Mankind has achieved many great things - space travel, the internet, AI – but today we're attempting something really tricky... we're compiling a list of hot hatches that are cheap to insure.
There's much to like about hot hatches. They're practical, inexpensive to maintain and, of course, quick but one thing they are not is cheap to insure. That's the perceived wisdom anyway, but here you'll find 10 cars that buck the trend. You might also want to check out our guide to the best hot hatches if you can live with the higher insurance premiums, otherwise keep reading for our guide to ten hot hatches that are cheap to insure.
If you're looking for to save money on a new or used hot hatch, check out our Best New and Used Car Deals.
Renault Twingo GT
Insurance group 11
The Renault Twingo GT is the chameleon of the hot hatch world – it looks like a hot hatch and courtesy of a tuned 110PS engine, it goes a bit like one, too. Looks can be deceiving, however.
That's because, hand on heart, the Twingo doesn't handle like a hot hatch should. It feels top heavy, its steering is woolly and the stability control system is unnecessarily nannying. It's great for squirting through city streets but less accomplished at demolishing your favourite back road. But hey, group 11 insurance means cover will be cheap.
That tiny engine sees to it that running costs will be affordable, too, and with room for four adults (just) and a boot that will swallow a few soft bags, the Twingo could be ideal if you're looking to get your first taste of a sporty car.
Abarth 595
Insurance group 13
The Abarth 595 is essentially Italy's MINI Cooper. It's a car that feeds on its retro throwback looks, so much so that you're willing to accept that it has a tiny boot and laughable rear seat space.
The Abarth is nowhere near as sophisticated to drive as the MINI, mind. The high seating position makes it feel like you have clambered on top of a giant pedal car, the steering lacks precision and the suspension crashes over bumps, while providing poor body control.
That's not to say the Abarth isn't fun. It's 140PS turbocharged petrol engine gives plenty of pep and it's plumbed into an exhaust that pops, crackles and splutters in a way that can't fail to have you smiling. Group 13 insurance has never been such fun!
Alfa Romeo MiTo
Insurance group 16
Choosing a hot hatch by the very nature of the beast sends you on a collision course with your insurance company, so why not think smart and choose a normal car that hasn't got the badge equivalent of a red flag (GTI, GT, ST...etc) to insurers?
The Alfa Romeo Mito Veloce has just such a badge. If car insurance companies spoke Italian (evidently they don't), they'd know that 'veloce' means fast and with 170PS in a body the size of a Fiat Punto – incidentally, the car the MiTo is based upon – the Alfa is indeed fast.
Saying that, there's a lot not to like about the MiTo. Its ride and handling aren't great, it looks a bit odd, it's tight inside and the cabin is made from plastics so hard they make medieval armour seem forgivingly pliant. But there's no denying the MiTo has charm and with prices starting from as little as £2000 for a serviceable example, you can't complain.
Volkswagen Up GTI
Insurance group 17
The underlying concept of a hot hatch is that it should be cheap and fun so you could say the Volkswagen Up GTI is hot hatchery in its purest, medical-grade form. That its ancestry includes the MK1 Golf GTI – arguably the original hot hatch – also helps.
Thankfully, the Up GTI can honour the cheques written out by its predecessor. With a 1070kg kerb weight, it's highly flingable in bends and it feels nippy despite it's 1.0-litre petrol engine only having 115PS to its name. Its characterful thrum is a perfect fit for the Up's cheeky character as are sporty touches like its subtle body kit and tartan seats.
The GTI doesn't stray too far from the standard Up recipe, though. Group 17 insurance means its cheap to cover in hot hatch terms and it'll return 50mpg fuel economy, happily. It has more interior space inside than you'd think possible for such a dinky machine and it feels chunky and well screwed together.
Volkswagen Golf GTE
Insurance group 17
If Greta Thunberg owned a hot hatch (she doesn't) it would be the Volkswagen Golf GTE – the hot hatch for people with one eye on the environment. You see, underneath it's GTI-aping exterior, the GTE hides a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid system that makes it greener than the black forest in spring.
Power comes from a 1.4-litre petrol engine that's boosted by an electric motor to produce 201PS, getting the Golf from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 134mph. The clever bit comes with the GTE's ability to run on electric power alone for up to 31 miles, meaning short commutes can cost you pennies not pounds.
What makes the GTE even more usable is that it is a MK7 Golf so it has a spacious well thought out interior, excellent quality and an infotainment system that's a piece of cake to use.
