The Latest Breaking News from Hyundai

The eight-time world champion started the loop 0.1s adrift but ended with an 18.2s lead after the pair enjoyed a thrilling battle before Lappi's challenge began to unravel in the final two stages.

Loubet endured an eventful Friday at the rough gravel event which ultimately ended with a crash on stage seven.

The eight-time world rally champion was largely in command during Friday morning’s loop of stages, winning two of the three tests to open up a 16.3s lead over Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi.

The Finn revealed in the buildup to the rally that he intended to try an experimental set-up he’d discovered in testing prior to the event.

With all-wheel drive and 44 miles per gallon, the Elantra Hybrid rival is a great commuter.

Eight-time world champion Ogier took a 16.3s lead over Lappi heading into the afternoon's three stages after winning two of the three morning tests, held in largely dry conditions. However, Lappi starred in the wet to grab the rally lead on the final stage of the day, despite picking up…

Hyundai driver Sordo was struggling for grip before going off the road less than two kilometres from the end of the extended 49.9km stage four, introduced for the 20th anniversary of Italy's World Rally Championship event.

In May, Hyundai BEV sales (excluding the Kona Electric, for which data remain unavailable), amounted to 3,417, which is a new monthly record in the US.

The Toyota driver, returning to the World Rally Championship after sitting out last month’s visit to Portugal, won two of three gruelling gravel stages to head to midday service with a 16.3s lead.

The naturally aspirated 3.8-liter engine could be dropped in favor of a turbo 3.5-liter.

The Finn successfully navigated the 3.23km test, held across a mix of tarmac and gravel surfaces in host city Olbia, to clock a time 0.2s faster than M-Sport’s Ott Tanak.