The i20 WRC was designed to return to racing in the World Rally Championship starting in 2014, eleven years after abandoning it at the end of 2003 and shelving the Hyundai Accent WRC project. The presentation of the i20 WRC took place at the Paris Motor Show in 2012. After a very first phase of tests carried out in Korea, the Team moves in December 2012 near Frankfurt to begin the real development phase of the car. At the beginning of January 2013, the Korean manufacturer entrusted the WRC program to Michel Nandan, an engineer already known for the successes of the Peugeot 206 WRC. The first evolution of the i20 was presented at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, with improvements to the chassis and suspension as well as some changes to the aerodynamics. The Korean house, for the 2016 season, participated with the new car, based on the five-door model of the second series. An i20 WRC in 2015 configuration was also deployed in several championship races. For the 2017 season, in which the regulations allowed for more powerful, lighter and more aerodynamically developed cars, Hyundai returned to the three-door bodywork with the new i20 Coupe WRC.