The segment of small hot hatches on the European market is... well, hotter than ever. Volkswagen has a new Polo GTI and Ford has a proper rival in the face of the new Fiesta ST. Even Toyota is back in the game with a limited edition Yaris GRMN. All three are already available on the Old Continent – let's find out which one is the best bang for the buck.
The folks from the Lovecars channel on YouTube got all three of them together for a drag race and a braking test. The hosts Ryan Cullen and Paul Woodman are joined by Tiff Needell, and the three of them begin their adventure by disclosing the price of each car. You'll probably be very surprised to hear the Toyota is the most expensive of the trio, followed by the Ford, which means - yes, the Polo GTI is the cheapest.
Another question – which one is the most powerful? The Fiesta ST has a 1.5-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 200 horsepower (149 kilowatts) mated to a six-speed manual, while the VW uses a significantly larger 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit with 197 hp (147 kW) and a dual-clutch automatic. The Yaris GRMN, in turn, has a 1.8-liter supercharged motor with 209 hp (156 kW), sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual, so it's taking the title for the most powerful of the three.
And, of course, the most important question – which one wins the drag race? We won't spoil the results for you, so make sure to watch the whole video at the top of this page. You'll be introduced to three completely different hot hatches, all of which are pretty capable on the track but also make for good daily drivers. The video is informative and fun, and there's even a little surprise test at the end. Enjoy!
