Fresh Barina on the way

HOLDEN'S Barina will undergo a midlife update later this year, when it will re-enter the increasingly frantic light car fray with a new engine, steering tweaks and styling changes both inside and out.

The 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine will receive "twin-port" technology in that it combines a variable intake manifold with a higher exhaust gas recirculation rate to use up to 13 per cent less fuel without any loss of power.

More immediately apparent, however, will be the updated Barina's new headlights, which feature individual housings for low/high beam and the indicator.

There will also be changes to Barina's interior trim fabrics and colours, while Barina's speed-sensitive electric power steering will also be modified for greater response via a tighter steering ratio.

The next all-new Barina is not expected to surface for two years and will share its all-new underpinnings with the Fiat Punto.