Volkswagen didn’t invent the hot hatchback, but they sure converted this category from a niche into the mainstream. The question is, can Volkswagen’s latest Golf GTI keep up with a Hyundai in the quarter mile?
It’s not just any Hyundai, though, but a product of the N performance sub-brand masterminded by ex-BMW M big kahuna Albert Biermann. Tipping the scales at circa 3,296 pounds (1,495 kilograms), the Elantra N with the optional dual-clutch automatic transmission is a little bit more ponderous than the golden standard from Germany. More specifically, the Golf GTI with the DCT is 3,154 pounds (1,430 kilograms) heavy according to the German brand.
It's also worth remembering that we’re dealing with a five-door hatchback versus a four-door sedan and seven forward ratios compared to eight. Both transmissions feature a wet-clutch setup, which is preferable over dry clutches because due to higher torque rating and superior cooling capacity.
When it comes to the suck-squeeze-bang-blow part of the argument, Hyundai wins it hands down. From a displacement of 2.0 liters, the direct-injected engine in the South Korean challenger is much obliged to crank out 276 horsepower and 289 pound-feet (392 Nm) of torque at 2,100 revolutions per minute. Being the dual-clutch option, the so-called N Grin Shift driving mode unlocks 10 additional ponies for 20 seconds at a time.
Unfortunately, Volkswagen doesn’t have a boost-upping mode. Instead, the Golf GTI is rated 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet (370 Nm) of torque at lower engine speeds, namely 1,750 revolutions per minute. But as the headline implies, the gap is unexpectedly huge. In all three dig races, the Elantra N says “annyeonghi gaseyo” and minds its business while the German yardstick simply cannot launch properly. As for the following two rolling races, the deficit in torque speaks volumes under hard acceleration.
If you’re in the market for a Hyundai that’s capable of spanking Golf GTIs on the straights, prepare $31,150 sans destination charge for the manual-equipped Elantra N. The wet-clutch transmission adds $1,500 to the tally. The Golf GTI is more affordable at $29,880 sans freight, but it lacks in the way of standard equipment compared to the one-trim-only Elantra N.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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