While you’ll still find affordable entry points that retain the humble and practical design we’ve come to love from hatchbacks, there are also some extremely high-tech and high-performance options available.
Let’s unpack all of the best options currently available in Australia today with a quick look at the ten best hatchbacks on sale in 2023.
Kia Rio
Starting from $19,690*
The Kia Rio has been around for quite some time now, and over the years, has become far more sophisticated than you might expect from the exceptionally well-priced package.
The range comes powered by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol producing 74kW/133Nm, while the GT-Line receives a perky 1.0-litre turbocharged unit producing 74kW/172Nm, both of which return impressive fuel economy figures of 5.6L per 100km and 6L/100km respectively.
Inside, there’s a generous amount of interior occupant space for its size, with a respectable boot measuring in at 325L that makes it an impressively practical small hatch.
The entry-level Rio S comes riding on 15-inch wheels and gains a set of automatic headlights, a rear-view camera with parking sensors, as well as an 8.0-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto.
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Request a quoteSubaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza has enjoyed a long sales career here in Australia and, in 2023, the package is better than ever before.
Available in both a sedan and hatchback platform, the Impreza range is an affordable hatchback that offers a decent amount of power from its 2.0-litre flat-four engine, with a heap of grip on offer from its symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.
The entry-level Impreza 2.0i comes fitted with 17-inch alloys, cruise control, keyless entry & start, climate control and a 6.5-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, while higher-spec models gain leather upholstery, automatic LED headlights and an upgraded 8.0-inch infotainment system.
Mazda 3
Starting from $27,160*
The Mazda 3 is one of the most accomplished hatchbacks on the Australian market, and is often used as the yardstick to which its rivals are measured.
This is because Mazda’s clever designs, fuel-efficient engines, comfortable yet sporty suspension platforms and the quality of its interior packaging has made the Mazda 3 a difficult hatchback to fault.
With a huge range of options for buyers, there’s a Mazda 3 package to meet the needs and equipment demands of pretty much every customer, and no less than four engines available.
The base model G20 Pure comes well-equipped with a set of 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8.8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto and an eight-speaker sound system.
MG MG3
Starting from $17,990*
If you’re a price-conscious buyer looking for one of the most affordable hatchbacks on offer in Australia, the MG MG3 comes well-equipped and offers one of the best value-for-money packages currently on sale.
With drive-away prices for both the entry-level Core and range-topping Excite standing at less than $20,000, the MG3 comes powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol producing 82kW of power and 150Nm of torque, which is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.
Inside, there’s a generous amount of headroom on offer for tall drivers, while the rear seats are completely usable for short hops around town, buoyed by a 307L boot.
Standard equipment for the entry-level MG3 Core includes 15-inch alloys, LED daytime running lamps, cloth upholstery, cruise control, a rear-view camera with parking sensors and an 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay.
Volkswagen Golf
Starting from $36,290*
The Volkswagen Golf is one of the most famous names in the world of hatchbacks, and has a huge range of options for buyers, including a pair of fire-breathing hot hatches at the top of the lineup.
For the everyday buyer, the entry-level VW Golf and mid-spec Golf Life variants are exceptionally comfortable, spacious and practical packages that come fitted with a generous 374L boot and a heap of leg and headroom for passengers in the second row.
They come powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit producing 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque, while stepping up to the GTI brings power to 180kW/370Nm and up to 235kW/400Nm in the range-topping Golf R.
Hyundai i30
Starting from $24,000*
Hyundai’s answer to the Volkswagen Golf, the i30, has become one of the most compelling value-for-money offerings in the hatchback market in recent years, with the added bonus of a fire-breathing performance hatch in the form of the i30 N.
Not only is it priced attractively, the i30 is a wonderful hatchback to drive that feels far more sophisticated than you might have originally expected, and performs strongly on a mix of town and long-distance highway driving.
The base model comes fitted with 16-inch alloys, a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control and an 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, while stepping up to i30 Elite adds a larger 10.25-inch infotainment system and a heap of safety tech.
It’s worth pointing out that Hyundai’s performance hatch, the i30 N is one of the most exciting and charismatic hot-hatches on the market, with 206kW of power and 392Nm of torque and a limited-slip differential on offer.
Skoda Scala
Starting from $32,190*
Twin-under-the-skin to the Volkswagen Polo, the Skoda Scala offers an impressively spacious and premium package for a reasonable asking price here in Australia.
It’s available in a three-variant lineup, all of which come powered by the same 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that kicks out 110kW of power and 250Nm to the front wheels, and returns fuel-efficient economy figures of just 4.9L/100km in the manual variant.
Despite its VW Polo underpinnings, the Scala’s cabin is both spacious and practical, with a heap of space in the 467L boot that rivals significantly larger cars.
The entry-level Scala 110TSI Ambition comes generously equipped with 18-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a powered boot lift, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto.
Suzuki Swift
Starting from $22,490*
Suzuki is no stranger to the world of cheap-and-cheerful hatchbacks, and the latest Swift is proof of its expertise in practice.
With a very affordable range that includes the charming Sport variant, the Suzuki Swift is versatile, well-equipped for the price, and offers an impressive amount of space inside the cabin for its minute proportions.
Under the bonnet, there’s three engines available as you step up the range, with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder producing 66kW/120Nm in the base model that increases to 103kW/230Nm in the range-topping Sport that gives it some smile-inducing performance.
Standard equipment for the entry-level Swift GL Navigator includes 16-inch alloys, LED daytime running lamps, cruise control, keyless entry and a 7.0-inch infotainment system, while the range-topping Sport gains 17-inch alloys and dual exhausts.
Toyota Corolla
Starting from $29,270*
We couldn’t have a list of the best hatchbacks on sale in 2023 without a mention of the iconic Toyota Corolla, which remains of the best overall picks in the hatch segment.
While prices are steadily creeping north for the Corolla range, it justifies these prices with a generous equipment list, outstanding interior design and a ride quality that feels outstanding on a mix of town and country driving.
Better yet, Toyota has updated the Corolla range with hybrid engines across all different price points, which drop fuel economy figures from 6.0L/100km from the standard 2.0-litre petrol to just 3.9L/100km.
Mercedes-Benz A Class
Starting from $71,900*
If you’re in the market for a more premium hatchback experience, the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz A Class has you very much covered, with the added bonus of a fire-breathing AMG performance variant at the top of the range.
The A-Class hatch comes with a choice of five engines, including a plug-in hybrid option in the A250e, all of which offer extremely smooth and perky acceleration, raising to outright crazy in the flagship A45 S 4Matic.
Inside, the cabin is sleek, stylish and impressively spacious for the hatchback segment, with a large 355L boot making it a very usable everyday option for growing families.
Standard equipment for the entry-level A180 includes a set of 17-inch alloys, leatherette upholstery, LED headlights, semi-autonomous parking assistant and a pair of 10.25-inch displays for the driver and infotainment system, which is paired with a nine-speaker sound system.
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If our list of the top 10 best hatchbacks on sale here in Australia in 2023 has sparked your imagination, click here to get in touch with one of our car-buying experts who can help you with every step of the process.
* Prices accurate at time of writing.
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