Holden Barina Hatchback Car Review
09-December-2011
- Vital Stats
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$15,990 - $17,990
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Petrol
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Average hatch size
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3
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Review by Georgia Bartlett.
The 2012 T300 Holden Barina Hatchback has come a long way from the original beep-beep Barina of 1985!
The new sixth-generation five-seat model, which is designed by Holden Australia's Ondrej Koromhaz, and manufactured in Korea, is a fun little car - it's neat, sporty looking, has a wide stance, cool concealed rear door handles, and sleek lines.
Available from November 2011, it comes in a standard five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with Active Select. The manual starts at $15,990, while the automatic debuts at $17,990.
Style & drive
After driving a few higher-end cars over the past few weeks, I will admit that the T300 felt a little rough around the edges when I first slid into the driver's seat and navigated my way off the Holden lot. It was a little noisy, I could really feel the gear changes, and it felt small. After a few minutes though, I had adjusted to the gears, and was already warming to the cute little hatchback. The interior was surprisingly roomy compared to how compact the car looked from the outside, and the interior design was simple and user-friendly, with a motorcycle-inspired instrument panel and a giant, easy-to-read digital speedometer. Seriously, no one has any excuse for speeding with that thing... you can see it from space!
Justifying its price increase from the fifth-generation model, the T300 comes standard with Bluetooth and Bluetooth audio streaming, USB input and iPod connectivity, steering wheel controls, cruise control and "follow me home" headlamps. The bi-level glovebox has two concealed storage areas complete with USB and auxiliary outlets for an MP3 player cable.
10-spoke 15" alloy wheels and a rear spoiler add to the Barina's sporty appearance. Space-wise, 60/40 split fold rear seats fold flat to give the Barina a roomy and flexible cargo space. The car has 290 litres of space with the rear seats up, and 653 litres with the seats folded fully flat. The car's aesthetically pleasing concealed rear door handles did manage to foil one of my passengers who took a while to figure out how to open the door!
Safety
The new Barina hatch was awarded a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, and boasts a long list of standard safety features making it one of the safest small cars in the market. Safety features include driver, front passenger, front side and curtain airbags, dual front seatbelt pretensioners, front seatbelt reminders, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Brake Assist System (BAS), a collapsible pedal release system and head restraints for all seats.
Eco
Fuel consumption:
Manual: 6.8L/100km; Auto: 7.3L/100km.
CO2 emission:
Manual: 162g/km; Auto: 174g/km.
Servicing
Servicing is at 3000km (no cost inspection). First Major Service at 15,000km, and then every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first.
Describe the car in 3 words
Compact, sporty, affordable.
What are the best things about this car?
It's easy to drive, doesn't feel tinny like some small cars, and looks pretty good too.
What are the downsides of this car?
For how small the car is, it isn't quite as easy to park as you might think.
What kind of petrol does it use?
Regular petrol.
Liked it?
Yes. For getting you from A to B, it's a perfect little runabout car.
If personified, who would this car be?
Selena Gomez.
