If you want the ultimate front-wheel drive hot hatch, it is difficult to look past the Honda Civic Type R. However, the 2021 Hyundai Veloster N is a rather compelling alternative and in this entertaining video from a YouTube channel up in Canada, we get see which of the two is the quickest in a straight line.
Looking solely at the spec sheet, it is the Civic Type R that would appear to have the advantage. After all, its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumps out a thumping 306 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). While that isn’t as much as some other all-wheel drive hot hatches like the VW Golf R, Audi S3, and Mercedes-AMG A 35 / A 45, it is actually more than the original Honda NSX with its 290 hp and 220 lb-ft (298 Nm).
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The Hyundai Veloster N also has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, although with 275 hp and 278 lb-ft (377 Nm) of torque, it can’t quite match the Honda. However, the Veloster N tested in this video was equipped with the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, meaning the driver didn’t have to worry about rowing his own gears like the driver of the Civic Type R did.
The first race held between the two is exceptionally close. In fact, the two remain alongside each other pretty much the entire way down the runway. In the second race, the tables turn and it is the Hyundai that comes out victorious, thanks in no small part to its transmission.
If you could own either the Honda Civic Type R or the Hyundai Veloster N, which would it be?