Ireland's Craig Breen is second - 7.6 seconds behind Thierry Neuville - at the Ypres Rally Belgium, with Hyundai filling the top three spots after the opening leg.
Estonian Ott Tanak is third, 31.2 seconds off the leading pace.
The asphalt Ypres Rally Belgium is a new event on the calendar, and the eighth round of the season.
Friday was due to have eight stages but spectator issues meant the final one was cancelled for safety reasons and cars completed it under normal road conditions.
Breen and Neuville were neck and neck during the afternoon's loop of four speed tests through narrow asphalt farm lanes.
Neuville then clocked fastest times on the three evening special stages to opne up a lead with two days remaining of this eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
Neuville's only problem was a bizarre one. His trademark spectacles slipped down his face in the afternoon’s action, disrupting his concentration but clearly not slowing his pace.
"We knew if we had a clean run today that we could be among the fastest. Of course, experience counts for a lot and the car has been working well, but it's good to be leading at the end of the first day," said Neuville.
Four Toyotas filled places four to seven, with Championship leader Sebastian Ogier in sixth.
"It was difficult to find grip running first on the road, and I really didn’t expect the dust to play as much of a role as it did," said the Frenchman.
Ogier, a seven-times world champion, leads team mate Elfyn Evans by 37 points in the standings.
