After rumors suggesting Hyundai’s return to the World Rally Championship, the South Korean automaker and at the Paris Motor Show today, confirmed these rumors by unveiling its 2013 challenger, the i20 WRC.
As with all WRC cars, the i20 is powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine developing around 300 horsepower, mated to a fully-sequential gearbox pushing all four wheels.
Mark Hall, Hyundai Motor Europe’s Marketing Director, said that “The WRC is a spectacle filled with excitement and dynamism – the perfect embodiment of the Hyundai brand.”
“Our participation will demonstrate Hyundai’s engineering excellence and desirability, and will also help to enhance our passenger vehicles in future” he added.
Hyundai will compete in selected events in the WRC next year ahead of a full programme in 2014.
Update: First footage of the i20 WRC car in the video below.