Hyundai is the first to unveil the 2017-spec car that it will compete in the WRC season, the i20 Coupe.
A new set of regulations will be in place for the 2017 WRC season. This will raise the importance of aerodynamics, mechanical grip and engine power.
Hyundai took part in the regular season and also tested the new car.
The team will start the season with the same driver lineup as last year. Hayden Paddon, Dani Sordo and Hayden Paddon signed new contracts that locked them in to the Korean manufacturer until 2018.
Although Thierry Neuville was strongly connected to a move towards Citroen but he eventually resigned from Hyundai for two more years.
Michel Nandan, principal of Hyundai Team, stated that “We are entering a new era in the sport with the largest change to the regulations in some time.” It’s a new technical challenge that we have embraced with enthusiasm.
“It’s an opportunity for us to put into practice all we have learned over the last three seasons. We are all on the same level because we start from scratch.
“Having finished second in 2016, we want show our ability to fight to win the Championship in 2017. We are confident that the Hyundai i20 Coupe will assist us in this endeavor.
Hyundai was a factory team when it returned to the WRC in 2013. In 2015, the team had its best season yet as it finished second in the drivers’ championship with Neuville as well as the manufacturers’ standings.