As car enthusiasts, we all love a good hot hatchback. And there's plenty of reasons why hot hatches hold so much appeal. They deliver sporty performance at a relatively reasonable price point. They look youthful and exuberant (even if the driver may not). They are generally still practical enough to serve the needs of a small family. And, you know, they appeal to the boy racer in all of us.
The VW Golf GTI is undoubtedly the class-defining hot hatch, but might it be a little too 'normal'?
And hey, if you wanted a hot hatch, you have plenty of options nowadays - the
Hyundai i30 N, the
MINI John Cooper Works, the
Renault Megane RS, the
SEAT Leon Cupra, and of course, the
Volkswagen Golf GTI, arguably the class-defining hot hatch of them all, which is why we have decided to use the GTI as the benchmark.
But, what if you pined for the performance and practicality of a Golf GTI, but wanted something a little more unordinary (and cheaper, too)? Something a little out of left field? Well, here are three cars you might want to consider.
1. Skoda Octavia RS245 
The Octavia RS245 packs significantly more hauling capacity
This might seem an obvious choice, because the
RS245 shares the same EA888 engine with the Golf GTI (perhaps the most famous hot hatch of them all). However, the Octavia delivers similar performance, while being much more practical. It's 590-litre boot is even bigger than some small SUVs.
Price: $126,900 or 73.8% of a Golf GTI2. Kia Stinger 2.0
The family-friendly Kia Stinger offers ample rear cabin room
Yes, the bombastic
3.3-litre variant is the headliner, but the
2.0-litre model is arguably the better daily driver. Compared to the GTI, it's also a much more family-friendly car, with more rear cabin room. It's also got an unmistakably unique design. No one's going to mistake you for a 1.4 Golf, that's for sure.
Price: $161,999 or 94.2% of a Golf GTI3. Hyundai Kona EV
The Kona EV serves up hot hatch-rivalling performance, without the same carbon footprint
For something truly unordinary, how about the
Kona EV? You might be thinking, it's neither a performance car nor even a hatchback, but hear us out. It's electric motor produces 201bhp and 395Nm of torque, figures that are comparable to that of the GTI. And, it's not half bad to drive, either. Best of all, you can wave your 'saving the earth' trump card at all those ozone-killing hot hatches racing off at red lights.
Price: $163,999 or 95.4% of a Golf GTI 
