Comparison review: Toyota GR Corolla v Volkswagen Golf R v Cupra Leon VZx
These three small fast hatchbacks are the best relatively affordable driver’s cars in the business. Find out which one comes out on top.
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Though the sun is setting on petrol-powered performance cars, enthusiasts remain spoiled for choice in the hot-hatch market. We pit a long-time favourite against two fresh faces.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R
This Aussie favourite is the quintessential modern hot hatch, thanks to its extraordinary flexibility.
Sunday morning blasts are a riot of turbocharged torque, all-wheel-drive traction and rapid-fire gear changes accompanied by a percussive whomp from quad exhausts.
Drive it to work on Monday morning and you’ll enjoy comfortable leather seats, a slick auto, Harman Kardon stereo and glossy touchscreens in an environment that rivals prestige machines.
That makes sense, as the Volkswagen is not cheap. It’s officially priced from about $73,000 drive-away but some dealers are asking up to $99,000 to part ways with low-mileage examples.
A significant waiting list suggests Volkswagen got something right. The order banks are so full that VW dealers cannot order the Golf R.
Powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine with 235kW and 400Nm, the VW’s seven-speed dual-clutch auto and all-wheel-drive help it reach 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.
The latest model is the most focused Golf R yet, with stiffer suspension, bigger brakes and a fancy computer-controlled torque-vectoring differential that shunts power to the outside rear wheel, minimising front-end push when cornering.
It’s a competent and focused machine that doles out speed in a fuss-free manner: simply floor the throttle and pull the paddles.
On a racetrack or in the showroom, the new Golf R is difficult to catch.
CUPRA LEON VZX
Don’t want to wait a year for a new car? You can have a Cupra Leon VZX in the driveway within weeks.
The latest member of the Volkswagen Group serves up VW-derived cars with a focus on style and performance.
Priced from about $64,000 drive-away, the Leon is a mishmash of Volkswagen Golf R and GTI bits in a crisply styled body with eye-catching matt paint and copper-coloured highlights. It has the best interior of the trio, with supportive seats trimmed in blue leather with gold stitching.
Properly defined buttons on the flat-bottomed steering wheel are better than the VW’s glossy surfaces, though both cars are overly reliant on the central touchscreen for simple features such as climate control.
A motor and seven-speed auto similar to the Golf’s is detuned to make 221kW and 400Nm, returning a 5.7 second sprint to 100km/h.
The Leon misses out on the Golf’s all-wheel-drive, powering the front wheels with an electronically controlled differential pinched from the less powerful Golf GTI.
It also has a version of the GTI’s outstanding adaptive suspension that allows drivers to choose from 15 settings spanning from marshmallow soft to crinkle-cut crisp.
It’s a fine car in everyday driving and works well in dry conditions when pressing on. But autumn showers on our test exposed flawed front-drive traction.
The Cupra’s front wheels scramble for purchase on slippery roads.
It has plenty of punch but can’t get the power to the ground, the steering wheel twisting in your hands as it struggles for grip.
TOYOTA GR COROLLA
Like a wet road after a downpour, Toyota’s GR Corolla shines in the rain. It finds traction when rivals slip, encouraging you to explore the depths of its performance.
Blessed with a rally-bred four-wheel-drive system, it has simple limited-slip differentials at the front and rear. There are fixed-rate shock absorbers, three pedals and a stick for its six-speed transmission, as well as an old-school handbrake lever.
The snarling expression of its styling is matched by a yowling intensity from a three-cylinder engine that must be worked hard to deliver 221kW and 370Nm.
Quicker than the Cupra but slower than the Golf, it doesn’t have adaptive shock absorbers or an artificially enhanced drift mode.
Club racers will happily trade those for a round steering wheel, lightweight 18-inch wheels that fit track-focused tyres and proper monoblock brakes fitted as standard to the front and rear.
The cabin is a plain affair, borrowing heavily from the drab interior of a standard Corolla. Sure, it has a classy digital dashboard and superior seats to the regular model, but this doesn’t feel like a car that costs $67,000 drive-away. Then again, physical buttons for the climate control are better than the tap-and-swipe touchscreens of the VW and Cupra.
You can’t make the suspension softer or lean on semi-autonomous features in traffic jams but you can send extra power to the front or rear tyres when additional stability or agility is called for. Tiresome in traffic, the Corolla is a riot in the right circumstances.
Getting hold of one won’t be easy but Toyota is at least taking orders.
VERDICT
The Cupra is an intriguing car that ultimately delivers more style than substance. Like a modern smartwatch, the Golf R is a hi-tech solution that is easy to live with but delivers less satisfaction when it really counts. The Toyota isn’t the hot hatch to please all drivers every day but it delivers the most memorable driving experience of this trio, giving enthusiasts something to savour long after the sun has set on petrol-powered hatchbacks.
Toyota GR Corolla GTS
Price About $67,000 drive-away
Engine 1.6-litre 3-cyl turbo, 221kW and 370Nm
Warranty/service 5-yr/u’ltd km, $1800 for 3 yrs
Safety 7 airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert
Thirst 8.4L/100km
Boot 213 litres
Spare Repair kit
Volkswagen Golf R
Price About $73,000 drive-away
Engine 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 235kW and 400Nm
Warranty/service 5-yr/u’ltd km, $5000 for 5 yrs
Safety 8 airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert
Thirst 7.8L/100km
Boot 374 litres
Spare Repair kit
Cupra Leon VZx
Price About $64,000 drive-away
Engine 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 221kW and 400Nm
Warranty/service 5-yr/u’ltd km, free for 3 yrs
Safety 7 airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert
Thirst 6.8L/100km
Boot 380 litres
Spare Repair kit
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