Holden Barina 2010 News

The Holden’s new generation Barina sedan - an extended version of the hatch - has just landed in showrooms with a starting price of $16,490. However the sedan has more cargo space than its sibling storing 502 litres compared to the 290 litres the hatch offers with the seats up. The Barina sedan comes equipped with standard features including Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, USB input and iPod connectivity, steering wheel controls, cruise control and ‘follow me home’ headlights, as well as interior storage options. Like the hatch the 4-door sedan is powered by a 1.6 litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine equipped with standard 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic and shares a five-star ANCAP safety rating. The hatch has sold 1,318 units since its release last November and Holden spokesman John Elsworth says the sedan will be “an excellent addition to the range”. “The addition of the sedan variant adds a new dimension of practicality and flexibility to the Barina range,” he says.

... now it means buying cars from almost anywhere else. Sales figures for January released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reveal that Australian-made vehicles were a poor fourth in terms of buyer preference.While we have long favoured imports from Japan, last month more buyers bought cars from Korea and Thailand in preference to those made manufactured in Melbourne and Adelaide. In fifth position, German imports recorded one of their best-ever sales months.  With the tariff having been reduced from 10 to five per cent, importers are sharpening their prices, posing a still more acute threat to the locals.Last month 26,311 vehicles from Japan sold in Australia; 13,130 from Korea; 10,777 from Thailand; 9741 locally made and 6066 from Germany.  While not the worst-ever numerical return in a month for Australian-made, fourth is an ordinary result for the local industry which the federal Government assists to the tune of $6.2 billion.While Holden can claim the Commodore was January's best-selling model on 3241 and Ford can point to an improved performance from the Falcon compared with January 2009, both models are hugely reliant on bargain sales to fleets rather than more profitable private sales.  Moreover, Holden's other bestsellers -- such as the Cruze, Barina and the Captiva -- are made in South Korea and re-badged for local buyers.Toyota, which makes the Camry sedan in Melbourne, was on top in the January monthly market with 14,564 vehicle sales, ahead of Holden with 10,468 and Ford on 6730. Mazda, was the fourth most popular car maker on 6658. Hyundai, with 6208, was fifth.Although they were several thousand behind the locals, sales of German imports are only going north, with a 78 per cent increase on January, 2009.  While the prestige brand Audi recorded a record 1328 sales, the impetus was due largely to manufacture of the Carsguide Car of the Year-winning Volkswagen Golf moving from South Africa to Germany, where its derivative Tiguan soft-roader is also made.COUNTRY OF ORIGINVehicle sales figures for January26,311 ... Japan13,130 ... Korea10,777 ... Thailand9,741 ..... Australia6,066 ..... Germany 

The Spark, still to be confirmed but most likely to become a price-leading Barina in Australia next year, only manages a four-star score in the Euro NCAP tests.  It's not a bad result, but the NCAP benchmark now  — in Australia, Europe and Japan — is a five-star score.The Spark only misses five stars because ESP is not fitted as standard in Europe, although that is unlikely to be a problem in Australia as Victoria forces all makers to fit stability control on vehicles sold in the state from next year.The list of five-star NCAP successes grows through the latest testing to include the Mazda3 and Mercedes-Benz E Class already on sale as well as the BMW X1, Citroen DS3 and Peugeot 5008 expected here next year.The Holden Cruze, which already has a five-star tick thanks to ANCAP testing locally, is confirmed with five stars after crashes with a Chevrolet-badged left-hand drive model. And GM was praised by Euro NCAP for its overall safety work.  "The company has bounced back with two cars that have a commendable level of safety performance," says Euro NCAP chief, Dr Michiel van Ratingen, commenting on the Cruze and the latest baby Astra.Cars not sold in Australia to make the five-star hit list are the Infiniti FX, Mercedes-Benz GLK, Opel Astra and Volkswagen Scirocco while the Toyota Urban Cruiser, a Europe-only model, trailed the pack with a lacklustre three-star result. "The result from Toyota is disappointing, but in 2010, we predict further results like these as Euro NCAP’s next stage of the rating scheme kicks in and requirements become even tougher," says van Ratingen.Euro NCAP is pushing hard with testing, rating both seats and head restrains for whiplast protection as well as including a score for safety assistance systems. "The Citroën DS3, Infiniti FX, Peugeot 5008 and the Mercedes GLK have driver controlled speed limitation systems fitted as standard or soon to be introduced as standard. These systems greatly assist the driver in maintaining the safest speed according to the driving environment," says van Ratingen.

It could even be a Reno.All the names fit, but the one most likely to fit for Australia is Viva. Or perhaps Barina.The name game has developed as General Motors pushes its smallest new global design towards showrooms.GM has already created the Corolla-sized Cruze, which is sold with a variety of names and badges around the world, and now has its next compact almost ready for action. The names will vary because it is planned to be sold as a Chevrolet, a Daewoo, a Buick and a Holden _ as well as a Suzuki.Regardless of the name, the newcomer is a youthful little city car which will start a a five-door hatch in 2010 and will be followed by a sedan and baby station wagon in 2011.These Carparazzi pictures show the Barina as it is today, disguised as a test car during trials in Europe, with great looking computer renderings of how it will finally look once it has been morphed for the road.It has a similar edgy style to the Cruze, but also reflects the need for maximum space and style in a car which is likely to sell for well below $20,000 in Australia.Few details have emerged yet on the baby car, which has been spawned for low-cost production at Daewoo in Korea. But it is likely to have an all-new mechanical platform, with cabin package and suspension systems which are flexible enough to suit the many needs of GM buyers around the world.And the car is going ahead despite the recent chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the USA.It is set for Australia, probably towards the middle of next year, although no-one at GM Holden is prepared to comment on the car. Or the name.