Holden lands booted Barina

GM HOLDEN has slipped the sedan version of its all-new Barina into showrooms without fanfare, today announcing a $16,490 starting price (plus on-road costs) that is $200 higher than before.

The redesigned TM-series Barina five-door hatchback was released in November, priced at $15,990 plus ORCs (up from its predecessor’s $14,790, or special introductory price of $16,990 drive-away), over which the new four-door sedan version now commands a $500 premium.

Run-out stocks of Holden’s superseded Daewoo Kalos-based TK Barina, sedan and hatch versions of which carry the same base price of $16,290 plus ORCs, continue to be available, dubbed as ‘Classic’ models.

While the cheaper sixth-generation Barina hatch remains priced $3500 higher than Holden’s smaller – but also Korean-sourced - MJ-series four-seater Spark sub-light hatch (from $12,490 plus ORCs), the pricier new Barina sedan still undercuts light sedans including Ford’s Fiesta and Honda’s City (both priced from $18,990).

Next month Kia will release a replacement for its Rio sedan, which is currently priced from $16,840, while Toyota is yet to release a sedan version of the new Yaris hatch it launched in October. The old Yaris sedan continues to be available from $18,190, while the only other light sedan – the Mazda2 – is no longer available.

Like the hatch, the new Barina sedan is powered by an 85kW 1.6-litre DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder petrol engine, matched with both five-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions, the latter adding $2000 to the price.

It also comes with the same maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, thanks in part to the standard fitment of electronic stability and traction control, ABS brakes, six airbags (including twin front, front-side and side curtain airbags), dual front seatbelt pretensioners and reminders, five head restraints and collapsible pedals.

Other standard equipment shared with the hatch includes 15-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, USB input and iPod connectivity, steering wheel controls, cruise control and ‘follow me home’ headlights.

However, the sedan adds more cargo space than its hatch sibling underneath a compact bootlid that provides access to some 502 litres of storage room. Holden says that is one of the biggest boots in the light segment, in which it is bettered only by the Jazz-based City (506 litres).

In fact, the new Barina’s boot also eclipses those of Holden’s own larger sedans - the Cruze (445 litres) and even the Commodore sedan (496).

The current Yaris set a new light sedan boot benchmark of 475 litres when it was launched in 2006, swallowing more cargo than the Echo it replaced (464) and even the VZ Commodore of the day (465).

But the Barina steps ahead of them all with a boot that is more than a 100 litres bigger than in the model it replaces (400) and just two litres short of the Ford Falcon’s (504).

However, unlike most cars in its class, the new Barina does not come with a full-size - or even a space-saver - wheel/tyre as standard. Instead it offers a fiddly inflator kit.

“The Barina hatch has been a great success for Holden since it launched in November last year, recording very strong sales,” said Holden’s executive director for sales, marketing and aftersales, John Elsworth.

“Now the addition of the sedan variant adds a new dimension of practicality and flexibility to the Barina range. Offering 502 litres of boot space, while maintaining the excellent driving characteristics, style and standard equipment of the hatch, I'm sure the sedan will continue to build on the Barina’s popularity.”

Holden Barina pricing(before on-roads):
Barina Hatch&nbsp	$15,990
Barina Hatch (a)	$17,990
BarinaSedan	$16,490
BarinaSedan (a)	$18,490