These Tiny Cars Are Surprisingly Sporty And Practical | HotCars - HotCars

Small cars, otherwise known as city cars are getting increasingly relevant for various reasons. They are fuel-efficient, fun to drive, and have less emission. These cars also easily zip through traffic, require small space to park, and are cheaper than conventional cars. Lately, small cars have been built with some features that are predominantly found in big cars, yet offered in less expensive packages.

However, due to their relatively tiny size, small cars have quite some limitations. Asides lacking adequate space for passengers and cargo, small cars also lack space for big engines and big wheels. They're often low on horsepower and torque, and generally less practical to drive. But there are some astounding exceptions to this, as the cars listed here, though small, are quite sporty and practical, irrespective of their size limitation.

10 VW Beetle

The “people’s car” has evolved from what it was at inception, but one aspect of the car that hasn’t changed much is the size. VW Beetle got a “modern” design in 1998 and with it came the necessary upgrades. Though ownership of the new Beetle is largely influenced by its historical significance, these current models have more to offer than just sentimental historical values.

They are fun to drive and have great handling, while the 2019 model produces as much as 174 hp through its turbocharged 2.0 L four-cylinder engine.

9 Toyota Aygo

A redesigned Toyota Aygo featuring a facelift among other upgrades was introduced in 2014. With a curb weight that is less than 2000 lb, length of 136 inches, a width of 63.3 inches, and height of 57.5 inches, the Aygo is practically as small as a city car can be.

The aim shouldn’t be to fly while in the Aygo, as the car’s sportiness is more of appearance than speed; its 1.0 L VVTi three-cylinder petrol engine has a decent output of 71bhp. However, Aygo has pretty good handling and it’s such a fun ride.

8 Kia Picanto GT

Everything about the Picanto GT (Kia’s smallest model) suggests fun and practicality. Currently, in its 3rd generation, the car got some exterior upgrades and new safety features such as Forward Collision Warning System, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Torque Vectoring Brake Based system, and Straight Line Stability in 2017.

For optimal performance, the Picanto GT, being the sportiest of the model, is fitted with a 1.0 L turbocharged three-cylinder engine that thrusts out 74kWh and 172 Nm of torque. This power is control through a five-speed manual transmission.

7 Fiat 500 Abarth

Being the special edition model of the Fiat 500, the prowess of Abarth is displayed in performance and great aesthetics. It’s an all-round efficient tiny car that combines good speed with great handling. The 2019 Fiat 500 Abarth has a decent speed courtesy of a boisterous 160 hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

It produces 183 lb-ft of torque and can be mated to a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The car has sharp and sporty handling and offers so much pleasure to drive.

6 Peugeot 108

The French enjoy small fun cars and Peugeot built them a good one in the 108. Being a close relative of the Toyota Aygo and the Citroën C1, Peugeot stamped its brand’s identity on the 108 by upgrading its previous model, 107.

The 108 is built with a better drag coefficient of 0.29, a fuel-saving automated manual gearbox, along with a powertrain that features the new three-cylinder 1.2 L Peugeot Puretech engine. This resulted in a power output of 81bhp with 86 lb-ft of torque at 2750 rpm.

5 Renault Twingo

The new Renault Twingo shares some of its architecture with the Smart ForTwo and ForFour cars; this enables Renault to offer some more valuable features on the Twingo without upsetting the cost.

Also, the new Twingo is rear-engined, thus creating ample space and comfort for its four passengers while also freeing up more room for the front wheels to turn further on either side, making for a very tight turning circle. The car has two engine options, with the more powerful being a 0.9 L turbo, producing 90 hp.

4 Volkswagen Up! GTI

The Volkswagen Up! was so good it won the 2012 World Car of the Year. Some years and several modifications later, the company launched an upgrade – the Up! GTI. The car has a curb weight of 1070kg and runs on a 1.0 L three-cylinder engine producing a power output of 115 bhp with 148 lb-ft.

Among the Ups, only the GTI is built with a six-speed manual. For assisted and fun driving, the GTI has the Cruise and Park Pack technology which incorporates the parking sensors and cruise control.

3 Aston Martin V8 Cygnet

Aston Martin launched the Cygnet in 2011 to wide admiration and equally wide criticisms. High on the critics' list of concerns was the car’s unreasonably high price. The Cygnet was quietly dropped two years later. However, in 2018, Aston Martin released a V8 model of the Cygnet and no one could fault this version, but there was another problem; it’s a one-off. A concept car.

The Aston Martin V8 Cygnet is as practical and sporty as any small car can be. It’s propelled by a 4.7 L 430bhp naturally aspirated V8 among several other awesome upgrades.

2 MINI JCW GP

The MINI John Cooper Works (JWC) GP is by far the greatest MINI ever produced – it has the best power output, the sharpest brakes, and firmest tires. Though quite tiny, yet the GP has something intimidating about its looks; a mean front-fascia with a touch of red and a double exhaust that’s centrally located in the rear.

Under the hood, the GP is fitted with a turbocharged 2.0 L engine that produces 301 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. It’s such a lovely tiny car

1 Smart ForTwo Brabus

The 2016 Smart ForTwo Brabus now makes the ForTwo brand faster and more exciting. Smart ForTwo Brabus is powered by a turbocharged 1.0 L 3-cylinder engine that has been tuned up to produce 109 hp. This propels the tiny car from rest to 62 mph in 9.5 seconds and makes it boast of a top speed of 102 mph.

Not the best of power output, but considering the tiny size of the car relative to the power of the engine, then it’s just as great. The Smart ForTwo Brabus is fun, responsive, and efficient for its size.

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About The Author

Olakunle Michael (75 Articles Published)

Olakunle has contributed as a writer on different platforms over the years. Right from childhood, he’s always been fascinated by the world of automobiles. Hence, he finds contributing to HotCars to be quite interesting – a surreal experience.