Hyundai: Australia's Best Selling Diesel Put to the Test

SYDNEY – Aug 26, 2010: Australia’s best selling diesel passenger car so far this year, the multi-award winning Hyundai i30 CRDi is set to compete in this weekend’s QUIT Targa West 2010 rally in Western Australia.

With a class win and a Targa Trophy awarded at this year’s Targa Tasmania rally, and a string of excellent results throughout the 2010 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) series including consistent class wins at each event it has competed in, the i30 has firmly established the it as a feisty rally competitor; not only tough but fuel efficient and fast.

The QUIT Targa West 2010 rally team of driver Razvan Vlad and navigator Ioana Vlad will take their i30 CRDi to Western Australia to compete in this year’s event, keen to repeat the successes they enjoyed in the 2008 and 2009 events with outright class wins in both years and a podium finish in 2009.

“We are excited heading into this event knowing the potential the i30 CRDi has,” said Razvan Vlad. “This is our third time at Targa West and we have had great results which we hope to continue. It is a long rally and everything must work well to get a good result, but I know the excellent reliability and handling of our i30 CRDi will give us an advantage again.”

Competing in the ‘Challenge Category’, vehicles are limited to a top speed of 130 km/h so the Hyundai team have had to fit a speed limiter to comply with race standards, suspension which has been tuned to suit the conditions and a race route which includes the infamous ‘Zig Zag’ run.

“The multi-award winning i30 has proven itself in Targa West over the past two years,” said Heinz Wiesner, Hyundai Motor Company’s Regional General Manager. “This event is just another way the i30 CRDi can demonstrate its credibility and reliability, further proving why it is the Australia’s most popular diesel passenger car.”

Race support and technicians will be provided by Hyundai’s West Australian dealer network. “Targa West provides an excellent opportunity for the professional team of Hyundai technicians to support the brand and to experience the competitive environment,” said Mr. Wiesner. “The young guys love being part of the action on their home turf.”

The QUIT Targa West 2010 event starts with two short stages at Whiteman Park followed by stages based around Kalamunda, with the famous Zig Zag run three times, before moving on to Toodyay. Final stages are in that region and the first time the event comes to an end in the Perth CBD with a spectacular Perth City Special Stage finale.