Tanak has rejoined Hyundai for the 2024 season after leaving the Korean marque for M-Sport Ford in 2023, despite having a year remaining on his Hyundai contract.
The 2019 world champion's high-profile return to the Alzenau-based squad has already started positively following a test on rough roads in Fontjoncouse in the south of France.
Tanak remarked that the latest Hyundai i20 N features several differences and is "much more fine-tuned" compared to the under-developed model he drove in 2022.
"It was just a rough test on Dakar-like roads to see the reliability and actually we did very good mileage. I'm quite happy. These were conditions for Safari [the third WRC round next year], so it was tough," Tanak told Autosport.
"There are quite many differences [on the car] for sure. From outside the car, the aero looks very different.
"The team hasn't used many other [homologation] jokers in the meantime, but some things are in more shape and are working better. And with the set up I wouldn't say it is too different from what we had, but it is definitely much more fine-tuned from last year.
"Altogether, I would say the pace since the first run, I felt okay in the car and it was not too far away, so I could immediately drive quite fast."
Source: Autosport