Sold out! Hyundai stops taking orders on i30 as wait begins for new model, but popular Toyota Corolla rival will live on in Australia

Hyundai has been forced to stop taking orders on the current-generation i30 hatch, choosing instead to clear an existing backlog ahead of an all-new (and likely more expensive) model arriving from Europe next year.

The brand says it was planning a smooth transition from the current-generation i30 hatch, sourced from Korea, and the facelifted model, this time sourced from Europe.

But the popularity of the Toyota Corolla rival has forced an about-face, with the brand now facing a months-long wait for the new model to arrive from the Czech Republic, which has now been delayed until the middle of next year.

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"There was supposed to be a smooth transition, the supply would take us through to February next year, and then sometime in April or May we would get (the new i30), and we'd get a facelift and a powertrain change coming out of that vehicle," says Hyundai Australia COO, John Kett.

"We're actually going to sell through our i30 hatch quicker than what we thought. So the orders on those cars will sort of have to stop because we now can't take an order on a (new i30) until probably July next year.

"So it means for us we're going to be in the dark in terms of selling i30 for at least three or four months, but in terms of someone ordering one it's probably five to six months."

The i30 hatch is a big seller in the Hyundai range, and the brand will now attempt to transfer new customers into a Venue, Kona or Tucson to minimise the damage to its sales numbers.

The new i30 will also likely be very different to the one on sale today, with European-spec cars expected to do away with the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol powertrain from the model's "warm hatch", with a new-look line-up tipped to include a three-cylinder 48v mild-hybrid 1.0-litre turbo petrol, and a 48v 1.5-litre turbo-petrol.

It is also expected to increase in price, with Hyundai conceding that sourcing from Europe delivers "an economic challenge". People shopping at the entry point to the current i30 range will instead be steered toward a Venue.

"The nameplate is incredibly important to us. I think that's our biggest priority. I think when it comes back, even if the price is higher than what we're experiencing today, those price points that were covered by the entry-level i30 will be covered by Venue," Mr Kett says.