1. Five of the Best Diesel Hot Hatches
2. SEAT Leon FR
3. Peugeot 207 GT HDi
4. Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch
5. Skoda Fabia vRS
6. Alfa Romeo 147 JTD

It used to be de rigueur to begin talking about a Skoda with reference to a joke, but there is nothing funny about the Fabia vRS, other than the look on other drivers' faces as you leave them trailing behind of course...

You see, the vRS doesn't really show its cards until absolutely necessary, but park one next to a regular Fabia and you'll spot the significant number of changes to the bodywork. You'd never guess that a diesel engine lies under its bonnet by looking at it though.

In fact, Skoda's top of the range vRS tag is specified only with a diesel engine in the Fabia: a 1.9-litre turbocharged unit with 130bhp and a hefty 310Nm of torque. Zero to 62mph takes only 9.5 seconds, while you'll be the one laughing when it comes to filling up, as Skoda claims 52.3mpg on the Combined Cycle. The punch line? It only costs £12,375 on-the-road.

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