First, it must be able to get your pulse racing on a twisty back road; if it can’t get you through corners without the edges of your mouth turning up, it has fallen at the first hurdle. So, handling prowess and power delivery are key.
However, hot hatches are likely to be used every day of the week, so they also need to possess a measure of practicality, have reasonable running costs and not be so firm that you quickly tire of them.
Below, we count down our current top 10 – and reveal the models to avoid. If any of them take your fancy, simply click on the relevant link to find out more or see how much you could save by using our free New Car Buying service.