Holden Barina unveiled

It's not wearing a Barina badge, and it's not really ready for showrooms, but this car is the low-key teaser to the start of the most important motoring event of the year.  The Barina is being revealed in Motown on Monday morning as the action begins at the 2010 North American International Motor Show in Detroit, USA.

It's a show which will give the pointer to the overall health of the American motor industry, as well as the feeling for major brands from Audi to Volkswagen and everyone between.  Some significant changes are already obvious.

General Motors has dumped its high-profile parties and press events, and is concentrating on business.  Ford is showing its first move towards a truly global product lineup, the 2010 Focus.  The pre-show GM hero is the new Barina, officially called the Aveo RS show car.

It will become the next-generation Barina for Australia and was designed by an Aussie, although it will still be built in Korea to ensure the right price in showrooms.  The big change is a Euro-inspired design for the car, which will wear Aveo tags in the USA.

GM is putting far more emphasis on small cars from 2010, with the Aveo, the compact Cruze already sold in Australia and the baby Spark - which will also come down under as the Barina Spark - making the running.

The Aveo-Barina is longer, wider and more spacious than the current car and has a much more aggressive look. The motor show tweaking runs to special blue paintwork, big wheels and a drooping snout, but the basic five-door hatchback shape is the way the car will look when it hits the road.  It also has a 1.4-litre Ecotec turbo engine with 103 kiloWatts that will make it into the Cruze, with a six-speed manual gearbox.