We used to call them hot hatches but now cars such as BMW's 130i are approaching the power outputs of genuine sports cars and the term seems distinctly under-endowed.
Hyper-hatch seems more apt when Bavaria shoehorns a muscular three-litre petrol engine into its smallest and lightest model, the 1 Series.
When BMW goes for outright performance it's not subtle about it. The in-line six-cylinder engine, tweaked to produce slightly more power and torque than it does in the 330i sedan, fires an impressive 195kW and 315Nm to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, making Bavaria's baby bomber the most powerful hatchback in its class.
It's almost a baby M3; BMW says it'll accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.1sec at sea level and reach an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h.
The 130i was launched here in February 2006 as a rival to high-powered six-cylinder hatches such as the Audi A3 3.2 Sportback quattro and the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA, and, to a lesser extent, a gaggle of turbocharged two-litre hatches - VW Golf GTi, Opel Astra GSi (both 147kW), Ford Focus ST (166kW) and Renault Megane 2.0T Sport (165kW).
Although these force-fed rivals are less powerful than the 130i on paper, their performance gap is closer at Gauteng's altitude where the BMW's normally aspirated engine loses some of its power.
Indeed, when we put the 130i against the stopwatch at Gosforth Park raceway, it came out shining, if not definitively king of the castle on all counts.
In the important 0-100km/h and quarter mile acceleration tests, the BMW equalled the Alfa at the top of the leader board. Some of its rivals are a bit quicker through the gears, however, and the 130i driver will need to be sharp with his downshifts to keep pace with them when overtaking.
The Alfa was nowhere in overtaking acceleration, however, so on balance the Beemer delivers the best all-round performance in its class taking top speed, sprint and overtaking times into account.
You never feel short-changed in the power department and all you need is an empty, speedtrap-deficient road, a free spirit, and a willing right foot to guarantee some very entertaining g-forces. It sounds great, too, with a howl that heartily reveals the presence of six cylinders.
Rear-wheel drive
But of all the cars in this hyper-hatch league, what I like most about the 130i is it feels most like a true sports car. This is partly due to its impressive numbers and noise but also because it's the only car in the group with rear wheel drive.
This gives it a unique driving character; it's not afflicted by torque steer; admittedly the front-driven Alfa 147 and Golf GTi don't suffer a great deal from steering twitchiness under hard acceleration but there's still something that feels right about a sports car being pushed along.
It's in the way the car romps forward arrow-straight, with no unruly steering behaviour when you plant the throttle from a standing start. Unless you switch off the dynamic stability control (DSC) that is, whereupon the rear tyres can be employed to lay down some black artwork amid much smoke and drama.
So too can some hooligan tail-sliding be accomplished when you boot the 130i out of a corner.
Stay-on-the-roadability
Indeed, it's not a great idea to switch off the DSC with all this rubber-shedding power on tap. We found the best blend of exhilaration and stay-on-the-roadability was using an intermediate setting called DTC, with diminished traction assistance which allows a bit of tail slide before it cuts in and makes you look like a hero of car control.
What separates a merely rapid car from a truly charismatic one is its seat-of-the-pants feel; here the 130i stands out with its tactile qualities.
It's the satisfying grip of its thick-rimmed steering wheel in your hands, the snug fit of its supportive bucket seats and its solid feel. This may be Bavaria's junior model range but the 1 Series has the same sense of robustness and quality as its larger and more expensive stable mates.
The chassis has BMW's hallmark 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution and comfortably handles the power of that mighty engine. The car's relatively low 1450kg mass enables it to be raced through corners very briskly indeed, with an agile, light-footed feel.
Light and twitchy tiller
When we drove the 130i at its launch in the Cape earlier this year we complained of steering being its downfall. The tiller felt light and twitchy at very high speeds on bumpy roads and in strong crosswinds.
This time, up in Johannesburg, we didn't experience roads as uneven or winds as strong and the steering felt a lot more settled.
The car can, however, be ordered with optional "active steering" which offers quick, direct steering when you're doing a Nick Heidfeld impersonation along a twisty road or a relaxed, slower action for better directional stability while cruising at high speed.
The anti-lock brakes are very strong and can be hammered time after time without fading, while a two-stage brake force display that illuminates the brake lights more brightly the harder you press the pedal makes the car less likely to be rear-ended.
Competitive pricing
The 130i is sold in two versions: standard guise for R278 500 and a Sport derivative for R312 500 - competitive pricing that undercuts both the Audi A3 and the Alfa 147.
The Sport model we drove has identical power to the standard car but comes with lowered suspension, wider tyres with different widths front and rear, and sportier looks.
Racy exterior visuals include sportier spoilers and side skirts, while inside it gets a thicker-rimmed steering wheel, sports seats, extra short gearshift and a liberal sprinkling of M badges. Both cars come with 17" alloys but 18" rims are available at extra cost.
As expected this flagship 1 Series model is crammed with all manner of gadgets, including a key memory function if you're sharing the car with your spouse or teenage son (yeah right).
Comfort start
This recognises which key is being used to open the door and returns the radio, air-conditioning, electrically adjustable seats and mirrors to the programmed settings of that key user.
The car also has an engine starter button with what BMW calls comfort start; you don't have to hold down the button; just jab it once and the engine fires up.
Satellite navigation and i-Drive, however will have to be purchased at extra cost.
The only real complaint with the 130i is its relative lack of rear legroom compared with some of its more spacious rivals.
Summary
Bavaria's new bomber may not win outright in the performance stakes but for its combination of sound, speed and seat-of-pants driving pleasure, the 130i is probably the most desirable hyper-hatch in the market right now.