Small cars for Christmas! Which compact hatches are ready for delivery this year?

With 2022 rapidly coming to an end and car wait times still up in the air, there are scant options in terms of cars that will arrive before Santa’s sleigh if you’re in the market for some wheels.

It feels like every mid-to-top spec SUV is subject to months of waiting, but what about the smaller end of town? If you’re looking to downsize the car, as well as the petrol bill, there could be a few options.

There’s good news if you’re in the market for a Mazda2, as the brand’s local arm says getting one by Christmas is a perfectly reasonable expectation right now. For the last couple of years, the Mazda2 has jostled with a couple of other light hatches for the segment’s silver medal behind the MG3, so it’s appropriate that Mazda’s included the Mazda2 in a list of readily available cars , which also includes the Mazda6, CX-3, CX-8, CX-9, BT-50 and CX-5.

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The Kia Rio, while not quite ready for Christmas, is available enough that one could be had by February 2023 if an order is placed now. Of course, Kia Australia says this is dependent on “many variables such as production schedules, shipping, or colour/trim combinations”.

In addition, the Rio GT-Line is discontinued, “due to experiencing significant supply restrictions”.

The MG3 is currently the most popular city hatchback (or light car as categorised by the FCAI) in Australia, outselling most of its rivals more than four-fold. It’s the only light car that’s sold more than 10,000 units this year, and arrives in the thousands each month.

CarsGuide has contacted MG to confirm wait times.

The Toyota Yaris, despite diminished popularity, remains a steady seller, on track to register about 3000 sales in 2022. While Toyota models like the HiLux and RAV4 are plagued with long wait times, the Yaris has no such reputation and it’s worth contacting a dealer to check available stock.

CarsGuide has contacted Toyota Australia to confirm further details.