Holden Barina 2016 News

More than 1 million cars already sold in 2016 as Toyota's HiLux and Corolla fight for number 1

Holden will launch a fresh attack on the budget end of the small-car class with a bold look for its Barina hatch and sedan.

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If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. The adage explains why car makers like to launch their latest and greatest at the annual New York motor show. Many of the cars unveiled there won't make it here in the near future, if at all. CarsGuide casts an eye over the models that will.The Chevy Spark arrives wearing a Holden badge in early 2016.The company has addressed criticisms of the previous model by upgrading the fabrics, improving the fit and finish and stiffening the chassis to improve roadholding.The new Spark's looks have been streamlined with a longer wheelbase and lower body and there's a new more powerful 1.4-litre engine.Holden vehicle performance director Ian Butler says local engineers will give the car a local suspension and steering tune. "We made sure the car remains fun and agile but will now deliver even more sophistication," Butler says.The Civic coupe concept previews the 10th generation small car that will reach showrooms late this year.Designed by Honda's US studio along with the sedan — Europe will shape the hatchback — the Civic uses shorter overhangs and sharper lines to differentiate itself from the unloved previous model.The new model will have a 1.5-litre turbo engine matched to a six-speed auto or continuously variable transmission.Honda Australia head Steve Collins says the Civic is a crucial model. "Because it is a global car, ours will share some of the styling characteristics with the car just launched in New York and it will also have design features specific to our region."More interior space and more upmarket interiors mark the new Optima.A big hit in the US — Kia sold 160,000 last year — the Optima hasn't enjoyed such success locally.Kia Australia spokesman Kevin Hepworth says the new car is a more refined package, headlined by a 2.0-litre turbo engine that pushes the car to 100km/h in just on seven seconds. "(It has) improved ride, more rear space and an engine that will be a class benchmark for power and economy," Hepworth says.Top-spec US models use a 360 degree camera, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot alert. The car is due in Australia late this year.The 570S is aimed squarely at the Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 V10. Essentially a detuned version of the 650S supercar, the 570S nevertheless shares no panels with its big brother.The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is retained, although outputs have been reduced to 420kW/600Nm. That's good for a 100km/h sprint time of 3.2 seconds.Its Australian launch is early 2016 — expect a price in the high $300,000s.The facelifted Outlander's most obvious change is the "dynamic shield" front end, to be worn by future Mitsubishis.Mitsubishi Motors Australia marketing head Tony Principe says the update includes revisions to the Outlander's suspension, steering and drivetrain."Outlander will continue to offer great SUV functionality, terrific fuel economy and low running costs," he says, "but it will now be significantly quieter, more responsive and even more enjoyable to drive, making it a real stand out in the medium SUV class."The Outlander is launched locally next week.The massive Lexus spindle grille and flared fenders make the new RX hard to miss. The SUV also gets a 50mm increase in wheelbase to differentiate it from its NX stablemate, but the extra length doesn't include an anticipated third row of seats.The vehicle will be sold with both a 3.5-litre V6 and a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, each good for 221kW.The RX will have head-up display, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, heated rear seats, and optional 11.6-inch rear entertainment screens. Optional safety gear includes lane departure and blind spot warning, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.Built on the same aluminium-intensive architecture that underpins the XE and F-Type models, the XF is up to 190kg lighter than the current model.Interior upgrades are just as impressive, from head-up display to 10.2-inch infotainment setup using a quad-core Intel processor and ethernet connectivity for super-quick response. Touch and voice control abet smartphone-style apps for everything from remotely warming the car to calculating owners' arrival time at a destination.A new 2.0-litre turbo diesel will be the entry point while its supercharged petrol V6 puts out 280kW. Prices are expected to start below $80,000 when the XF arrives here early next year.The Boxster Spyder is all about driving purity, so owners will have to operate the fabric roof by hand. Based on the design and mechanicals of the Cayman GT4, this is the most powerful Boxster yet — its 276kW 3.8-litre boxer six-cylinder is lifted from the 911 Carrera and matched to a six-speed manual transmission. Porsche quotes 4.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint and fuel use of 9.9L/100km.The Spyder will arrive here in the third quarter, priced from $169,000.

