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WHEN it came to choosing a rival to put up against the new BMW 128ti (Page 10), it had to be the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Sure, there are faster and more fun hot hatches, but when it comes to all-round brilliance, it’s the Golf GTI that’s always been the best package. It’s the same across the rest of the range. From the up! to the Touareg, VW has always been the standard-setter, the one that other brands aim for. The badge is aspirational and affordable; it’s about quality and technology. You can’t go wrong with a VW. Or can you? It’s now under threat like never before, letting things slide that you used to take for granted. Such as quality. We’ve been disappointed with the perceived build of a lot…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowle • Ford’s next electric car takes advantage of VW tech deal • Puma-sized crossover likely to have a range of 250-350 miles FORD’S next electric car will arrive in just two years, Auto Express can confirm, and is set to be built at the firm’s super-efficient plant in Cologne, Germany. The ‘Mini Mustang’ will be based on the VW Group’s MEB electric car platform, following an announcement in 2019 that Ford had signed a deal to use VW’s tech. The first MEB car to be launched was the Volkswagen ID.3, and the new Ford is expected to be similar in proportions to that car, but with a more crossover-like body. That’s the route Ford went down with the Mustang Mach-E and it’s expected that it will take a…

MAKING Ford’s Cologne plant the home of the new baby EV has also raised questions about the future of the Fiesta, which is currently built there. Rumours suggest this could be the end of Fiesta and that the new EV might replace Ford’s supermini. However, Auto Express understands that Fiesta production could return to Ford’s plant in Valencia, Spain, where it was built until 2012, and the model is likely to continue in production for some time still. The Fiesta remained the UK’s best-selling car in 2020, although it was overtaken in the sales charts in the first month of 2021 by the Vauxhall Corsa, which is already available as an all-electric car.…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk UNTIL now, BMW has never really made a bona-fide hot hatchback. The magicians from Munich have given us a stream of fast and luxurious hatches such as the M135i, the M140i and more recently the M135i xDrive, all of which have been successful in their own specific ways. But never a car with the purity of purpose of a genuine, true-blue hot hatch. Step forwards the new 128ti. Powered not by a silky smooth six-cylinder engine but, instead, by a more prosaic 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged unit that’s normally found beneath the bonnet of a MINI Cooper, the 128ti represents a refreshing departure from BMW’s current penchant for making cars that are bigger, faster and heavier. In many ways it’s a back-to-basics type of car, one that contains a certain…

FOR cars like these, finance makes sense. The BMW just shades the VW when it comes to lease costs, but with only £6 per month between the two, and these cars appealing to enthusiasts, it could be a case of personal preference when it comes to the buying decision with either of this pairing. Factor in the level of standard kit, though; while it only adds a few pounds per month for each option you add, from Steve’s analysis the GTI needs more boxes ticking on that list, and we think the Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive dampers are a must, because it broadens the Golf’s appeal and plays to its strengths. BMW wraps its options up in packs these days, and the Tech Pack is all we’d really suggest adding,…

Ford Focus ST THE latest, 276bhp Focus ST is a strong return to form for Ford’s hot family hatchback, which is also available in more practical estate form. We like the six-speed manual version the most, but just like the Golf GTI and 128ti, it’s now available with an automatic if you’d prefer. Honda Civic Type R THE Honda Civic Type R has been our favourite hot hatchback for some time now, and it stands in contrast to the VW and the BMW due to its more raucous nature. The GTI and 128ti stack up well as rapid cross-country cruisers, while the 316bhp Honda is for the more track-minded hot hatch buyer.…