What's the best affordable driver's car? Autocar's 2021 hot hatch video shootout
Five of the best everyday performance cars under £40,000 go head-to-head - along with one altogether less practical wildcard
If you want fun car for not loads of money, what's your best option? That's what Autocar's contest, Britain's Best Affordable Driver's Car, intends to answer every year. Welcome to the 2021 edition.
We've got six driver's cars to test. Five are practical everyday hatchbacks that also aim to please while they're at it, and they're all new for 2021.
Newest of them all is the Hyundai i20 N. It takes on the Ford Puma ST, the latest Volkswagen Golf R, a Cupra Leon 300, and a BMW 128ti. Then there's our wildcard, the Caterham Super Seven 1600.
The cars' prices run from under £25,000 to nearly £40,000, and we've driven to the greatest roads in Britain to help us decide. We're in the Highlands: but there can be only one (see what we did there).
Full specifications below:
*Hyundai i20 N*
*Price* £24,995 *Power* 201bhp at 5500-6000rpm *Torque* 207lb ft at 1750 -4500rpm *Kerb Weight *1220kg *0-62mph *6.2sec *Top speed *142mph *Fuel Economy *40.4mpg *CO2* 158g/km
*Volkswagen Golf R*
*Price* £39,270 *Power* 316bhp at 5200-6600rpm *Torque* 310 lb ft at 2100-5350rpm *Kerb Weight *1476kg *0-62mph* 4.7sec *Top speed *155mph *Fuel Economy *35.3-36.2mpg *CO2* 176-182g/km
*Ford Puma ST Performance Pack*
*Price* £29,460 *Power* 197bhp at 6000rpm *Torque* 236lb ft at 2500-3500rpm *Kerb Weight* 1283kg *0-62mph* 6.7sec *Top speed* 137mph *Fuel Economy* 41.5mpg *CO2* 155g/km
*Cupra Leon 300 VZ2*
*Price* £35,125 *Power* 296bhp at 5500rpm *Torque* 295lb ft at 2000-5200rpm *Kerb Weight *1420kg *0-62mph* 5.7sec *Top speed *155mph *Fuel Economy *35.8-37.2mpg *CO2* 171-179g/km
*BMW 128ti*
*Price* £33,885 *Power* 261bhp at 4750-6500rpm *Torque* 295lb ft at 1750-4500rpm *Kerb weight* 1445kg *0-62mph* 6.1sec *Top speed* 155mph *Fuel economy* 38.2-40.9mpg *CO2* 157-170g/km
*Caterham Super Seven 1600 SV*
*Price *£39,665 *Power* 135bhp at 6800rpm *Torque* 122lb ft at 4100rpm *Kerb weight* 565kg *0-62mph* 5.0sec *Top speed *122mph