Hatchback Reviews

Want a sporty looking small hatch that offers smarts too? The 2021 Skoda Scala Monte Carlo might be the car for you.

We've just driven the Launch Edition version of the 2021 Skoda Scala, a car that arrives here more than six months after its initial intended launch date. Has it been worth the wait? Well, if smart packaging, a nice drive experience and good levels of safety and ownership promise appeal to you, it sure has!

It may have been a delayed launch for the Skoda Scala 2021 model range, but the Launch Edition version is a fitting celebration for the arrival of the new small hatchback.

Mini’s John Cooper Works badge has long denoted the pinnacle of performance for the diminutive-in-size brand, with the limited-run GP version billed as the best of the best. Stripping away the rear seats and upping performance is a sure-fire recipe to boost performance, but does that make the car better?

The S4 and S5 line-up is arguably the sweetest balance between serious performance and everyday comfort Audi produces, and all five bodystyles have been treated to an update for 2021.

It's been a couple of decades since Toyota last puled the AWD turbo performance car lever, but the new GR Yaris has brought that winning formula back with a vengeance.

The Series II Suzuki Swift is here, with a bare bones entry-level right through to a turbo-powered 1.0-litre. The big news is that the GL Navigator Plus and turbo GLX both have a swag of new safety equipment to level up with Mazda and Kia.

The Suzuki Swift GL Navigator Plus costs $21,490 driveaway, bang-on $1500 more than the GL Navigator.The money all goes to a suite of advanced safety features and is money well-spent. You get 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning, reversing camera, cruise control, cloth interior, remote central locking, auto-down power windows and a space-saver spare.The Plus shares the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder engine with the Navigator, producing 66kW and 120Nm, driving the front wheels through a CVT auto.As part of the Series II upgrade, the GLX scored a big safety upgrade, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert and you get forward AEB with both low and high speed operation, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning as well as six airbags and the usual ABS and stability controls.The Swift GL Navigator Plus scored five ANCAP stars in 2017.

The entry-level Swift Navigator is the only spec-level available with a manual unless you take the Swift Sport into account.For $18,990 driveaway for the five-speed and $19,990 - also driveaway - for the CVT auto, you get 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning, reversing camera, cruise control, cloth interior, remote central locking, auto-down power windows and a space-saver spare. As part of the Series II upgrade, the GL scored...two more speakers for a total of four, powered by the 7.0-inch touchscreen media and sat nav system that also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.On the safety front, you get six airbags and the usual ABS and stability controls and a reversing camera. The GL scored four ANCAP stars in 2017 as it hasn't got things like AEB.

The GLX turbo scores Suzuki's 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo engine, with a much healthier 82kW and 160Nm driving the front wheels through a six-speed torque converter auto. It's almost a shame there isn't a manual version.The Series II improvements have also brought a solid price jump to $25,410 driveaway, a solid increase on the old model. For your money you get 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning, LED headlights, reversing camera, cruise control, cloth interior, remote central locking, auto-down power windows and a space-saver spare.The GLX has two more speakers than the Navigator and Navigator Plus pair, with a six-speaker stereo powered by the 7.0-inch touchscreen media and sat nav system that also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.As part of the Series II upgrade, the GLX scored a big safety upgrade, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert and you get forward AEB with both low and high speed operation, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning as well as six airbags and the usual ABS and stability controls.The Swift GLX scored five ANCAP stars in 2017.