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If you looking to purchase the latest and greatest hatchback in 2022, be prepared to go European.
The limited number of small cars launching next year primarily originate from the Volkswagen Group, with light hatch buyers treated to a major update for a crowd favourite and a new-generation version of the Czech underdog.
Timing issues caused by the global semiconductor chip shortage and COVID-19 lockdowns, which plagued the automotive industry in 2021, are set to remain throughout 2022. This means several vehicles on this list are either delayed beyond initial projections, or could be delayed.
NOTE: To see all the new cars coming to Australia this year, check out our 2022 New Car Calendar story right here.
New hatchbacks arriving in 2022
- Audi A3 and S3
- Cupra Born
- Cupra Leon
- Ford Fiesta ST
- Ford Focus ST
- Peugeot 308
- Skoda Fabia
- Volkswagen Polo.
NOTE: A quarter refers to a three-month period of the year (i.e. January to March).
Audi A3 and S3
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Arriving: First quarter
The fourth-generation Audi A3 and S3 hatch will make a local debut in early 2022, alongside the sedan.
Audi has confirmed local pricing and specifications for the updated A3 hatch, with the range set to kick off at $46,300 before on-road costs for the mild-hybrid, front-wheel-drive 35 TFSI.
A more-powerful all-wheel-drive 40 TFSI S-line is available, bringing additional equipment and sporty additions over the entry-level A3.
The S3, which shares its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with the Volkswagen Golf R, is listed at $69,900 – a $5700 increase over the outgoing model.
Standard equipment includes; LED headlights, keyless entry and start, leather seats, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch infotainment system, wireless/wired Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and Audi’s Connect Plus online connectivity.
You can discover the full pricing and specification details for the A3 by clicking here, or the updated S3 here.
The 2022 Audi A3 and 2022 Audi S3 will go on sale in the first quarter of the year.
Cupra Born
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Arriving: Fourth quarter
Say hola to the first electric vehicle from Volkswagen Group Australia.
Courtesy of Spanish brand Cupra, which will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of 2022, the Born electric hatchback will spearhead an electric movement for the young marque.
As a revised version of the Volkswagen ID.3, the Born is similar in size to a Golf and offers four powertrain options in Europe.
The cheapest 45kWh version is unlikely for Australia, with local options anticipated to centre around two 58kWh versions.
The mid-spec option is the top-selling Born in Europe, with 150kW of power and 350Nm of torque and a 0-100km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds on tap, while an e-Boost performance pack extends power to 170kW/350Nm and brings the 0-100 figure down to 6.6 seconds.
A 77kWh version is also available, offering a WLTP-rated electric driving range of about 540 kilometres.
“Cupra wants to be the first European brand with an affordable EV,” VW Group spokesperson Paul Pottinger said to Wheels earlier this month.
“There’s potential for it to start at the price of the current Golf GTI. It will certainly be considerably less than the cheapest Tesla.”
The 2022 Cupra Born electric hatchback is expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of the year, with pricing and specification details to be announced closer to launch.
Cupra Leon
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Arriving: Second quarter
Based on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf, the Cupra Leon will start from around $40,000 in Australia.
There is less focus on performance for the Leon, with the entry-level model being a rebadged Seat featuring the same 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine found in the Skoda Octavia.
The proper Cupra range begins with the mid-spec 180kW/370Nm version, which shares its engine with the Golf GTI – although it is expected to undercut the German, priced around the high-$40k bracket.
The flagship Leon carries the same 221kW/400Nm engine as the previous Golf R, but with front-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive.
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain, offering 150kW/400Nm, will also be offered.
This variant combines a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor and 13kWh battery, with a WLTP-rated electric driving range of up to 52 kilometres.
The interior is closely reminiscent of that found in the eighth-generation Golf, with a 10-inch infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting and unique sports seats.
Local pricing and full specification details for the 2022 Cupra Leon VZ hatchback will be announced closer to the Spanish marque’s launch in the second quarter of 2022 – alongside the Ateca and Formentor crossovers.
The wagon variant will not be offered in Australia, at least initially.
Ford Fiesta ST
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Arriving: First quarter
The Ford Fiesta ST has received a minor facelift and picked up new seats for 2022.
Ford’s hot hatch also gains additional torque, with the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder engine seeing a healthy 10 per cent torque boost in the low- to mid-range. This pushes maximum outputs from 290Nm in the outgoing model to 320Nm.
Up front, there is a revised design with new matrix LED headlights, updated daytime-running lights, a larger honeycomb grille with Ford and ST badging, and a more aggressive front bumper with intake blades finished in chrystaline grey.
The tail-lights are now finished with black highlighting, while redesigned 18-inch alloy wheels and two new colour options – boundless blue and mean green – finalise exterior changes to the Fiesta ST.
