Honda Civic Type R vs Toyota GR Corolla vs Leon VZx vs i30 N Drag Race Isn't Exactly Fair

The most powerful of the lot is the Civic Type R, which puts out 235 kW and 420 Nm of torque. If you're not accustomed to metric, fret not because said numbers convert to 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet. Next up, the Cupra Leon VZx and Toyota GR Corolla are evenly matched in terms of power, with both making 221 kW or 296 ponies.

Torque, however, favors the Spanish brand's take on the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport: 400 Nm or 295 pound-feet from a displacement of 2.0 liters. By comparison, the Japanese contender features a 1.6-liter turbo with three cylinders and 370 Nm (273 pound-feet) on deck. Shifting manually is obviously slower, but then again, the GR-Four AWD system makes the GR Corolla quicker to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) than Cupra's hot hatch.

The final entry is the Hyundai i30 N. Just like the Leon VZx, the South Korean model is rocking a dual-clutch transmission. Said tranny comes with a driving mode that enables a temporary overboost, releasing maximum power for 20 seconds at a time. According to Hyundai, the i30 N develops 206 kW (276 horsepower) and 392 Nm (289 pound-feet).

Given these figures, it shouldn't come as a surprise one of the DCT-equipped cars proved quicker than all the others in the quarter mile. Pictured in Drive-N flavor, the i30 N clocked 5.87 seconds to 100 kph and 13.85 in the quarter as opposed to 5.91 and 13.67 seconds for the Leon VZx. The GR Corolla's all-wheel-drive system made a world of difference against the front-wheel-drive Civic Type R, with CarExpert posting 5.96/13.69 seconds compared to 6.34/14.03 for the most powerful car of the bunch.

From a rolling start, the Leon VZx asserted dominance yet again. It should be mentioned that CarExpert's idea of a roll is third to fourth gear at 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour). Had it been more gears, the punchier Civic Type R would have been victorious. Honda advertises the FL5 with 275 clicks, meaning 171 miles per hour at full chatter.

Australian motoring publication CarExpert also had a laugh drag racing the four hatches in reverse, with the Toyota GR Corolla besting its segment rivals. The second fastest in reverse was the Cupra. All in all, pretty solid results from all four contenders.

The most expensive car of the four is – of course – the Civic Type R at 72,600 kangaroo bucks or 47,185 freedom eagles at current exchange rates. The GR Corolla starts at $64,190 ($47,725) in the Land Down Under. The i30 N with the manual is $46,200 ($30,030) at the moment of writing, whereas the N DCT starts at $49,200 ($31,980).

Previously a performance-oriented trim level for the Volkswagen-owned SEAT brand, Cupra became a standalone brand in 2018. The Leon VZ in the featured clip is the range-topping VZx version, which carries a sticker price of $65,790 ($42,765).