VW Golf GTi MK V1
Engine 2.0l 207bhp 4-cylinder Turbo/280 Nm
Transmission 6-speed twin clutch DSG,
Weight 1318kgTop Speed 240kph
Acceleration 0-100kph in 6.9 sec
It is sometimes hard to remember that Giorgetto Giugiaro's seminal Golf GTi Mk1 was really rather humble, such is its iconic status and influence.A simple 1,600cc four-cylinder 8V engine producing 110bhp doesn't sound much, but in 1979 it was sufficient to create a whole new market segment, the ‘hot hatch'. Such was the success of the concept that it virtually killed the small sports car market, and the Golf in all its guises went on to become VW's best-selling car.
Today's MK VI GTi shows just how far car-making has come in the intervening three decades. Now penned by Walter De Silva, the shape still has echoes of the MK 1 and MK IV versions. Now boasting a turbocharged two-litre engine and almost double the output of the original at 207bhp, it is a completely different car. It is bigger, better equipped, faster and more luxurious than ever before, and it weighs almost twice as much as the original's sylph-like 790kg. Performance is blunted as a result, but ride and comfort are in a different league. Which is a shame, because the original's responsiveness and driver involvement simply rewrote the rules. Too many pies. Way too many pies.
Volvo C30 T5
Engines 2.5L 227bhp 5-cylinder Turbo / 320Nm
Transmissions 5-speed Geartronic, front-wheel-drive
Weight 1,860kgTop Speed 233kph
Acceleration 0-100 kph 6.6 sec
For years, Volvo made boxy, safe saloons and estates, with the occasional bonkers stealth missile to keep the odd petrolhead interested. But they needed a car to shake up that image, and the result was the C30. Based on the same platform as the Ford Focus, the C30 ups the ante with a radical engine, a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo unit delivering 227bhp. Even with the automatic ‘Geartronic' transmission, it does the 0-100kph sprint in 6.6 seconds.
The T5 R-Design trim level adds 18" wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, cruise control, a 10-speaker surround-sound audio system, satellite radio, aluminium dash inlays and a watch-dial-inspired instrument panel. With its space-age interior and distinctive looks, the C30 is a worthy alternative to the Minis and GTis on our streets. Firm suspension and sticky tyres mean the Volvo C30 hatchback manages to deliver quite a bit of fun behind the wheel. It's not as nimble or engaging as a full-on hot hatch, but the C30's smoother ride quality and quieter cabin make it much more comfortable for daily use. Think of it not so much as a ‘hot' hatch, but rather an extremely cool and quirky one.
Honda Civic Type R
Engine 2.0L 198bhp 4-cylinder/193Nm
Transmissions 6-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
Weight 1,342kg
Top Speed 235kph
Acceleration 0-100kph 9.1 sec
Fuel Economy 11.9 litres/100km
In the UK, Honda's worthy little Civic was the automatic choice of retired bank managers and midwives, a symbol of the pipe and slippers brigade. Which meant that it absolutely wasn't even on the radar of real driving enthusiasts. But then Honda put a discrete red badge on it, and everything changed. The original Type R was a stripped out, hardcore fizz-bomb of a car, tuned to the nth degree and as uncivilised as a Civic could be. When introduced, the high-revving 1.6 litre engine had the highest specific output per litre of any normally aspirated production car.
The Type-R we get here is the European FN2 hatchback version and not the Japanese saloon. This means we lose the multi-link rear suspension, but get the better looking car, which has been available in Europe since 2006. The engine delivers 198bhp at 7,500rpm and 193Nm of torque at 5,600rpm, driving the front wheels through a six speed manual box. It runs on 225/40 R18 Y88 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres as standard, while optional 19" Rage alloys are fitted with Yokohama Advan Sport 225/35 ZR19 88Ys. The Type R weighs just 1,342kg, and with sports seats, rear spoiler and firmer suspension, it costs around Dh115,000. Banzai lives!
Alfa Romeo Mito
Engine 1.4l 170bhp 4-cylinder Turbo/250Nm
Transmissions 6-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
Weight 1,205kgTop Speed 218kph
Acceleration 0-100 kph in 7.5 sec
It was Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson who said "you can't be a petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa", and that's because they used to delight and frustrate in equal measure. Things have come a long way since and modern Alfas, like the new MiTo, are very good indeed. Designed to look like a condensed 8C Competizione, it's a sporty little head-turner in the true Alfa tradition.
It shares its platform with the Grande Punto, but the MiTo rolls less and rides better due to its sharper suspension. The MiTo is also the first Alfa equipped with the DNA system that enables drivers to switch between modes - Dynamic, Normal and All weather - to suit conditions. Under the bonnet there's a free-revving and tuneful 1.4-litre turbo unit giving 170bhp and a commendable 126g/km of CO2. This offers a 0-100kph sprint of 7.5 seconds, and a top speed of 218kph.
Sweet handling, peppy and stylish, there's much to love about the MiTo. Only the interiors are a letdown, with dark colours and hard plastics. In many ways, it really is a classic Alfa, and the driving experience is such that you can forgive its faults for the sake of sheer driving pleasure and hot looks.
New Renault Clio Sport
Engine 4 cylinders, 1998 cc, 16 valves
Power 203bhp @ 7100 rpm, 215 Nm @ 5400 rpm
Kerb weight 1,240kgs
Gearbox Manual, (6 gears) Front Recaro seats, 17'' alloy wheels
Acceleration 0-100kph 6.9 secs
Max speed 225kph
Renault's latest version of the Clio Sport comes in two distinct flavours - hard, and harder. As an alternative to the already class-leading Sport chassis, you can now have your New Clio Renault Sport with the even more extreme Cup chassis, engineered for performance and uncompromising driving. It corners hard, fast and flat thanks to uprated dampers (15 per cent stiffer), stiffer springs (plus 27 per cent at the front; plus 30 per cent at the rear) and lowered ride height, down 7mm compared to the Sport chassis. The resulting lower centre of gravity improves cornering performance because of reduced weight transfer. The Cup chassis boasts a faster steering rack and 36kg less weight than the ‘Sport' chassis. All of this translates into one of the finest-handling hot hatches ever to grace our streets, an uncompromising cornermeister without equal on road or track.
To back up the handling, the New Clio Renault Sport is powered by a normally aspirated 2.0 16V engine (F4R RS) punching out more than 100bhp per litre, a full 203bhp at 7,100rpm. Meanwhile, the low-end torque is up by an impressive 20 per cent, now 215Nm at 5,400rpm. The sprint to 100kph takes just6.9 seconds and the top speed is 225kph.Tres chic. Tres belle.
Face it - for most of us, big cars = big fun. There's nothing to compare with the pleasure of the surge of a big V8, whether under the bonnet of a sports car or a big SUV. Or is there? There are plenty of small alternatives to consider, so we picked five of the best 2-litres (or sub 2-litres) for a closer look.
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