Photos of Our Hot Hatch Battle Between the Honda Civic Type R and the Hyundai Veloster N
- 1/23
You know an automaker is serious about performance when it stakes a claim on a piece of the alphabet. Letters are fast, particularly once you move past frumpy B and lackadaisical H into the latter two-thirds, where M, R, and S transform mass-production ennui into factory-built adrenaline. That's exactly what we have here: two ordinary economy cars overengineered into track-capable front-wheel-drive hot hatches, brought to us by the letters N and R. Their speed, grip, and theatrics had us cackling like Elmo.
Born under the care of ex–BMW M bosses, Hyundai's nascent N division honors both Namyang-home to Hyundai's Korean R&D center-and the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife. The division's first export to the States, the three-door Veloster N comes bearing a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, six-speed manual transmission, and powder-blue seatbelts. The Veloster N starts at roughly $28,000 and with 250 horsepower. However, potential buyers should consider the estimated $2000 Performance package on our test car mandatory equipment. It adds 25 horsepower, electronically adjustable dampers, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, larger brakes, an active exhaust, and an upsize from 18- to 19-inch wheels. Beyond that, the options list looks similar to the Honda Civic Type R's, which is to say that you can choose from a limited selection of paint colors.
Marc Urbano - 2/23
If it's going to win its first battle, the N division will have to beat Honda's Type R badge, which has a 26-year head start-though only a fleeting fraction of that run has elapsed in America.
Marc Urbano - 3/23
2018 Honda Civic Type R and 2019 Hyundai Veloster N
Two hot hatchbacks compared, two hot hatches shown. What better angle is there to shoot the new Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai Veloster N than from the rear? Both high-powered hatchbacks sport huge exhaust outlets (the Civic has three to the Veloster's two), tall wings, and plenty of real (and fake) vents.
Marc Urbano - Car and Driver - 4/23
Every time we spot that gaudy wing, the bizarre strakes on the roof, the massive fake vents in the fascias, and the abundant imitation carbon fiber, we start scanning for hooligan kids up to no good.
Marc Urbano - 5/23
Eventually, we realize we're the ones holding the keys to the car that looks as if it had escaped from the set of Fast & Furious 17. Then we drive the thing and feel like, well, hooligan kids.
Marc Urbano - 6/23
The Civic Type R redeems its styling-and then some-by driving like no other front-wheel-drive car in existence.
Marc Urbano - 7/23
The steering talks back, and the brake pedal is always on alert. The understeer that barely exists is squirreled away under a mountain of grip.
Marc Urbano - 8/23
The Honda's deep buckets (some Americans will find them too narrow) dressed in convincing faux suede glue driver and passenger in place for max-grip cornering while still offering long-haul comfort.
Marc Urbano - 9/23
The overreliance on the color red as an interior styling element and the knock-off carbon-fiber trim are a bit much for our taste, but the fit and finish inside are steps above the economy-car materials in the Veloster N.
Marc Urbano - 10/23
The ride quality is even more impressive when you consider that the low-profile Continental SportContact 6 rubber is effectively Saran-wrapped around the 20-inch wheels.
Marc Urbano - 11/23
Channeled into speed, the Type R's always-on intensity translates into absolute control and precision-guided feedback. You can credit much of that granularity to Honda's dual-axis front struts, which separate the steering and suspension geometries to reduce torque steer and keep the contact patches grounded.
Marc Urbano - 12/23
Honda's triple-outlet passive exhaust turns up the volume under load, but at any pace, the Type R's soundtrack is a one-note drone that lacks the fireworks of the N's exhaust.
Marc Urbano - 13/23
The Honda engine trades the Hyundai's thick low-end torque for an unremitting swell of speed. The difference goes beyond its additional 31 horsepower.
Marc Urbano - 14/23
In price and straight-line performance, the 275-hp Veloster N Performance package squeezes into the space between the Honda Civic Si and the Type R.
Marc Urbano - 15/23
Push the Veloster N outside its comfort zone, though, and you'll find some rough edges.
Marc Urbano - 16/23
Keeping with the long-standing Hyundai tradition, the Veloster N packs big value into a tidy package, and this ability to punch above its weight class is why we put it up against the top-hole Civic.
Marc Urbano - 17/23
The steering occasionally unweights in tight corners at the limit. The light shifter doesn't snap into position with the crispness expected of a hot hatch, feeling cheap and insubstantial compared with the Honda's stick.
Marc Urbano - 18/23
The N's wider, lightly bolstered front seats fit more body shapes and are easier to slide in and out of than the R's.
Marc Urbano - 19/23
And Hyundai's no-nonsense infotainment and climate controls are among the most intuitive in the business.
Marc Urbano - 20/23
With 235/35R-19 Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires wrangling just 3077 pounds of Veloster, the N corners and stops deliberately.
Marc Urbano - 21/23
The Veloster has less polish in its damping than the Civic, and its wheels are more prone to banging over potholes. Less body control also means the N is more likely to waver across mid-corner bumps.
Marc Urbano - 22/23
A deep thrum emanates from the turbo four-cylinder in the same key as a VW GTI's, while the active exhaust system turns any road into a firing range of pops and cracks.
Marc Urbano - 23/23
The engine's 260 pound-feet of torque, available from 1450 rpm, yanks the car off the line with an urgency that doesn't abate until the 6750-rpm redline.
Marc Urbano
It's a battle of the hot hatches between the esteemed Honda and the upstart Hyundai.