Hyundai will make a grand return to the Australian rally scene in less than a fortnight’s time.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia announced this morning it will enter Round 1 of the 2022 RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship, with Brendan Reeves and co-driver Kate Catford to compete in an i20 N R5.

That will come at the Netier National Capital Rally on April 2-3.

The event will represent Hyundai’s first top-level rally in Australia since Reeves drove a showroom-specification i30 N hatchback in the 2019 Targa Tasmania.

For Reeves, 33, it will be his first ARC event since 2016.

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to return to the highest level of rallying in Australia, thanks to the support of Hyundai N,” he said.

“Canberra is the spiritual home of rallying in this country and the Netier National Capital Rally is a fantastic event to showcase the performance of the i20 N R5.

“Hyundai N’s new brand line is ‘Let’s Play’ and I can fully relate to that!

“I’m looking forward to driving the i20 N R5 and I’m confident we have the right ingredients in place to challenge at the front.”

Hyundai does of course have a major global presence in rally competition, being a regular in the World Rally Championship.

The Korean brand won the WRC manufacturers’ championship in both 2019 and 2020.

Among the field for the ARC season-opener will be two-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen aboard a Skoda Fabia R5.