Small car showdown! 2023 Hyundai i30 could topple Toyota Corolla for sales this year, but what happened to the Kia Cerato and Mazda 3?

The Toyota Corolla could lose its crown of Australia's most popular small car as Hyundai's i30 charges ahead in 2023.

According to the latest VFACTS new-vehicle sales figures, the Hyundai i30 is now sitting at the top of the shrinking sub-$40,000 small passenger car segment.

Of course, the i30 has fewer rivals in 2023 than for the past few decades as more and more carmakers abandon small passenger car models, like hatches and sedans, in favour of small SUVs.

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In fact, in 2017, there were 29 models vying for attention in the mainstream small car segment, and now in 2023 there are just six.

Hyundai is out in front for a couple of reasons. Back in 2020 the Korean carmaker dropped the Elantra nameplate in Australia and re-branded the updated small sedan as an i30 sedan, which meant all hatch and sedan sales were combined in VFACTS.

The i30 has a solid reputation for reliability and as a decent drive, it's also not astronomically expensive. These factors combined with the fact that it hasn't been hit drastically hard by the latest supply issues, have seen Hyundai capture 4499 sales to the end of March this year. That's a 23 per cent dip over Hyundai's quarter one, 2022 result, but it's less of a slide compared with its rivals.

The i30 has a solid reputation for reliability and as a decent drive, it’s also not astronomically expensive.

In the same period, Toyota has sold 3326 examples of its Corolla hatch and sedan, which is a 34 per cent slide over Q1 last year.

Toyota has been hit harder by the supply issues, but Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said things would pick up in a few months.

"Sales figures confirm that we continue to face supply constraints. At this stage, we are expecting improved supply during the second half of the year," he said.

In the same period, Toyota has sold 3326 examples of its Corolla hatch and sedan, which is a 34 per cent slide over Q1 last year.

"We continue to work hard with our global production teams and our local dealers to ensure we receive and deliver as many cars as possible, as quickly as possible."

The wait list for an i30 is not as bad as some models at the moment. If you were to order one now, it would be delivered in three-to-six months. Unless you want an i30 N hot hatch, then you're in trouble, because orders have been paused. Although the N sedan is in good supply with a wait list of less than three months.

Hyundai says port congestion continues to impact it, and essentially all other automotive brands.

As reported, the future of the i30 hatch is under a cloud beyond this generation, but the sedan will definitely live on.

The third best-selling small car in Australia so far this year is the Mazda3. (image: Tom White)

The third best-selling small car in Australia so far this year is the Mazda3. Mazda has sold 2358 examples to the end of March, which is a hefty 33.7 per cent drop off from last year.

Sliding into fourth is the Kia Cerato, which has outsold the Mazda3 every year since 2019. But this year Kia has sold just 1147 Ceratos, marking a big 68.4 per cent decline.

According to a Kia spokesperson, the drop is, unsurprisingly, due to supply issues.

Sliding into fourth is the Kia Cerato, which has outsold the Mazda3 every year since 2019. But this year Kia has sold just 1147 Ceratos.

"Passenger cars are hard to come by and we are working very hard on a daily basis, to secure as many as we can. Unfortunately, we can't assign a timeframe on when this will improve," they said.

The only other models left in the small car segment include the Subaru Impreza (932, +45.9%) which is in runout ahead of being replaced by a new model this year, and the Skoda Scala (122, -4.7%) which is a slow seller compared to the rest.

Other models that are still on sale but were moved into the over $40,000, or premium, small car segment include the Honda Civic, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen Golf and Peugeot 308.