Yeah. Torque is still all-important. And transmission gearing.

One of the quicker cars we've tested over the years was the Sentra 2.0. Now the Sentra 2.0 uses the MR engine, not the powerful SR20 or even a QR20. But it has good midrange torque and a CVT. The 2.0 MT gets to 100 km/h in nine seconds flat, the CVT, just over nine.

The GTA with the CVT is actually faster than the Lancer 1.6 (except perhaps in first gear), because of torque and the infinite gearing of the CVT. And the CVT has a great paddle-shift system that's very responsive.

Looking back on my records, the Elantra 1.6 is quicker than the Lancer, but only slightly. And it's all due to the transmissions, I think. MT versus MT, the difference is small, and can be due to technique. AT versus AT, with the Lancer's 4-speed versus the Elantra's 6-speed, it's a bit bigger, but not what you'd expect given the difference in quoted power.