We all know that drag races between stock cars are not as exciting as a full-on drag battle between highly modified cars. That said, it’s interesting to see how two very different vehicles stack up against one another. The YouTube channel Sam CarLegion has arranged for the Honda Civic Type R and Volvo V60 T6 to meet at the drag strip. Can the sensible Swedish wagon win against one of the best hot hatchbacks currently on sale?

Some performance figures

Both cars rely on a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine for their power. The one in the Honda makes 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) while the Volvo puts out 316 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm).

To no surprise, the much bigger Volvo is significantly heavier – 3,955 pounds (1,794 kg) versus the Honda’s 3,118 pounds (1,414 kg). However, the Volvo comes with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic from Aisin, while the Honda is front-wheel-drive only and has a six-speed manual.

The drag race

Both cars don’t mess around, as all three drag races were in sport mode – R for the Honda and Dynamic for the Volvo. From a dig, the AWD Volvo V6 T6 rockets ahead, but once the Honda gains traction it starts closing in. However, the first win goes to the Swedish wagon.

Initially, it looks like the second race will be exactly like the first one. That said, the Honda did a better start than before and was about to close the Volvo, but the Type R driver missed a gear, allowing the V60 T6 to take another win.

Lunching a 300 plus horsepower front-wheel-drive car can be tricky, but for the third race, the Honda gave a flawless performance. Halfway down the runway, it overtook the Volvo and took the lead, securing a win.

The fourth and last race was from a 50 km/h (31 mph) roll. The heavier Volvo could no longer rely on its all-wheel drive to give it an advantage, which results in an easy win for the lighter Civic Type R. Watch the video below to see how both cars perform. Which one would you take?