Heated front seats with integrated headrests developed in-house will replace the outgoing Recaro seats, while technology is also improved, thanks to the addition of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
Australian pricing for the 2022 Ford Fiesta ST starts at $33,490 before on-road costs, with the hot hatch set to arrive in the first quarter of the year.
Ford Focus ST
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Arriving: Second quarter
Ford has dropped the three-cylinder ST-Line and Active models from the local Focus line-up, with access now limited to the sportier ST and a new premium ST X grade.
The move marks an end to traditional passenger cars being offered by the Blue Oval in Australia, with options now limited to performance models – the Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Mustang.
An array of design changes headline the Focus ST for 2022, with slimmer headlights, redesigned tail-lights, revised alloy wheel designs and a new mean green colour option.
Inside, there is a new 13.2-inch landscape touchscreen (up from eight inches), running Ford’s latest Sync 4 operating system.
The famed Recaro sports seats have also been swapped for a pair of heated Ford Performance sport seats, with 14-way power adjustment in the driver’s chair.
Ford has also updated the active safety systems in the Focus ST, adding; intersection autonomous emergency braking, rear occupant alert and an improved blind-spot assist system.
As before, the Focus ST is powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine, sending 206kW of power and 420Nm of torque to the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic.
The 2022 Ford Focus ST and ST X will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of next year, priced from $47,490 before on-road costs.
Peugeot 308
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Arriving: Third quarter
Peugeot’s new 308 is bigger, safer, smarter, and more efficient.
The elegant design of the updated French hatch was penned with aerodynamics in mind, contributing to a slippery drag coefficient of just 0.28. This helps to improve efficiency, which is also assisted by a pair of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options.
Each plug-in combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with entry-level versions producing 110kW and flagship models outputting 132kW.
A 97kW turbocharged three-cylinder petrol will likely feature as standard in Australia, with the plug-in hybrid variants currently unconfirmed.
Peugeot will begin offering the 508 and 3008 PHEV locally in early 2022, meaning the smaller 308 PHEV could make the trip to Australia.
Inside, the 308 includes a 10-inch infotainment system, a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, and a rocker-button-style gear selector similar to the Volkswagen Golf and Porsche 911.
The 2022 Peugeot 308 will also debut the Lion brand’s fresh new badging when it goes on sale in Australia in the third quarter of 2022. A load-lugging wagon – likely known as the 308 Touring – will arrive at the same time.
Skoda Fabia
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Arriving: First quarter
The Skoda Fabia is now based on the same MQB A0 architecture as the Kamiq and Volkswagen Polo, allowing it to gain a slew of modern niceties.
Now in its fourth-generation, the design of the Fabia is inspired by the larger Scala and Octavia, with slim LED headlights, a larger front grille, and thin C-shaped tail-lights.
Boasting a greater profile than its predecessor across every dimension, the Fabia has a 2564 millimetre wheelbase and measures 4107mm long, 1780mm wide and 1460mm tall – with an extra 94mm in wheelbase, 110mm in length and 48mm in width (but 7mm less in height) over the outgoing Fabia.
Up-to-date goodies such as a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, free-standing infotainment display measuring up to 9.2 inches and a panoramic sunroof are available.
Other Fabia-first additions include; wireless phone charging, gesture control, ambient lighting, rear-seat air conditioning vents, a heated steering wheel and full-LED lighting.
A 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol, available in both 70kW and 81kW tunes, is expected across the Australian line-up – although a 110kW 1.5-litre turbo-petrol is also available in Europe.
The 2022 Skoda Fabia will arrive in Australia late in the first quarter – likely in March – with pricing and specification details to be announced closer to launch.
Volkswagen Polo
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Arriving: April
The facelifted Volkswagen Polo is coming with a big price hike.
Volkswagen Australia has confirmed the updated runabout will no longer be offered under the $20,000 mark next year.
Currently priced from $19,290 before on-roads for the entry-level 70TSI manual, the Polo is expected to shift into the same pricing bracket as the Toyota Yaris – which opens at around $25,000.
The price increase is likely to be compensated by a number of additional standard features, including the full iQ Drive active safety suite – with technology such as adaptive cruise control and a semi-autonomous travel assist system.
Engine options will remain the same, consisting of 70TSI, 85TSI and GTI grades.
In a bid to move the entry-level Volkswagen closer to the Mk8 Golf visually, the Polo picks up a set of slimmer headlights with available matrix LED lighting technology, a revised grille, redesigned tail-lights and a new steering wheel design.
The updated 2022 Volkswagen Polo 70TSI and 85TSI will land in Australia in April, with the GTI flagship expected to follow the regular model within weeks.
The German brand will confirm pricing and specification details in the coming months.
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