By Bill Buys, Community Newspaper Group motoring editor
HOLDEN'S Barina has been boosted by the introduction of an all-new sedan variant to sit alongside the existing hatch, literally expanding the appeal of the popular small car.
The Barina sedan mirrors its hatch sibling in its sporty Holden design language, ‘must-have’ technology and five-star safety, all wrapped in a city-friendly light car package.
Both the Barina four-door sedan and the five-door hatch deliver good ride and handling characteristics, sporty and sophisticated design, as well as roominess and an impressive list of standard features.
The hatch has been a great success since it launched last November, racking up volume sales.
The addition of the sedan adds a new dimension of practicality and flexibility.
The boot has 502 litres of cargo space, bigger than that of many a medium-sized sedan.
Holden says the sedan is not merely a stretched version of the hatch.
The design process resulted in it emerging as a sleek beauty with an aggressive snoot and it’s certainly one of the most attractive cars in its class.
Most people mistake it for an Italian exotic until they get close enough to read the small print.
It’s well balanced, too, the short, compact decklid matched to the car’s overall proportions.
Like the hatch, the Barina sedan features a level of standard equipment rare in the light car sector.
It includes Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, USB input and iPod connectivity, steering wheel controls, cruise control and ‘follow me home’ headlights, as well as clever interior storage options.
Power is from the same lively 85kW, 1.6-litre, twin-cam, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine as the hatch.
It’s one of the biggest and most powerful in its class, blending spirited performance with competitive fuel economy.
Simple logic: Bigger motors don’t have to work that hard. Less stress also means they use less fuel.
Transmission is a five-speed manual optional six-speed automatic with Active Select.
In the safety department, the Barina sedan has the same credentials as the hatch and its Commodore and Cruze stablemates, with the maximum five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.
They include driver, front passenger, front side and curtain airbags, dual front seatbelt pretensioners, front seatbelt reminders, Electronic Stability Control, a collapsible pedal release system and head restraints for all seats.
The Barina sedan is launching with a recommended retail price $500 more than the equivalent hatch and is on sale now.
It should further boost the success of Phoenix Holden, the State leader in four-cylinder Holden car sales.
Prices start from $15,990. Automatic transmission adds $2000.
- Take a peek into that big boot yourself at Phoenix Holden.