Holden has given its baby Barina a much needed boost. The turbocharged Barina RS has been confirmed for Australia and is due to arrive in local showrooms next month. Price is yet to be confirmed but expect an RRP between $20,000 and $25,000. Significantly this undercuts the Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch which starts at $25,990 and the Volkswagen Polo GTI which costs $27,990. However, the Barina RS is more of a “warm hatch” powered by a comparatively small 1.4-litre turbo engine (103kW/200Nm) compared to the Ford’s 1.6 turbo (147kW/290Nm) and the VW’s turbo and supercharged 1.4 (132kW/250Nm). But it is said to still offer zippy performance in an otherwise hum-drum category. The Holden Barina RS will be sourced from South Korea along with the rest of the Australia-bound Barina range, but a US-built version has already been on sale in North America for more than a year. Sold as the Sonic in the US (made in Michigan about 50km north of Detroit, the first Chevrolet small car made in the US in 40 years) it has received mostly positive reviews from an audience that customarily does not embrace small cars. Car and Driver magazine said: “We’re not quite ready to break out the ‘super’ prefix for the Sonic, but it does appear to mark the return of the American small car. This is not the second coming of the Volkswagen GTI, but the Sonic turbo injects some serious fun in a segment that usually puts performance on the back burner.” Among the few criticisms of the car, the magazine said it had a noticeable turbo lag, or delay in power delivery, at low revs compared to other models. Motor Trend magazine said: “Buyers hoping for a high-strung, highly caffeinated Sonic will likely wish for more performance. But compare the Sonic RS to other segment players, and the sum of its parts becomes hard to match.” Even the stern Consumer Reports rated it “very good”. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

Holden has confirmed the Barina RS will be launched before the end of the year – and that the first shipment has already hit our shores for final evaluation at the Lang Lang proving grounds and out on our roads. There are no details yet on price or specification. And while the overseas model is powered by a 103kW/200Nm 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder, there are also rumours the newcomer might be getting the new 132kW/230Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four that now tops the Cruze range. Dressing it up will be a sporty body kit with a large rear spoiler, front and rear fascias and side skirts, 17-in alloy wheels and a new RS-only hero colour: Orange Rock.   The interior gets RS-badged sports seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Holden has put the Barina RS through extensive validation, and undertaken local engineering development on an electric power steering system unique to the Australian showroom. The current Barina range tops out at $20,990, so we can expect the price to be a few thousand above that, but still strategically positioned against the competition in an increasingly competitive segment. Its main rival will be the $24,990 Ford Fiesta ST, but with strong bids from the European contenders in the form of the $27,790 Volkswagen Polo GTI and $29,990 Peugeot 208 GTI. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Holden has upstaged luxury brands to be the first car maker in Australia to introduce Apple’s Siri voice control system.Not only is the Holden the first, it is also likely to be the most affordable car with the technology for some time.The system will debut in the updated version of the Holden Barina due in showrooms this month. The only catch: it is only available on the top-line Barina CDX which starts at $20,490, about $4500 more than the most basic model.In the past 12 months most car makers have expressed an intention to introduce Apple’s patented Siri voice control system to its cars.German car maker Mercedes-Benz was the first with Siri overseas but the technology isn’t due on models sold in Australia until later this year. The new Holden Commodore due in June is also expected to be Siri-ready.Technology experts point out that Apple’s Siri system works via the iPhones in any car when connected via Bluetooth. But the advantage of the integrated Holden system is that drivers can press a button on the steering wheel – rather than the phone – to activate Siri functions.“We’re very excited to be first car maker to offer Siri in Australia and to make it available on one of our most affordable models,” said Holden spokeswoman Andrea Matthews. “We hope this will enable more drivers to be less distracted behind the wheel.”This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

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.

