Hyundai has confirmed its impending return to the World Rally Championship, unveiling its latest rally weapon at the Paris Motor Show.
Based on its i20 platform, the car is expected to compete in selected events next year before moving to a full campaign in 2014.
Hyundai last competed in the WRC with its four-year Accent program, which ended in 2003
Although unwilling to confirm its exact competition plan, Hyundai Motor Europe’s managing director Mark Hall sang the praises of the WRC in an official statement.
“The WRC is a spectacle filled with excitement and dynamism – the perfect embodiment of the Hyundai brand,” he said.
“Our participation will demonstrate Hyundai’s engineering excellence and desirability, and will also help to enhance our passenger vehicles in future.”
Hyundai will join fellow new players Volkswagen in the WRC next year following several seasons of a Citroen-Ford duopoly.
