HYUNDAI ISN’T PRIORITIZING A RALLY2 KIT FOR 2027

HYUNDAI SAYS UPGRADING THE I20 N RALLY2 AND FOCUSING ON 2026 ARE AHEAD OF ANY PLAN TO HOMOLOGATE A 2027-SPEC RALLY2 WRC KIT

Hyundai is not currently prioritizing the development of a Rally2 WRC Kit for its i20 N Rally2, adding further uncertainty over the manufacturer’s World Rally Championship direction beyond the end of the current Rally1 era.

With the Rally1 homologation cycle ending after this season, attention has turned to the revised 2027 regulations that aim to bring Rally2-based machinery closer to the performance of the new WRC27 cars.

But Thierry Neuville says Hyundai has yet to decide what its future programme will look like, and cast doubt on whether a 2027-specification i20 N Rally2 kit will be produced at all.

The 2024 world champion told DirtFish that no clear plan is in place for next season, while Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley confirmed that developing a Rally2 kit is not currently one of the company’s main priorities.

Instead, Hyundai’s immediate focus remains on its 2026 campaign and on upgrading the existing i20 N Rally2. Wheatley said that work on improving the current Rally2 car is already ongoing, with Hyundai aiming to deliver the best possible package for both its own programme and customer teams.

Hyundai is also waiting for more clarity over how the proposed kit will work under the sporting regulations before making any decision on whether to proceed. Wheatley added that the potential market for such a kit could be limited, with WRC2 competition seen as the more important commercial priority.

KEY POINTS

• Hyundai is not prioritizing a Rally2 WRC Kit for the i20 N Rally2

• Thierry Neuville says Hyundai has no confirmed plan yet for 2027

• Neuville cast doubt on whether a 2027-specification i20 N Rally2 kit will exist

• The Rally1 homologation cycle ends after the current season

• The 2027 rules are designed to bring Rally2 cars closer to WRC27 performance

• Hyundai sporting director Andrew Wheatley says the company’s first priority is 2026

• Hyundai’s second priority is upgrading the current i20 N Rally2

• Wheatley says Hyundai wants to maximise the performance of its Rally2 car for both factory and customer use

• Hyundai is still waiting for more detail on how the kit would fit into the sporting regulations

• Wheatley says the market for a Rally2 kit could be limited, with WRC2 seen as the bigger commercial priority

QUOTES

“I have no clue at the moment. Nobody knows what will be our plan next year.”

— Thierry Neuville

“It doesn’t exist. And I’m not sure it will ever exist.”

— Thierry Neuville on a 2027-specification Hyundai Rally2 kit

“In terms of the kit, at the moment we need to know a little bit more information about how that will work in terms of the sporting regulations, how it will fit together, but at the moment the kit is not our priority as we go forward.”

— Andrew Wheatley