MINI Cooper
Insurance group 18
'Everything is good in moderation' could be the (somewhat unflattering) sales slogan for the MINI Cooper, which probably explains why we've not got a career path laid out in marketing.
Thankfully, we do know about cars and, although the Cooper only has moderate levels of performance, it is very much the sweet spot in the the 3-Door range. Its 136PS engine sounds rorty and has plenty of poke, it's skinny tyres mean its limits are in reach at normal speeds and it's softer suspension lets you use the car's weight to place it into bends. All of this makes it a bigger laugh than the more serious (and faster) Cooper S.
And, without that car's 2.0-litre engine, the standard Cooper costs very little to run and not that much to insure. Inside, you get MINI's classic retro touches and a cabin that feels premium for a small car though, as ever, we should point out that the back seats are tight and the boot small.
Ford Fiesta ST
Insurance group 19
You don't need an explanation for why you find the Fiesta ST on this list. It's a bonafide hot hatch that can slap a huge grin on your face when the time is right, but also roll up its sleeves and deal with the rigours of family life without complaint.
Its ability to make you smile comes thanks to a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine that gives the Fiesta a serious turn of pace and an exhaust that coughs and crackles when you're exploring it. The chassis, meanwhile, is firm but compliant and quick steering makes the Fiesta feel like it has a sixth sense for corners.
The ST doesn't have the same camel-like thirst for fuel as other Fiestas – and its insurance is the highest in the lineup, but still well short of the premiums you'll pay on direct rivals – but it's identical to the rest of the range in every other way. Which means it has a modern interior that has room for four and a boot that will swallow the monthly shop.
SEAT Ibiza
Insurance group 19
The SEAT Ibiza FR is more of a toasty-warm hatch than a full on hot one, but 150PS in a car this size is plenty and the Ibiza is such a well-rounded package, it is very hard to ignore.
Its 1.5-litre engine is a cracker. With four-cylinders, it's smoother than most rivals which have three and it can get you from 0-62mph in less than eight seconds. It can also turn off half its cylinders to save fuel when the extra power isn't needed. Stiffer suspension and wider tyres mean the FR has more grip in corners than lesser Ibizas, too.
It also means it looks sportier and you get flashes of red on the inside that brighten up the cabin. The Ibiza's interior is one of the best you'll find in a small car with excellent infotainment and loads of space.
Ford Focus ST TDCi
Insurance group 24
What you're looking at is the Tyrannosaurus Rex of hot hatches because, with its powerful diesel engine, the old Ford Focus ST TDCi is a dying breed in these enlightened times.
Which is a shame because it's a stonker of motorway car. With 182PS, it's powerful machine but it's the 400Nm of torque that's the headline grabber, giving the Focus excellent in-gear flexibility and lots of power for overtaking on A roads and motorways. A dialled in chassis means it's no slouch in corners either.
Where it does show its age is on the inside, where you get a small infotainment screen and some questionable plastic quality. Either way, it has room for four adults and a boot that's small by the class average, but still big enough for a couple of large suitcases.
Skoda Octavia vRS
Insurance group 28
The old Skoda Octavia vRS is the hot hatch for thinkers. It cost less than a Volkswagen Golf GTI new but has more interior space, it's good on fuel for a hot hatch and, with group 28 insurance, it is also relatively cheap to get covered.
It's well rounded when it comes to the driving, too. With 230PS from its 2.0-litre engine, it's not the quickest hot hatch out there, but the engine's flat torque curve makes it very flexible with plenty of power from barely over tickover. It's nimble in corners but not at the expense of comfort.
Inside, you get Volkswagen Group build quality and an infotainment system that's simple to operate. The best bit, though, is the space inside – there's loads of front passenger room, plenty of rear legroom and a huge, very well designed boot. Even if you have a family, you don't have to hang up your driving gloves just yet.
Insurance groups run from 1 to 50, with 1 being the cheapest cars to insure – models such as the Volkswagen Up – and 50 being the most expensive reserved for supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
The cheapest cars to insure tend to be small and simple models, with low performance. They're cheap to buy and so also cheap to repair, while their low power means they're less likely to be involved in a serious accident that causes lots of damage.
We would suspect it is the Lexus LFA. Lexus (Toyota's premium brand) regularly tops satisfaction and reliability surveys so you can expect the LF A to be very well built, meanwhile its 560PS V10 engine gives it a top speed in excess of 200mph.
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