Hyundai unveils new i20 WRC rally car

Hyundai Motorsport has unveiled the new Hyundai i20 WRC in Germany. The car will form the basis of the Korean manufacturer’s assault on the 2016 World Rally Championship.

Hyundai’s 2016 WRC challenger is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces air-restricted maximums of 300bhp at 6,000rpm and 40.78kgm at 5,000rpm. It has a six-speed sequential gearbox and will be a four-wheel drive.

Having shelved plans to use the new three-door i20 Coupé body style, the 2016 challenger has a five-door body. The car in this form will be used for a single season before the WRC technical regulations undergo a major overhaul for 2017.

Thierry Neuville’s triumph in Germany in 2014 remains Hyundai Motorsport’s sole victory in its two seasons in the WRC. The team scored four podium positions in 201. However a lot of its efforts were focused on the 2016 car, which has undergone a year-long test and development programme. Almost 8,000km of testing have been completed so far and Hyundai claims the car has already “proven to be quicker than its predecessor”.

The team said its ambitions for next season were to “fight at the front in every stage and to mount a heightened championship assault”.

Team principal Michel Nandan, said, "The new-generation i20 WRC is the product of a full year of development and with a more experienced team of staff, we should now raise our objectives to be more confident to fight at the front. The competition remains strong and we know our manufacturer rivals will not ease in their pursuit for victory, but we want to take the fight to them in 2016."

With Dani Sordo, Haydon Paddon and Thierry Neuville all confirmed for full seasons, Hyundai Motorsport will field three cars in every round of the 2016 Championship. However, the team will shuffle the nominated drivers on a round-by-round basis as only two drivers are eligible to score points in the manufacturers’ championship. The team has also retained the services of rising Dutch star Kevin Abbring, who will remain as test driver.

The team will begin its third season with two new i20 WRCs and one old-style model at Rallye Monte-Carlo before introducing the third new car from the year’s second event in Sweden in February.