Hot hatches

Volkswagen has slashed the price of its fully loaded Golf GTI performance car.The iconic hatchback, which was the hot hatch benchmark for decades, is now priced at $59,990 drive-away nationwide.Volkswagen has added the previously two optional packs as standard. The German brand said this car with all the options would usually cost about $68,000 drive-away, give or take a few hundred depending on your location.The new price puts it in the same ballpark as a full-fruit Hyundai i30 N and much cheaper than the more potent but similarly front-wheel-drive Honda Civic Type R.The formerly optional Luxury pack adds plush leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel and power adjustment for the driver’s seat.It now comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, a head-up display and a premium Harman Kardon stereo via the Sound and Style pack.Power comes from a familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine that makes 180kW and 370Nm and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.There are also multiple driving modes and a customisable setting with 15 different levels of spring firmness, ranging from soft and supple to hard and sharp.Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Head of Product Michelle Rowney said the Golf GTI was still as popular as ever and sales doubled in 2023 compared to 2022.“Increased production availability of the Golf GTI allows us to finally meet the demand for our quintessential hot hatchback, and we want to accelerate its appeal with a special, fully loaded $59,990 drive-away offer,” said Rowney.The Golf GTI already came with plenty of standard features such as a 10-inch multimedia screen and a digital driver display of the same size, wireless smartphone mirroring and a wireless device charging pad.The rest of this year promises to be a boon for new-car shoppers as many brands are starting to offer sharp drive-away deals and heavy discounts as demand for new cars slows and production woes of the past few years subside.

American Honda Motor has revealed the facelifted version of its locally built Honda Civic hatch, possibly previewing tech and styling changes that could apply to Australian models soon.

Mini has given a preview of its next-gen hi-po hot hatch, the John Cooper Works ahead of an official debut at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance race starting May 30. For the first time, Mini is making the focused John Cooper Works spec available on electric models as well as petrol. Full powertrain and chassis details are yet to be revealed. Mini has yet to confirm when the Cooper S John Cooper Works will arrive in Australia. The rest of the range, priced from $41,990-$58,990 before on-road costs, is expected to land in the third quarter of the year.The red and white camouflage livery is made up of the outlines of the world racetracks and is said to be reminiscent of the red and white colour scheme of the 1964 Monte Carlo Rallye winning original Mini piloted by Paddy Hopkirk. Despite the camo, it’s pretty easy to see the changes made to the John Cooper Works. Don’t expect them all to make production, though, as #317 has been prepared to compete in the SP 3T category of the ‘N24’ endurance race by Bulldog Racing . The wider gloss black wheel arch covers are production items, as are extra intakes on the front bumper’s flanks to cool the brakes and tyres. Inside the new octagonal grille design there are cut outs to feed radiators, again the real deal. At the back, the John Cooper Works gets a unique twin roof spoiler design and different rear bumper valance that’s more aggressive than regular Cooper S models. Inside there will probably be red stitching and bucket seats.Don’t expect to see the single centre-exit exhaust, white multi-spoke alloy wheels with slick tyres, roll cage, or functional rear diffuser for the production model.The new Cooper S John Cooper Works will retain its more hardcore focus – its rival set is more Hyundai i20 N and Honda Civic Type R buyers than Polo or Golf GTI prospectives.We anticipated tauter springs, a lower ride height, sportier tuning for the adaptive dampers, bigger brakes and a bit more bark from the exhaust on the petrol variant. The ICE model will only be available with an automatic gearbox, with manual Minis axed from last year. As for power figures, Mini has yet to confirm any details. The petrol model will use the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit found in the regular Cooper S with a bit more grunt. Given the old John Cooper Works boosted power to 170kW, we’d imagine 180kW to match the Golf GTI would be a good increase. For the electric Mini John Cooper Works, guessing is a little harder. It could carry chassis revisions and continue with the SE’s 160kW/330Nm front-mounted motor and 54kWh battery pack, though we’d love to see a bit more punch. Mini hasn’t mentioned a follow up to the hardcore John Cooper Works GP for the new Cooper hatch, yet.Further details such as power and chassis changes as well as Australian pricing – expect the petrol model to start around $60K – will be revealed closer after the car’s reveal. 

Hyundai is committed to the hot hatch with plentiful stock of its i30 N hot hatch available in Australia. 

Another small electric car could be on the way from BYD if a concept on show at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show is anything to go by - this is the Ocean M concept.

Emerging car brand Cupra has added a new value focused model to its Australian line-up bringing performance and design flair.

I love fast cars. I’ve been a fan of anything quick since I was a kid, watching every form of motor racing and day-dreaming about supercars. I love driving quickly – in a safe environment, of course – and experiencing the thrill of rapid acceleration and pushing a vehicle to its dynamic limits. Which I say to set the scene for what I’m about to say.

Easter is a time of rebirth and new beginnings, and naturally that turns our mind to cars (what can I say, we have a one-track mind).

Mini Australia has detailed the next-gen version of its iconic hatchback, the Mini Cooper, set to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of 2024.

BYD doesn't see a Dolphin hatchback as necessary for its growth strategy, as it focuses on launching its mid-size SUV this year.