Three of the best front-wheel drive hot hatchbacks on the market, the new Volkswagen Golf GTI, the pre-facelifted Hyundai i30 N and the Ford Focus ST, got together at the Hockenheim GP to find out which one’s quicker.
The first put through its paces against the clock was the Golf GTI. The German model uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 245 PS (242 HP / 180 kW) and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque. It is available with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, taking 6.3 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill with the latter option.
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The the i30 N followed, boasting similar performance to the new Golf GTI. The Korean hot hatchback needs 6.4 seconds to sprint from nought to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in the regular variant, though the Performance Package drops the time to 6.1 seconds. The standard model has 250 PS (246 HP / 184 kW) produced by the 2.0-liter turbo-four while the Performance Package offers 275 PS (271 HP / 202 kW) and 353 Nm (260 lb-ft) of torque (up to 378 Nm [279 lb-ft] on overboost).
As for the Focus ST, it rocks the biggest engine of the three, a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four in the petrol variant, which pumps out 280 PS (276 HP / 206 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft). It can be paired to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and in this instance, it came with the stick shift.
So, which one went across the finish line first? The answer lies below.