These three junior hot hatches offer
gateways to a life of performance-fuelled motoring. We embark on a two-day
thriller across the Western Cape's Overberg region to find out which is best
You cut to the chase on the masterful
Tradouw Pass situated just south of Barrydale, a veritable jewel among the
countless gems of Overberg driving geography. Three diminutive shapes scythe
through the mountain along a picturesque stretch of Tarmac, each with a bite
that's bigger than their pint-sized barks suggest. They're out to stake their
claim to the junior hot hatch crown. Tradouw Pass is newly surfaced and as
smooth as a button after its latest makeover. So new, in fact, that a hail of
unglued stones sprays up into the wheelarches and against the underside of my
Peugeot 208 GTi as I pursue the Ford Fiesta ST ahead. The sedate VW Polo GTI is
some way off in my rear-view mirror, the driver no doubt still looking for its
USB port and Bluetooth connectivity...
Excellent
body control, well weighted steering and mobile rear end make the Fiesta ST a
great drive
Transport riders on horseback in the 1800s
used to crack their whips to warn oncoming traffic to cede right of way around
the hairpins of this pass that hugs the Breede River Valley, but l have no time
for such niceties behind the super-quick Ford. I'm far more aware of my envy as
it powers away from me with unfailing traction through every bend - clawing distance
as if by entitlement rather than its driver's bravado. The Fiesta ST corners
like it's hooked on railroad tracks. Having just driven it, I know how
inch-perfect it is with consistent feedback as the fixed-ratio steering
weights-up mid-corner, and how easy it is to use the throttle to adjust the
attitude of the car on turn-in. And that's before its torque-vectoring
drivetrain gets involved.
The
208 GTi is quite capable and composed on country roads at fairly high speeds
Here I am in the new Peugeot with a power
and torque advantage (when the ST isn't on overboost) and a near-identical kerb
weight, but a car that simply doesn't inspire the same level of confidence at
corner entry. Nailing its power down from apex to exit becomes a rigmarole
without ST-like torque-vectoring assistance. T may have the in-gear legs over
the ST but I'm just working so much harder in the 208. The Peugeot's diminutive
steering wheel requires constant inputs to maintain a chosen line through a
corner. The Polo GTI is great when hustled through its gears but it's clearly
hampered by an inferior power-to-weight ratio. But I'm getting ahead of myself
here. This story starts a day earlier, in George...
Looking the part
It is in the Garden Route town that our
convoy assembles for the first time, poised for an assault up the switchbacks
of the Outeniqua Pass then on through Oudtshoorn before reaching the free
expanses of the R62. It's the first chance to take in the aesthetics of each
pretender to the crown. With their tall glasshouses, pedestrian-cushioning
front ends, pointy aerials and modest splashes of red, go-fast paraphernalia on
the bodywork, they are stylistically subtle at best.
The
Polo GTI is a visual standout from every angle, inside and out
What bothers me about the 208 GTi is the
lack of hostility. Why is it not lower to the ground? Why do the sides resolve
themselves into soft round shapes and not the aggressive flare of the tasty
rear fenders? Red GTi lettering on its flanks, a small red 'tongue' poking out
the front and red brake calipers are three morsels to help lift the package.
From there you'll need Inspector Clouseau's magnifying glass to detect the rest
of the covert sportiness.
