Everyone loves to talk up how good hot hatches are as giant slayers: hideously fun to drive and just as fast as a supercar on a really rough, tight road. But there’s something to be said for a totally standard hatchback, too.
Some completely normal, no-options, just an engine, a manual transmission, and some lift off oversteer hatchbacks are just as much a revelation to drive as anything else.
I recently spent a day in a Ford Figo (a last-generation Ford Fiesta still sold in developing markets) and it was completely fantastic to drive. The steering was reasonably informative and the car really really liked to go sideways if you got aggressive with the left foot braking.
What totally normal, ordinary hatchback blew your mind with super sweet handling?
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove
Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.