The 10 best front-wheel-drive cars

Ford Puma ST

Sadly, Death's scythe has already claimed the heads of some of the best front-wheel drive cars. We're talking about the likes of the Hyundai i20N and i30N, all Renaultsport products, all Peugeot GTIs, even the humble Suzuki Swift Sport couldn't dodge the chop. Sadly, Ford isn't immune, either. The cull of the Fiesta took the ST model – one of the best pint-sized hot hatches – with it, and even the Puma ST hasn't completely survived the slaughter.

Once mechanically identical to the Fiesta ST, the Puma ST is now a 170PS (125kW) mild-hybrid with a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine mated exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. While the new ST will never be as 'hot' as the old one, the new engine configuration provides spritely performance (0-62mph in 7.4 seconds) and decent fuel economy (around 45mpg), with the same neat handling and everyday practicality we expect of the Puma. 

Mini Cooper SE

The old Mini Electric found a place in our hearts as a car that could replicate the nimbleness of a petrol-powered hot hatch. Its secret? It has a small and light 28.9kWh battery. But while the handling was excellent, the range was suboptimal; BMW said you'd get 145 miles from a charge, but the reality was 125 miles, a lot less on a bad day.

Enter the new Mini Cooper SE. With a 49.2kWh battery, it's good for an official range of more than 240 miles, transforming the electric Mini from an exclusive city slicker to a car capable of long motorway stints. Power has also gone up – from 184PS (135kW) to 218PS (160kW) – and the car gets from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds. Best of all, the Cooper SE still has the darty feel, playful nature and cornering keenness you'd expect of a Mini despite it now weighing more than 1,600kg. 

Volkswagen Golf GTI 

The Volkswagen Golf GTI may as well have written the hot hatch playbook. This practical five-door family hatchback doesn't cost the earth to fuel or maintain, has build quality to rival more outright premium brands, and is quick enough in the tight and twisties to keep far more exotic machinery at bay. Or, to put it another way – it's the perfect all-rounder. 

For this reason, the GTI has cultivated a reputation as the sensible hot hatch, but the latest model – the MK8.5 for gen sleuths – has a harder edge than its predecessors. Power comes from the usual turbocharged 2.0-litre, but with 265PS (195kW) to play with (20PS more than before), the GTI now gets from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, and it's limited to 155mph. Some things still annoy – the infotainment is needlessly fiddly, and the car doesn't feel quite as premium as Golfs of yesteryear – but as a hot hatch to live with every day, the GTI remains one of the best. 

Renault 5 

The Renault 5 takes a temporary spot on this list holding the line, we suspect, for the Alpina A290 – an electric hot hatch that we have incredibly high hopes for mainly because it's based on the new 5, but with stiffer suspension, more power, and a limited-slip differential. 

Why the excitement? Because the 5 is one of the coolest EVs we've seen yet. It looks wonderful inside and out, with many Mini-like throwbacks to the original 1970s model and a generous list of customisable options and standard equipment. The 5's 52kWh battery is suitable for a range of up to 255 miles, and its 150PS (110kW) motor accelerates from 0-62mph in a spritely 8 seconds. Sure, it's not exactly sporty to drive, but it isn't meant to be. Comfort trumps sportiness, but it shouldn't be a barrier to this excellent car's inclusion. 

Volkswagen Polo GTI

While the Golf GTI has gone a bit hardcore to compete with the savagely effective Honda Civic Type R, the Volkswagen Polo GTI has stuck to its original brief for being a sensible small hatchback with neat handling and decent pace. In fact, the Polo plays the role of a small hatchback exceptionally well: it's roomy, well-built, and has excellent infotainment and comfort to rival an executive car from not so long ago. 

The GTI merely adds to all these attributes with a 206PS (152kW) 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox that makes it easy to extract the car's 6.5-second 0-62mph time over and over again. OK, so the GTI might not be a livewire like the defunct Fiesta ST, but as a fun car to use daily, the Polo GTI might be the best here. 

Honda Civic Type R

The old Honda Civic Type R was a fabulous hot hatch demonstrating immense speed and composure on even the most technical roads. Still, its questionable looks knocked it down a peg or two on the lists of many buyers. Thankfully, the new model is even better to drive, and its subtle style won't immediately rule out half the population.

Power comes from a revised version of the old 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 329PS (242kW) good for 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and a 171mph top speed. The driving experience is an intoxicating blend of raw, straight-line pace and phenomenal cornering grip that stoically refuses to be knocked by bumps, dips and cambers.

The magical effects of its mechanical LSD are mere icing on the cake. Lovely steering, superb gear change and impressive ride comfort mean you can enjoy Honda at average speeds, too. Meanwhile, the roomy back seat, big boot and vastly improved infotainment make it a family car that requires no excuses.

Abarth 500e

The Abarth 500e is not without its faults – it's pricey, droney on the motorway and short on range – but if you're looking for a front-wheel-drive car you can enjoy in the city, this is the one for you.

Electric power is key, giving the Abarth urban performance that belies its modest performance stats of 155PS (114kW), 0-62mph in 7 seconds and a top speed 99mph. Instant torque means the Abarth scrabbles off the line like a terrier with a rocket up its bottom, and with a single gear, acceleration is seamless.

Abarth's sound synthesiser (the cause of the drone mentioned above) at town speeds injects a generous dose of Italian Brio into the experience, mimicking the gurgles and pops of the old petrol models. The 500e small size makes it ideal for scurrying through whatever rat runs Waze throws your way. And, being an EV, you’re exempt from paying inner city emissions charges.

Skoda Octavia vRS Estate

The Skoda Octavia vRS estate is sensibleness personified. It's a hot hatch that you buy as much for its rear seat legroom and cavernous boot as you do for the smile it can put on your face. It uses a detuned version of the Cupra Leon 300's 2.0-litre producing 245PS (180kW) for 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and 155mph flat out. In the Skoda, the distinctive exhaust noise, rock-solid body control and mechanical LSD you get in other hot hatches makes way for high-speed refinement, compliant ride comfort and 40mpg fuel economy.

When you factor in the cabin space (there's lots of it), makes this the most family-friendly car on this list, but it is still a car you can have a laugh in. The vRS will reveal its fun side if you dig deep enough, its neat handling translates into considerable pace. 

Hyundai i20N

Hyundai's 'N' badge is still a relative unknown amongst the likes of GTI, ST and Type R that we've become accustomed to, so it may surprise you (it did us) that the Hyundai i20N is one of the best hot hatches out there. You'll be less surprised when you read the spec sheet. Along with a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 204PS (150kW) (for 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and a 143mph top speed), the i20N rides 40mm lower than the standard car, has a strengthened chassis and mechanical LSD.

On the road, it feels like an old-school hot hatch with gutsy performance and handling that encourages you to throw it into corners by the scruff of its neck.Yet, this is still a sensible purchase with five doors, a five-year warranty and the potential to return 40mpg fuel economy.

Ford Focus ST Edition

With all this talk of the demise of the hot hatch as we know it (a genre that lends itself well to a list of the best front-wheel-drives), we thought we'd end on a high with a car that's delightfully old school in its execution – the Ford Focus ST Edition.

The Edition's spec list reads like a Max Power front page, boasting Azure Blue paint and a Track Pack that includes KW Automotive two-adjustable dampers, Brembo brakes and flow-formed alloys, which, unlike in Max Power, haven't been saved from a condemned Ford Sierra. Combine all that with a six-speed manual gearbox (no auto in the Edition) and Ford's 280PS (206kW) motor, and the Focus feels like an analogue car in a world full of 1s and 0s. Sadly, Ford will drop the Focus ST next year.