1. Five of the Best Hot Hatches at the Paris Show
2. Honda Civic Type R
3. Peugeot 207 GT Turbo
4. Suzuki Swift Sport
5. Audi S3

There is no doubt that the Honda Civic Type R is one of the most eagerly awaited hot hatches of the past couple of years. The outgoing Type R set a new standard in the bang for your buck stakes with a manic nigh-on 200bhp engine and a thoroughly affordable purchase price. Little wonder then that Honda managed to sell so many Type Rs in the UK. No doubt it would like to repeat that success story.

The hot hatch playing field is a tough place to be nowadays, with 200bhp (and some) easily obtained for a good deal less than £20,000. It is a little surprising then to learn that Honda will not up the power output of its new Type R, concentrating instead on reducing weight and enhancing the driver appeal. We don't expect this Civic to fight for customers that would choose the Golf GTi for its refinement and status as much as for the driving experience; Civic Type R buyers are expected to have driving as their number one buying priority.

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