Baby range bulks up

Holden has high hopes for its latest Barina.

Holden reckons it will shift the balance in New Zealand's small car market with its new Barina, which it has priced at under $17,000 including air-conditioning as standard.

The carmaker says the TK Barina three-door and five-door hatchbacks offer more space and power than their predecessors.

The Barina range, like the new Viva line-up, is being built at the GM Daewoo factory in South Korea and will go on sale here in the New Year.

The three-door manual will cost $16,990, the automatic $18,590. The five-door manual is $18,990 and the automatic $20,590.

"Holden's sharp pricing will make the new Barinas the most affordable and powerful cars in their category," says Holden NZ managing director Bryan Mynott.

"They will deliver an array of standard features such as driver and front passenger airbags, air-conditioning, power steering, MP3-compatible sound system with CD player and steering wheel-mounted audio controls."

Mynott said the TK Barina would help Holden to redefine how it approached the four-cylinder market in New Zealand. "The new Barina delivers everything New Zealanders have come to expect from the Barina name since its introduction from Japan in 1985," he said.

"Twenty years on, Barina will represent exactly the same concept as the original - style, outstanding value and choice."

The 1.6-litre engine produces 77kW (103bhp) at 6000 rpm and 145Nm of torque at 3000rpm and is mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

Holden says the engine complies with Euro 4 emissions standards and returns 6.9 litres/100km (manual transmission) and 7.8 litres/100km (automatic transmission).

The three-door and five-door hatchbacks are longer, wider and taller than the previous XC series, says Holden.

Safety equipment includes dual front airbags, height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners, and three rear seat child restraint anchorages.

But, again like the Viva, four-channel anti-lock ABS brakes - pretty much an industry standard these days - are a $1000 option.