Honda Civic Type R Smashes 290-HP Hyundai Sonata N Line in Drag Race

Some people think hatchbacks are faster than sedans, and the Golf GTI is indeed quicker than a GLI for some reason. But how much you spend on your piece of performance tech is often more important than its body shape. Also, Honda horsepower is better than everyone else's. That's just a fact.

The Sonata N Line marks a huge improvement over the normal model, with something close to 100 ponies extra compared to the 1.6L turbo model. It's powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, similar to the one used by the Genesis model. The unit sends 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft (421 Nm) of torque to the front wheels via its new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which you can also find in the Veloster N.

We've seen one drag race with Hyundai's new sports sedan, but we really didn't know what to make of it. The N Line had bad tires for racing and lost to a much less powerful Accord that looked like an average commuter. Its rival for today seems much more ready to race, as the Civic Type R is covered in wings and air scoops.

But we've also seen the Accord do well against a Type R. To make things clear, the hottest Civic makes 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque from a 2.0-liter turbo with VTEC. It's a manual-only car, and those are usually slower than twin-clutch autos, though not in this situation.

This 2018 Type R smashes the Sonata N Line in every drive mode. The gap is created at the beginning of the race, where the Civic somehow hooks up immediately. Let's hope that in few years, Hyundai's new gearbox will have a better response time.