10 most powerful hatchbacks in South Africa under R500,000

High-performance hatches have long been favourites in the South African market, but with many of these becoming increasingly expensive, buyers are turning to cheaper alternatives, many of which can still pack a punch.

South Africa’s hottest hatches, including the Audi RS3, Mercedes-AMG A45 S, and VW Golf 8.5 GTI, cost up to and over a million rand, and boast blistering top speeds and 0-100km/h acceleration times.

However, hatches that cost a third of the price of the Audi and half of the GTI may scratch the itch of someone looking at buying an affordable performance hatch.

The most powerful hatch in South Africa under R500,000, by quite a bit, is the MG3 Hybrid+, which pairs a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor generating a substantial 155kW and 425Nm.

Mated to a hybrid automatic transmission, the Chinese hatch hits 100km/h in 8.0 seconds and a top speed over 170km/h, while maintaining a very impressive average fuel consumption of only 4.3l/100km.

While not nearly as powerful as the MG, the Opel Corsa GS Line gives it a good run for its money, thanks to its 1.2-litre turbo motor producing 96kW and 230Nm.

This results in a 0-100km/h time of 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 208km/h, thanks to a six-speed automatic transmission. Average fuel consumption on this model is 6.3l/100km.

In third place on this list is the first electric car (EV) – the recently launched Chery Q EV400 – which boasts a 90kW electric motor driving the rear wheels.

Its performance does not exactly match the former two, but the Chinese electric hatch does manage to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 13 seconds before it reaches its top speed of 135km/h.

By far the most popular on the list is the VW Polo Hatch TSI in Life or R-Line derivative, boasting a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol motor producing 85kW and 200Nm and an automatic transmission.

The result is a sub-10-second 0 to 100km/h acceleration time and a top speed of 200km/h. It averages a frugal 5.4l/100km across the board.

South Africa’s hottest hatches under R500,000

Hatchback buyers hoping to scratch an itch or fill a performance hatch-sized void in their lives on a budget need not look further than the options on the list below.

Click on their underlined prices for more information.

1. MG MG3 1.5 Hybrid+

• Power – 155kW/425Nm
• Acceleration (0-100km/h) – 8.0 seconds
• Top speed – 170km/h
• Price – R469,900

2. Opel Corsa 1.2T GS Line

• Power – 96kW/230Nm
• Acceleration – 8.7 seconds
• Top speed – 208km/h
• Price – R489,900

3. Chery Q EV400

• Power – 90kW/115Nm
• Acceleration – 13 seconds
• Top speed – 135km/h
• Price – R349,900

4. Hyundai i20 1.0T N Line

• Power – 90kW/172Nm
• Acceleration – 9.9 seconds
• Top speed – 172km/h
• Price – R472,500

5. Honda Fit

• Power – 89kW/145Nm
• Acceleration – N/A
• Top speed – N/A
• Price – R383,400

6. Mazda Mazda3

• Power – 88kW/153Nm
• Acceleration – N/A
• Top speed – N/A
• Price – R498,300

7. Mazda Mazda2

• Power – 85kW/148Nm
• Acceleration – 9.6 seconds
• Top speed – 188km/h
• Price – R289,900

8. VW Polo Hatch 1.0TSI

• Power – 85kW/200Nm
• Acceleration – 9.7 seconds
• Top speed – 200km/h
• Price – R445,400

9. Geely E2

• Power – 85kW/150Nm
• Acceleration – 11.5 seconds
• Top speed – 130km/h
• Price – R339,900

10. Suzuki Baleno/Toyota Starlet

• Power – 77kW/138Nm
• Acceleration – 11.2 seconds
• Top speed – 175km/h
• Price – R269,900