Volkswagen didn’t invent the hot hatch, but it perfected the class early with the Golf GTI. In 2026, the GTI and R lineage is undeniable, but there has been a contender sneaking up on Volkswagen since it put all its eggs in the EV basket. Hyundai snuck up on all the major automakers as it progressed from cheap, badly built cars through the 1990s and early 2000s to become competitive with Honda and Toyota over the past decade or so. Then, in 2016, Hyundai introduced its N sub-brand and some serious performance engineering to the table.
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