Happy with how well the Ignis and Swift S1600 has fared up against the likes of Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta in the junior competition, Suzuki's motorsport division will contend the 2007 World Rally Championship season.

The team will use the SX4 crossover vehicle, a collaborative development with Fiat, powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine reportedly good for 238kW, and Suzuki says it is developing a new all-wheel drive system for the WRC car.

Suzuki has yet to release tech specs but it is expected the WRC SX4 will run a five-speed sequential transmission.

The road-going version, launched at the Geneva motor show and already available in Europe, is offered in two and four-wheel drive versions with six-speed manual.

Suzuki's decision to take part in WRC's top-order is welcome news for the category which has suffered several high-profile withdrawals affecting the '06 season, including Mitsubishi and Peugeot and Citroen's factory-backed effort.

Suzuki has not announced its driver line-up as yet but the company says it hopes to exploit the considerable talent from its junior rally ranks.