The so-called Barina Spark starts from $12,490 for the CD and $13,990 for the CDX. The base model goes in under the forthcoming $12,990 Micra and packs more standard kit than the Indian-made Alto. But the newest Korean-built Holden comes only with a five-speed manual to drive its meagre, if game 59kW/107Nm 1.2-litre 4-cylinder engine.Although its marketeers are adamant that the take-up of manuals remains strong in the micro-budget end of the light car segment, Holden is also entirely targeting women buyers (skinny and preferably blonde ones, judging by its product presentation) who are traditionally far more given to automatics.Suzuki spokesman Andrew Ellis said that in 12 months on the market, half the Alto's buyers wanted the four speed auto version. Nissan has not bothered with a manual Micra.At least the manual helps the Spark achieve competitive fuel economy of 5.6 litres per 100km, with Co2 emissions of 128g per kilometre, earning it the Federal Government's top green star rating.But the Barina Spark is not, strictly speaking, "the" new Barina. Known elsewhere in the General Motors world simply as the Spark, Holden happily admit tacking on a Barina badge to capitalise on its strong local recognition.The replacement for the current Barina - a car Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux told Carsguide would be "bigger, sportier and aimed more at men" - arrives next year.Until then the aging current model remains on sale next to the Spark."This could be almost made for the daughters of those who are buying the VE Series II Commodore," Devereux says of the Spark, which is part of new model offensive that sees 10 new models in the next 20 months.Built for now in Korea (production will switch to South Africa), the Spark is strong in safety fixtures but yet to secure a five star crash safety rating. The lack of standard stability control in Europe sees it carry four sparklers.Here, ESC it is standard on both variants, along with ABS and six airbags, which will help its ANCAP cause.The CD has 14-inch alloys and front fog lamps. The CDX's wheels grow by an inch, IT has power windows for all four doors picks. Design quirks include hidden rear door handles and a motor cycle-like instrument cluster.Joining Barina Spark in the light-car segment late next year will be its "true" Barina sibling, based on the global Aveo small car. It is styled by Holden's Ondrej Koromhaz.In the next segment up, the global Cruze will be built here from early next year, the sedan joined by the Holden-designed Cruze hatchback late in the year.The upcoming new Captiva also shared its global debut with the Cruze hatchback concept and Barina/Aveo production car at the Paris Motor Show.Devereux told Carsguide he wanted a bigger SUV in the Holden range along the lines of Mazda's CX-9."You'll see us filling out our model range, but you won't see us vomiting cars onto the market."As to the possibility of Opel - which supplied the old and much-loved Barina and Astra - Devereux said the brand was currently going into Chile and "looking at a number of markets where a German-engineered car is desirable".

In the same week that the VEII Commodore goes public, the red lion brand has released the first official pictures of the baby that will join its local lineup next year. It also follows the Holden Cruze hatch that will go into production in Adelaide in the second half of next year and comes just ahead of a major upgrade and visual tweak for the Captiva SUV. The new Barina was first teased as a concept car at the Detroit Show in January and now the production version, designed by Holden team member Ondrej Koromhaz, is public ahead of its full-scale unveiling at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month. It goes on display wearing Chevrolet Aveo badges in its global role but Holden confirms it will be down under next year, supplied from Korea and part of a two-pronged sales attack which includes a Barina Spark. "We're not saying much yet. It's still a fair way down the track," says Holden's marketing director, Philip Brook. "Yes, it's coming to Australia. But there are a number of different scenarios and we're reviewing all that." Brook confirms the two-car attack at the bottom end of the car business that is likely to give Holden a $13,000-ish Spark price fighter to go against the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Getz with a more upmarket new Barina. "Spark gives us a very good entry point. It will come later in the year and Barina will come next year," says Brook. But he denies Holden will bare-bones either car, or sacrifice safety, to compete on price. "Safety is a high priority. We'll look at maximising that." The Barina for the Paris Show is a five-door hatch, and there will also be a four-door sedan. GM claims its global small car is one of the sportiest designs in the baby class, retaining most of the basics from the Aveo RS displayed in Detroit. It even retains the motorcycle-inspired instrument pod of the show car. The car is slightly bigger than the current Barina, mostly inside, and global work on the car includes a European-focussed driving package with a chassis that's claimed as one of the tautest in the class. But it's not known yet which suspension set-up will come to Australia. But the Barina has ESP stability control, ABS brakes and electronic power steering as standard and the list of youth-focussed entertainment gear includes USB plug-in and Bluetooth. Mechanically, equipment available on the Barina - but not set yet for Australia - includes a stop-start engine system and a six-speed automatic gearbox.