The torrent is still a faster way of sync for the newbies. I have recommended the seed to the Chinese: 为什么我同步时在第99周钱卡主了 http://8btc.com/thread-24689-1-1.html (出处: 巴比特论坛)
With new versions, the torrent is ABSOLUTELY NOT FASTER. It is faster and easier to allow Bitcoin Core to sync normally, no need to download a massive file, and the sync is faster due to headers-first synchronization.