Seven SUVs that drive like hot hatches

The number of hot hatches available in Australia is rapidly shrinking, following the axing of the famous Ford Focus ST and Ford Fiesta ST last year and the with the discontinuation of the iconic Renault Megane RS this year.

But there is an alternative: hot small to mid-size SUVs, which in most cases are effectively higher-riding, more adventurously-styled compact hatchbacks or wagons that offer more practicality, similar performance and some of the lively handling and speed of a punchy hot hatch.

Here’s our pick of the top seven SUVs that drive like hot hatches.

Audi’s iconic 2.5-litre turbo-petrol five-cylinder is a cracking engine with the ability to rocket the 2023 Audi RS Q3 to 100km/h in a hot hatch-slaying 4.5 seconds, and it sounds like a cross between an Ur-quattro and the R8 V10. In short: awesome.

Healthy peak torque of 480Nm is on tap over a broad 1950-5850rpm, delivered seamlessly and effectively via Audi’s slick seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive.

The RS Q3 is brilliant around town, feeling solid and secure on any surface. And on track, it’s sharp and quick enough – despite weighing about 1800kg – to lap most circuits within about a second of the Audi S3 Sportback warm hatch.

The RS Q3 does have a natural tendency to understeer when pushed hard, but that can be attributed to having most of its weight hanging over the front axle than its high-riding stance.

The 2023 BMW X2 M35i is another sharp, torque-rich small premium SUV that’s been tied down so much that it’s almost just a tall hot hatch.

Its turbo four feels happiest in the torque band, shuffling the 1620kg machine around with enthusiasm. It has unusual strength from around 1600rpm, giving it enough to dominate most traffic situations easily. The X2 M35i is another sub-5.0sec 0-100km/h performer (4.9sec), before tapping out at 250km/h (limited).

But it’s not just straight-line wonderful followed by cornering woe – the BMW X2 M35i shows surprising dexterity in getting into and out of the turns. It just gets on with its work in a completely unfussed way, but ride quality borders on uncomfortable, turning slight-looking road irregularities into irksome jolts.

The award-winning 2023 Cupra Formentor comes alive in a way a SUV really shouldn’t, with well-weighted steering, excellent body control and a communicative chassis.

Ride is controlled and occasionally firm, but largely avoids thudding and crashing, and in 228kW VZx form it’s claimed to hit 100km/h in just 4.9sec – fast in any language.

Aside from some lag early on, power is expedient and plentiful. The Formentor piles on traction out of slippery hairpin corners with only some wheelspin before traction control intervenes. This adds to the character and helps set it apart from the performance SUV crowd.

Meanwhile, an honourable mention goes to another similar hot Cupra SUV, the Cupra Ateca VZx. This is a Volkswagen Tiguan R underneath, but with a heaped tablespoon of sportiness. And if factory options are ticked, you can sprinkle a selection of European aftermarket goodness from Brembo and Akrapovic.

The 2023 Kona N has been shown the door following the recent release of the second-generation Kona small SUV range, which is yet to be joined by a hot N replacement – so get in quick if you can find one still on sale.

This N is a cracker: sitting on a 10mm-lower ride height and with a 20mm front/7mm rear track increase over the regular Kona, the Kona N is about advanced engineering and high-tech gadgetry, making it a proper tall-boy hot hatch substitute.

The turbo four’s maximum outputs (206kW/392Nm) are all sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch auto. Using N Grin Shift you can have up to 213kW in 20-second increments, but it’s difficult to notice any difference. There’s no doubting the Kona N’s 5.5sec 0-100km/h claim, and its athleticism at any speed will leave few disappointed.

At times you’re met with mild amounts of torque steer while the front wheels scramble for traction, but when it gathers enough grip the Kona N hunkers down and propels you forward with satisfying urge. It really is a confidence-inspiring little SUV to fling around, just so long as you can deal with its firm ride the rest of the time.

This is the fastest – and by far the most expensive – hot hatch substitute here, but there’s nothing sub-par about the way the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 S performs. When it was launched, its twin-scroll turbo-petrol four-cylinder powerhouse claimed the title of the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine, with outputs up by 30kW/25Nm over its predecessor to deliver a staggering 310kW and 500Nm.

That’s enough to see the GLA 45 S demolish the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.3sec. Yes, that’s (just) faster than the 4.5sec time of the Audi RS Q3, and the eight-speed dual-clutch auto is a joy to skip through, while the paddle shifters are – quite surprisingly – right at home in this city-size premium SUV.

Indeed it’s easy to forget you’re in a small SUV, with agile dynamics making you feel inclined to duck and dive through corners, braking late and powering out early, while the GLA 45 S hugs the road and rides impressively flat. Confidence is helped by the vented and cross-drilled brakes, which quickly pull the GLA to a standstill, but there’s still understeer at the limit here.

The 2023 JCW Countryman is the largest and most powerful MINI ever made, and was also the first all-wheel drive John Cooper Works model released. Best get in while you can though; a new MINI Countryman lobs next year and the hot JCW version may be all-electric.

In the meantime you can have the current – and still piping-hot – JCW Countryman from $68,625. It might not be in the five-second club but it’s not far off, accelerating to 100km/h in a claimed 5.1 seconds, which will outpace many hot hatches.

The abrupt ride and over-sensitive brakes, which are annoying in town, help the JCW Countryman come alive on a back -road. The steering is ultra-direct and the front tips into corners eagerly with impressive grip levels, great agility and surprising predictability. The exhaust sounds great in sport mode too, popping and blatting on the overrun.

The 2023 Volkswagen T-Roc R is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo four that makes a healthy 221kW/400Nm – slightly less than the VW Golf R on which it’s based, but more than the front-drive Golf GTI and more than enough to makes things very lively.

Drive goes to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and

VW claims a 4.9sec 0-100km/h time, thanks to a cracking EA888 engine that also has so much torque at low to middling revs it’s not at all peaky. There’s no need to muck around with multiple drive modes, because the engine responds best in Race (there is no Sport).

The DSG auto is a smooth and quick-thinking self-shifter, most of the time at least, and the 20mm-lower independent sports suspension has three-mode adaptive dampers. They are firm in Race, settled enough for touring in Normal and acceptable without being truly supple in Comfort.

The T-Roc R has a quick and grippy front-end for crisp corner turn-in and a nailed-down rear-end that makes for ruthlessly effective corner exits. While there’s a little pitch under brakes and roll in turns, the body and suspension cope well with mid-corner bumps. It’s a combination that delivers confidence.

Related: Best Hot Hatch 2022

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