Currently reading: The best hot hatch ever - result

The greatest hot hatchback of all time according to Autocar’s readers is the Lancia Delta HF Integra

The polls are closed, the votes have been counted. The greatest hot hatchback of all time according to Autocar’s readers is the Lancia Delta HF Integrale.

More than 3500 votes were cast on Autocar.co.uk throughout April, and 14.3 per cent of them were for Lancia’s homologated rally legend.

Lancia Delta Integrale - an owner's story

Its closest challenge came from the Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6, which attracted 7.9 per cent of nominations, followed by Ford’s original Focus RS with 7.7 per cent of the votes.

Not so highly rated were the Renault 5 GT Turbo, original Mini Cooper S, Citroen Saxo VTS and Renault Clio 197, which all scored less than 2.0 per cent of the vote.

The top 10

Lancia Delta Integrale – 14.3%Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 – 7.9%Ford Focus RS (mk1) – 7.7%VW Golf GTi (mk1) – 6.8%Ford Escort Cosworth – 6.5%Honda Civic Type R (mk1) – 5.8%Seat Leon Cupra R (mk1) – 5.7%Peugeot 306 GTi-6 – 5.4%VW Golf GTi 16v (mk2) – 5.0%Renault Clio Williams – 4.9%

The full story is available in this week's Autocar magazine, on sale from Wednesday.

See all the latest Lancia reviews, news and video

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puls4r1 11 July 2010

Re: The best hot hatch ever - result

I can't believe the Nissan Pulsar/Sunny Gtir is not featured in that list what a joke!

Dan McNeil v2 14 June 2010

Re: The best hot hatch ever - result

russ13b wrote:
From what i can remember - the 80's were a long time ago! - the 205 1.6 was reckoned to be better handling than the 1.9, with the 1.9 being the faster. Nowthen..... Is there only me who can remember the Lotus Sunbeam and Vauxhall Chevette HS?? Weren't these the hot hatches before the hot hatch was invented?! And, aren't these the only rwd hot hatches? If the intergrale and 'scort cossie count as hot hatches, then shouldn't the Quattro? I think that's loosing the plot. The hot hatch was kinda like a factory built working-man's hotrod, which working man could actually realistically afford, not something from the "top 10" list. That's what i think anyway lol
Good post, agree entirely with it. I can just about remember the 80s too...

inthebin 14 June 2010

Re: The best hot hatch ever - result

TheOmegaMan wrote:

FWD cars are crap. That is all.

Do you live in an old peoples home?