8. Lancia Delta HF Integrale
Lancia was always big in rallying, so after their Group B model S4 was banned, they wanted something that could work well on the street and the track. That’s how the HF Integrale was born. The main features of this model were a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with 185 HP at first and 220 HP later on. They topped all that off with a permanent, well balanced all-wheel-drive system. The Delta HF Integrale is an utterly important ’90s performance car and a hot hatch because it was the first with AWD.
Also, it marked the beginning of the transition from the front-wheel drive, simple, economical hot hatches, to the high-tech, all-wheel-drive performance monsters of today. The combination of a powerful engine, sharp handling, great traction, and low weight was intoxicating for magazine testers, so the Delta HF Integrale received nothing but praise. Over the years, the Delta HF Integrale proved to be a successful concept on rally stages all over the world as well as with hot hatch fans.