The Junior World Rally Championship has long been a good proving ground for up and coming rally drivers, but this tightly fought contest is all but invisible to the eye of the general public. For that reason, I wouldn't be too surprised if you didn't know that Suzuki has dominated the series in recent years. Like the drivers moving up into the full World Rally Championship (WRC), Suzuki reckons it is ready for the big time and announced its intentions to enter the WRC in 2007 with the SX4 WRC car shown in concept form at the Geneva Show.

Understandably, due to the competitive nature of the sport, Suzuki's technical specifications for the SX4 WRC are very much preliminary, as no doubt the real thing is still under development. Still, the figures are in the right ballpark. The 2-litre engine utilises turbocharging to produce 320bhp and a massive 637Nm of torque. The four-wheel drive system fitted to the rally car will differ significantly to the new SX4's three-mode system. The rally car features mechanical differentials on the front and rear axles, as well as an electronic central diff to apportion the engine's thrust in the appropriate manner, depending on surface. The gearbox is a five-speed unit with sequential controls on the steering wheel.

Hopefully the WRC car will spawn an SX4 Sport. Suzuki's little Ignis Sport is a cracking car to drive and the forthcoming Swift Sport promises to appeal to the keen driver too. It would be a wasted opportunity not to do the same with the new SX4.

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