MOTORSPORT: VW and Ogier win Rally Oz

Reigning world rally champion Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia emerges on top at the finish of the Coates Hire Rally Australia this afternoon, while Aussie Chris Atkinson came home 10th after a challenging return to WRC with Hyundai.

Ogier repeated his 2013 Rally Australia victory by claiming 11 of 20 special stage wins over three days of the FIA World Rally Championship's 10th round in the hills surrounding Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast.

The fast French Volkswagen racer finished the event-ending Wedding Bells II Power Stage, north of the Coffs Harbour rally base, just 6.8 seconds ahead of Volkswagen teammate Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland after more than 313km of competition.

In his search for victory, Latvala picked up more than three seconds and two stage wins this afternoon, winning the points-paying Power stage from Ogier and the third Volkswagen driver Andreas Mikkelsen of Norway.

Volkswagen's 1-2-3 handed the German team its second straight WRC Manufacturers Trophy today, but the drivers' title remains undecided.

Ogier led the event over 13 stages including throughout the final day, but the Latvala and Citroen's Kris Meeke also spent time at the front and the leader's margin was never more than 12 seconds throughout the event and as little as 0.4 seconds.

Atkinson scraped into the top 10, almost 9:30 behind Ogier and behind his New Zealand teammate in the Hyundai team, Hayden Paddon, who was the top-scoring Hyundai driver in sixth.

Stand by for a full report on this year's Rally Australia, which was attended by large crowds and will return to Coffs Harbour on September 10-13 next year, it was announced over the weekend.