The new Yaris is expected to prove more competitive than Bates' current S2000 Toyota Corolla, offering not only more suspension travel than the old car, but also more power, with its turbocharged 1.6-litre engine tuned to 224kW.

Bates currently holds a slender lead in the Australian Rally Championship after a solid start to the season in the S2000 Corolla.

"Having a new rally car will be amazing – I expect it to be faster than the current car," Bates said.

"Even so, I have a steep learning curve with the new car, so I'm not expecting to jump in and be up to speed right off the bat.

"However, by Rally Australia in November, I'd expect to be in a good position to fight for the championship in the new car."

Bates, son of four-time ARC champion Neal, has impressed in his short rally career. With co-driver John McCarthy he finished third in the championship last year, and in 2015 was the recipient of the CAMS Future Star Award.

Earlier this year he became the youngest winning driver in ARC history with his victory in the Eureka Rally.