Hyundai Motorsport has unveiled its 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC challenger at a media event in Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy. The 2017 World Rally Championship (WRC) season opener, which is slated to take place in Monte Carlo, is drawing near and this may be the best time for the 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC to make an appearance in its full glory.
The three-door WRC car will oust the 2016 five-door i20 WRC car. Moreover, the 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC is based on the road-going Hyundai i20 Coupe, which did not sell locally. CarAdvice had an opportunity to experience it from the passenger seat, as part of Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales last month. Designed and built with the WRC's reworked 2017 technical regulations in mind, the 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC has been undergoing testing for more than seven months now.
The new i20 WRC car also packs an array of awe-inspiring features such as a greater mechanical grip, less weight, an aggressive new aerodynamics, and a revamped active center differential. Furthermore, the 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC is capable of drawing more power as a result of its turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder engine (up 60kW from 224kW to 284kW). Although Hyundai has not divulged details about the weight of the 2017 Hyundai i20 WRC, New Atlas claims that the car is likely to weigh at least 25 kg (or 55 lb) lighter than the existing model, in line with the latest FIA rules about minimum weight in mind.
Hyundai Motorsport is sticking to the same driver lineup for the 2016 WRC season as well. This means, Hyundai's fourth year in the coveted championship will be led by Belgium's Thierry Neuville; Hayden Paddon, who hails from New Zealand; and Dani Sordo of Spain --- with co-drivers Nicolas Gilsoul, John Kennard, and Marc Marti also unchanged this year. According to Hyundai Motorsport team principal Michel Nandan, the newly introduced regulations allude to the beginning of a new sports era. And since all teams are starting off from scratch, they are on par with everyone else, Nandan added.
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