The first quarter sales figures for Australia have indicated that there will be a duel for 2014’s top spot on the best-selling cars ranking.

According to data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, passenger car sales were down by 2.9% from last year – not surprising, considering that the same period last year was a record breaker in terms of new passenger car sales – but the Mazda3 bucked the trend with a 15% increase on the 2013 Q1 figures and in the first quarter of this year it sold more units than the perennial favourite Toyota Corolla.

Corolla has since clawed its way back, winning the top spot in March (4,086 sales) and April (3,315 sales). Keeping the pressure on, the Mazda3 still claimed second spot in both months with 3,587 and 3,057 sales respectively. It’s pretty impressive that Mazda, considered a minor manufacturer in most markets, is in hot pursuit of the giant Toyota’s sales figures.

Across all segments, Mazda’s vastly smaller range sold 18,582 cars for January and February. Toyota dealers, with a far larger model range sitting across many more segments, sold 29,846 vehicles for the same period.

While Toyota’s lead and 2014 tally is pushing it towards a 12th consecutive year as Australia’s best-selling automotive brand, the Mazda3 is already disrupting the numbers – Toyota’s market share of 17.6% is only 6.6% more than Mazda’s, and the gap is narrowing. With Toyota accustomed to an annual market share of around 20%, this is one battle you can bet it’s desperate to win.

Of course, Toyota has a number of models that are due for replacement, including the segment-leading HiLux (3348 sales in February), so it won’t be giving up just yet.

But as the year rolls on, the Mazda3 may still edge ahead of the Corolla to win the segment – a pretty amazing effort if they can sustain the numbers.