An upgraded and restyled version of the Hyundai i20 WRC, a car bound for competition in the World Rally Championship, has been unveiled at the Geneva motor show.
Boasting a host of upgrades to its aerodynamics, chassis, suspension and cooling systems, the updated Hyundai i20 WRC shows the car’s continuing development following its initial debut at the 2012 Paris motor show.
Readying for a program of further development and private testing at various locations across Europe later in the year, the Hyundai Motorsport team – based out of a bespoke facility in Alzenau, Germany – are ensuring that all necessary steps are taken as they approach the brand’s re-entry into the World Rally Championship in 2014.
Hyundai Motorsport team principal Michel Nandan said the group still has many important foundations to lay down, both with the car and the team at Alzenau.
“We are still in the infancy of our exciting WRC program so the development curve for the car and team is steep.”
The revised Hyundai i20 WRC incorporates new bodywork, including a redesigned livery, new rear wing and front spoiler, while improvements to the suspension kinematics and chassis stiffness tick off underbody refinements.
While the standard Hyundai i20 powers its front wheels with a 74kW/136Nm 1.4-litre naturally aspirated engine, current World Rally cars – this year only involving teams from Citroen and Volkswagen following the exit of both Ford and Mini – are based on turbocharged 1.6-litre units that drive all four wheels via a sequential transmission.
“Our ultimate goal is to be victorious but we know that we have a lot of tough competition ahead of us,” Nandan said.
The Korean manufacturer withdrew from WRC in 2003 following a three-year stint in the premier class with a Hyundai Accent-based entry.
