Hyundai confirms WRC return

Hyundai has confirmed that will make a return to the World Rally Championship, unveiling a new car based on the i20 model at the Paris Motor Show.

The Korean car firm is yet to reveal the full details of the programme or any drivers, but the car could appear on WRC events next year ahead of a full campaign in 2014.

Hyundai previously participated at the sport’s top level with the Accent WRC from 2000 until 2003, when it withdrew mid-season with a best result of fourth. While that effort was run by British outfit Motor Sports Developments, the new machine has been developed in-house.

“The World Rally Championship is recognised 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,” explained Mark Hall, Marketing Director at Hyundai Motor Europe.

“The WRC also offers the most technologically-diverse challenge for an automotive manufacturer. Our participation will demonstrate Hyundai’s engineering excellence and durability, and will also help to enhance our passenger vehicles in future.”

Watch World Rally Championship action on Motors TV.

Peter Allen