Wednesday 11th September 2013

Hyundai planning hot hatch duo

WRC programme to spawn fast hatches based on the i20 and i30

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Could it be that the next hot hatch hero comes from Hyundai? The company has told us that it's going to produce "very hot" versions of both the i20 supermini and the i30 Focus rival in limited numbers. Both will be built as three-doors too.

Hot i20 road car will draw on WRC experience

It's not so barmy considering Hyundai's WRC programme. The Korean company is actually building the i20 rally car itself with a staff of 260 operating out of the firm's research centre in Germany.

And it'll be those guys given the task of turning pleasant everyday cars into proper hot hatches. "These will be real halo models with 220, 230hp," the European head of marketing Mark Hall told PH.

He added that Hyundai is using WRC more as a proving ground rather than to flog cars to dwindling numbers of rally fans. "WRC in terms of brand building is not so significant," he says. "What it does is help improve driving dynamics of all our cars."

Hyundai appears pretty serious about this, having also spent a couple of mil on a new development centre at the Nurburgring. We're hopeful Hyundai doesn't nobble the ride comfort chasing tenths on the regular versions, which they say also get pounded around.

A fast i30 could use the pro_cee'd GT's engine

The engine is likely to be the same 1.6-litre turbo shared with the Kia Pro_cee'd GT. It's the engine that forms the basis of next year's rally car after all. No word on the gearbox yet...

PHers will to a man, woman and dog will be recalling the last time Hyundai went rallying with the Accent 10 or so years ago. Not a world beater, but handy enough and pretty mean looking too.

A new version of the i20 is due next year and a source within the company told us a three-door will again be available. "The three-door will the connection between the WRC car and the five-door," they told us. Bravo Hyundai we say - the last few cars including the i30 have been nicely styled, so they could be lookers too.

[epom]

Thats a lovely looking Rally Car.

[dukebox9reg]

The i20 would still probably struggle to undercut the Fiesta ST on cost due to limited numbers so they would probably struggle to sell (unless they carry over the mad wide arches)

[LongLiveTazio]

Keep admiring the Veloster when I see them about.

[LuS1fer]

I far prefer Kia's styling to the Hyundai stuff which I wouldn't fancy at all. The whirte one above looks quite chunky though and I do like chunky.

[dukebox9reg]

LongLiveTazio said:

Keep admiring the Veloster when I see them about.

Not in yellow though with yellow alloys which they obviously think looks good as they parked one at the entrance to Banbury Tescos as advertisement. Really not good.

Do like the Matt turbo though but only ever seen one.

[Ali_T]

First "meh" incoming.

Make a proper homologation special and we'll talk. Make yet-another-me-too 200bhp 2.0 turbo hot hatch and I'll roll over and go back to sleep.

[Mitch2.0]

Any car looks good in Rally car form, even the most boring hatch - add a wider body and a big wing and it looks epic, I think these barry boy McDonalds car park lads might be onto a trick here!

[Captainawesome]

dukebox9reg said:

LongLiveTazio said:

Keep admiring the Veloster when I see them about.

Not in yellow though with yellow alloys which they obviously think looks good as they parked one at the entrance to Banbury Tescos as advertisement. Really not good.

Do like the Matt turbo though but only ever seen one.

That yellow thing is bloody horrible. It actually stopped me in my tracks the other day with it's ugliness. Yuk.

Love the wide-arched nutterness of the white one above though. Looks like a mini focus rs.

[soad]

epom said:

Thats a lovely looking Rally Car.

Makes me think road version will be majorly watered down.

[SmartVenom]

It may be chavvy, but I think it look's amazing! Slightly worried what that says about me...

[Krikkit]

Dear Hyundai:
Make it look anything like this, with lots of amusing exhaust behaviour (a spit of flame for example) and there will be a long queue to buy one.

[Froomee]

Krikkit said:

Dear Hyundai:
Make it look anything like this, with lots of amusing exhaust behaviour (a spit of flame for example) and there will be a long queue to buy one.

Exactly... Plain colours onyl two so race livery can be applied if required

[lgomgf]

can i get a road going version of this car? the best looking hyundai to date

[gambisk]

Please make exactly like this and I will buy one with extra scoops. Flame spitting exhaust also should be mandatory

[300bhp/ton]

Krikkit said:

Dear Hyundai:
Make it look anything like this, with lots of amusing exhaust behaviour (a spit of flame for example) and there will be a long queue to buy one.

I'm no hot hatch fan, but that looks brilliant. I suppose the sad truth is, the road going one will look like this, but with all the good styling points removed

[Alex Langheck]

What I find a little sad is they even admit the WRC won't help them sell anymore models - so why are they taking part?

However, if they were really brave, they could make a huge statement - and make road going i20 with a 1.6T engine and 4WD. But we all know they won't. It will be 200-230 BHP through the front wheels, which nowadays is nothing but par for the course.

[Escort Si-130]

You would know, I guess your a regular eh.

Mitch2.0 said:

Any car looks good in Rally car form, even the most boring hatch - add a wider body and a big wing and it looks epic, I think these barry boy McDonalds car park lads might be onto a trick here!

[Escort Si-130]

Erm, somehow I don't think so, not for the road. It would be well watered down when a mainsream model comes out.

Krikkit said:

Dear Hyundai:
Make it look anything like this, with lots of amusing exhaust behaviour (a spit of flame for example) and there will be a long queue to buy one.

[Hub]

LuS1fer said:

I far prefer Kia's styling to the Hyundai stuff which I wouldn't fancy at all. The whirte one above looks quite chunky though and I do like chunky.

I prefer Kia's current styling too. I don't know why they don't try and differentiate the brands more, make KIA the younger trendier one and Hyundai the cheaper old duffer one!

[4a4]

WOW - if they could make it look like that in road guise, i'd be VERY impressed