most other cars on the road. The run to 60 miles per hour is the quickest on our list, taking only two and a half seconds (when the aptly named Ludicrous mode is enabled.) While the P100D does handle well for an electric car, its extra weight means that there are more nimble cars out there, however, some owners have found success with their Teslas on race courses, including drag strips and hill climb events.

Photo by Tesla

2018 Mini Hardtop John Cooper Works

The 2018 MINI Hardtop John Cooper Works 2-door is a hot hatch with seating for four and a little bit of British sophistication thrown in. Power from a 228-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is sent to the front wheels with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The automatic is a little quicker to 60 mph, but the manual is more engaging to drive, and both should get up to speed in around six seconds. The Mini probably has the most customization options of any of the cars on our list, including several different wheel choices, stripe packages, roof colors, and mirror caps (as well as just as many interior options.)

Photo by MINI

2018 Fiat 500 Abarth

The 2018 FIAT 500 Abarth is the least powerful car on our list, but its compact dimensions and light weight help make the most of the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine’s power. It’s got aggressive (but cute) good looks, a sweet-sounding motor, and handling that’s just short of a go-kart on tight and twisty roads. Both a six-speed automatic and five-speed manual are offered, but Fiat has tuned the engines differently for each transmission, with the automatic version producing slightly less horsepower (157 versus 160) but 10 extra lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission is still more engaging than the auto, but the difference is smaller than you might think, and the run to 60 miles per hour takes around seven seconds with either transmission.

Photo by FIAT

2018 Kia Stinger

Kia is advertising the new 2018 Stinger as a sports sedan, and while the sports part is fairly accurate, the Stinger is actually a practical hatchback with loads of cargo space. The GT model uses a 365-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6, backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission to send power to the wheels. Both rear- and all-wheel-drive versions are available, but we wish that a manual or at least dual-clutch transmission was available. The run to 60 miles per hour is over in around four and a half seconds and handling is quite good, but the Stinger isn’t quite as nimble as some of the other smaller and lighter cars on our list.

Photo by Kia

2018 Audi TT RS

The 2018 Audi TT is a two-door sports car that qualifies for our list thanks to its rear hatch and (minuscule) rear seats. The RS sits at the top of the range, and in traditional Audi style it’s powered by a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that sends its 400 horsepower to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. That powertrain combination is good for a 0 to 60 time of three and a half seconds (it also sounds amazing, almost like a cross between a V8 and a V10.) While there isn’t much on the exterior to set it apart from the regular TT, that might be a good thing as even the standard TT is already an attractive car.

Photo by Audi

2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo

With four doors and a rear hatch, the 2018 Porsche Panamera is the roomiest and most practical car that Porsche makes. That isn’t to say that it’s boring, however, as the Turbo model comes with a 550-horsepower 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 engine, an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and all-wheel drive. The sprint to 60 miles per hour takes three and a half seconds, and while the Panamera is a large car, when you’re behind the wheel on a good road you’d be forgiven for almost forgetting about the extra doors and cargo space. If you need even more luggage room, the new Sport Turismo version offers a more wagon-like body (though we’d still call it a hatchback) with pretty much exactly the same performance.

Photo by Porsche

2018 Volkswagen Golf R

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf R is the hot hatchback of choice for drivers who are a little more grown up and sophisticated. While there are plenty of cars on our list for someone who’s a little more flamboyant, subtle hot hatches are harder to find. The styling is quite similar to a normal Golf or GTI with just a few tweaks, but under the skin you get some more significant upgrades including a 292-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch automatic, and while the automatic is significantly quicker, the manual is our hot hatch transmission of choice whenever possible and gets to 60 in just over five seconds.

Photo by Volkswagen

2018 Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Offering seats for four, all-wheel drive and a hatchback design, the 2018 Ferrari GTC4Lusso (and the FF that preceded it) is as close as Ferrari has come to building a practical family car, at least in its modern era. Of course, being a Ferrari, the Lusso also features a sleek modern design with lots of exotic materials and great handling. The 6.3-liter V12 puts out a massive 680-horsepower, which together with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission can get the Lusso to 60 miles per hour in under three and a half seconds. Let’s just say that if a GTC4Lusso showed up at a hot hatch meet it’s a safe bet that it’d have a fairly large crowd around it.

Photo by Ferrari

2018 Honda Civic Type R

The 2018 Honda Civic Type R is just about the most aggressive looking hot hatchback we’ve ever seen straight from the factory, with a body kit and rear wing that might seem overly styled on any other car, but are somehow perfectly suited to this one. The Type R’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 306 horsepower, all of which are sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. The run from 0 to 60 miles per hour takes five seconds or so, but it’s in the chassis and suspension department where this Civic shines with excellent handling, a good ride, and only minimal torque steer despite all the power coursing through the front wheels. This is the Type R we’ve been waiting for.

Photo by Honda

2018 Ford Focus RS

The 2018 Ford Focus RS sits at the top of our list of hot hatchbacks thanks to its aggressive (but not over-the-top) good looks, and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system with Drift Mode (a feature that probably won’t get used much, but a cool bragging point nonetheless.) Power from the 350-horsepower 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is sent to the four wheels via a smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission, and the result is a sprint to 60 miles per hour that’s over in around four and a half seconds. This is the last year for the Focus RS (which now comes with a limited-slip front differential to further improve handling,) so if you’ve been thinking about getting one, now’s the time to act.

Photo by Ford