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  Honda Australia has backed a lower-key effort for the past two years with a Civic Type R driven by Eli Evans.

Honda is the first carmaker to commit to a born-again Australian Rally Championship next year, with...

... Mazda also poised to return to the forest fight. A pair of all-new Honda Jazz rally cars is being built in Europe for the full-scale assault on a championship which will focus on compact front-wheel drive cars from 2012.

Honda Australia has backed a lower-key effort for the past two years with a Civic Type R driven by Eli Evans, in a championship dominated by turbocharged all-wheel drive Subarus and Mitsubishis.

Evans is expected to be joined next year by Mark Pedder in the second Jazz. Evans and Pedder will slide into what Honda Australia is already describing as "the world's fastest Jazz".

Its Jazz G2 is expected to be built by J.A.S. Motorsport, which was responsible for the Civic, and will use a Mugen engine producin 183 kiloWatts of power.

Evans' older brother, four-time national champion Simon, is considered the most-likely choice if Mazda moves ahead with a rally program using its baby Mazda2.

He has just completed a winning audition for Mazda Motorsport in Targa High Country a fortnight ago in a Mazda3, with his co-driving wife Sue alongside.

The new-look series is also likely to draw a number of family haulers in the new SUV category, with former class champion Brett Middleton - who won in a Honda - committed to a Subaru Forester.

Honda confirms early details of the rally program today, grabbing the high ground for a series that promises six events in 2012 starting from Rally Calder in March.

"We are excited about the next year of rallying. These may well be the fastest Jazz in the world," says Lindsay Smalley of Honda Australia.

"Honda is proud to continue its support of Australian rallying and we hope next season will be even better than the last. As our founder Mr Honda said, 'If Honda does not race, there is no Honda'.