If you follow us on social media, you'll already know that a couple of weeks ago we brought together four sporty compact cars for an in-depth comparison. In total, we had 1.220 hp , and taking advantage of the facilities at Matilla Aerodrome in Valladolid, which very kindly opened its doors to us for some of the photo and video content, we thought, why not do a quarter-mile drag race?
It's true, we didn't have cutting-edge timing technology for the quarter-mile, nor a typical starting light or flag. But we did have a couple of cameras to position at the start and finish of the race, and a horn to act as a starting light. That's how we started our peculiar drag race with the Ford Focus RS , Honda Civic Type R , Seat Leon Cupra, and Hyundai i30 N. Would you dare bet on the outcome ? Don't, I guarantee you'd lose.
Before we get started, I'd like to give you some brief performance data , according to each manufacturer, for the four vehicles participating in this drag race:
| Córdoba | Motor | Traction | Power | Motor torque | 0 to 100 km / h | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Córdoba | Motor | Traction | Power | Motor torque | 0 to 100 km / h | Top speed |
| Ford Focus RS | 2.3 EcoBoost | 4 × 4 | 350 CV | 470 Nm from 2.000 rpm | 4.7 s. | 266 km/h |
| Honda Civic Type R | 2.0 VTEC Turbo | Forward | 320 CV | 400 Nm from 2.500 rpm | 5.8 s. | 272 km/h |
| Seat Leon Cupra | 2.0 TSI | Forward | 300 CV | 380 Nm from 1.800 rpm | 5.8 s. | 250 km/h |
| Hyundai i30 N | 2.0 T-GDI | Forward | 250 CV | 353 Nm from 1.450 rpm | 6.4 s | 250 km/h |
The Ford Focus RS is the most powerful of them all, offering the most torque, and it's also the only one with all-wheel drive. If any of us had to bet our entire savings on one of these four hot hatches in a quarter-mile race—that is, a 400-meter sprint from a standstill—I think there would be no question. We'd all bet on the Ford Focus RS … and we'd all lose ! Check out the video below to see the amazing results.
In the first few meters and up to about the halfway point, the Ford Focus RS is unrivaled . The extra traction provided by its four wheels leaves the other three competitors far behind, especially in these conditions with the asphalt quite cold. However, the Honda Civic Type R 's lighter weight and aerodynamic design allow it to start closing the gap on the American car from around 100 km/h . The same happens with the Seat Leon Cupra , which starts with slightly less traction than the Civic but stays just a few meters behind throughout the race.
Just a few meters from the quarter-mile mark, the Honda Civic easily overtakes the Ford Focus, completing the drag race at a top speed of 180 km/h. But the surprise is that the Cupra crosses the finish line practically at the same time as the Ford. Using the photo finish, we see that the Seat Leon Cupra actually also overtakes the Ford Focus RS. A few tenths of a second later, the Hyundai i30 N crosses the line, penalized by a significant power difference and the absence of a limited-slip front differential.
We'll let you in on a secret, though. Because the asphalt was very cold and even damp in some places, we turned off the launch control system on the Ford Focus RS. It's the only one of the four cars with this feature, and since we already had a significant advantage due to the road conditions, we wanted to level the playing field.
Therefore, the result of this quarter-mile drag race is: Honda Civic Type R in first place, followed by the Seat Leon Cupra, and third place for the Ford Focus RS. Just missing the podium is the most modest car in the comparison, the Hyundai i30 N. I told you at the beginning that you shouldn't go by your first instinct, the Focus, although we also thought it would be the winner of this test.
