Mazda 3 is Australia's best car in sales

Small cars are the new stars on Australian roads, and that's official. The baby Mazda 3 has ended the 15-year reign of the Holden Commodore as the country's favourite car during a 2011 showroom stoush that also saw the Toyota Corolla mauling the long-term Holden hero with five months of market leadership.

Official sales results will not be released until tomorrow but are expected to show the Mazda3 trumped the Commodore by around 1000 sales, in a year when the heavy hits on traditional Australian family cars also saw Falcon sales fall below 20,000 for the first time.

Not just that, but medium-sized cars - led by the Toyota Camry - closed to less than 5000 sales of traditional Aussie family cars as downsizing took hold in every price and size category.

"The fact that the large segment is declining is a worldwide phenomenon," said the managing director of Mazda Australia, Doug Dickson.

He refused to discuss details of the official VFacts totals, or even launch an early celebration for the Mazda3 and his company, but admitted that Mazda is cashing-in on changing purchase patterns in Australia.

"You have to look at the industry dynamic in terms of other factors. Right now, if someone needs more interior space they don't need to go to a large car," Dickson said.

The Commodore's run at number one was the longest in Australian motoring history, topping seven years for the Ford Falcon through the 1980s - including a record 81,000 in 1985 - but Holden decided it was not worth a slash-and-burn sales campaign during December to protect its top spot.

In the past, Holden and Ford have often registered many hundreds of cars in December to ensure a positive result for the year - something that still happens in some categories - but things have changed in local carmaking.

Holden has also spread its emphasis in Australia between the Commodore and the compact Cruze, ironically a rival to the Mazda3. The Cruze is now being produced in Adelaide and even Holden admits it's only a question of time before its sales overtake the Commodore.

The VFacts results will again raise questions about the long-term viability of the Falcon and Commodore, despite the production boost the two models get from sharing production facilities with the Ford Territory and Cruze.

Decisions must be made within two years on the successors to the current FG and VE body shapes, with Holden confirming it is in Australia for the long haul - without committing to a unique local Commodore - but Ford leaning towards a tweaked local version of a global model.

The new-car battle through 2011 was one of the tightest on record - and the toughest that wasn't a straight Ford-Holden battle - with the Mazda3 and Commodore swapping the top spot six times. The Corolla also did well when Toyota has sufficient supplies, and will be confirmed today as the best seller for the month of December.