Agree with others in that “sporty” is the wrong word to use here. The Daily Flail might get to hear and get the last few interesting cars taken off. At present, one of the few really interesting cars on scheme is the Mini hatch Cooper S. I have one of these and it can certainly be prompt but, just as important, the suspension and handling are excellent. You just point it where you want to go, and it does. In the correct conditions, there’s no need to slow for corners and the (electronic) limited slip differential makes sure there’s no wheelspin. You must bear in mind, however, that it is not a small family hatch, rather an eccentric two-seat sports car.
Sadly the day of the Alfa Giulia and BMW 3-series are gone. EV performance holds some promise, I agree, so long as they get the handling and suspension to match. (And do away with bloody touch-screens!)