Hyundai has released the first pictures of its i20 World Rally Car undergoing its first gravel test.
The squad’s test drivers Juho Hanninen, Bryan Bouffier and Chris Atkinson all drove the car last month at two private tests in the grounds of Chateau Lastours and Mazamet in the south of France.
The two venues were chosen because they offered a range of loose-surface road conditions from rough, to fast and flowing.
Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Michel Nandan said: “These latest tests gave us the opportunity to assess the main mechanical components of the car, like transmission or suspension. It is very much an evolution of the car we used in previous tarmac tests.
“As with any inaugural testing, there have been some teething issues to overcome but this is precisely the purpose of testing and we have taken time to analyse and understand the problems.”
Five months before the car’s competitive debut at the 2014 Rally Monte Carlo, Nandan declared himself happy with the way the project was progressing.
“We have had a lot of work to do in a short space of time but I can sense we are working well as a unified team,” he said. “We have attained another important milestone by kicking off our gravel tests but we have more still to do in the remaining months before Monte-Carlo.
“We have hit every target so far and I am proud of the entire team effort. We look forward to our next phase of development with optimism.”
