Hyundai announced at the Paris Motor Show this week, its return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) after a 10 year absence. The Korean manufacturer also announced its withdrawal from motorsports in North America, namely Formula Drift and Global RallyCross Championship.
This marks Hyundai’s first factory-backed run in WRC since exiting the series in 2003 with the Accent rally car. Its new weapon of choice will be a rally-bred WRC version of its small i20 hatchback. It will be taking on the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Citroen DS3 and Mini Countryman. According to WRC regulations, the i20 will be powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine delivering in the vicinity of 149 kW and matched with an all-wheel drive layout and sequential transmission.
“The World Rally Championship is recognized as one of the most dramatic sporting series on earth. It’s a spectacle filled with excitement and dynamism – the perfect embodiment of the Hyundai brand,” Hyundai Motor Europe’s Mark Hall said in Paris.
