David Linklater.
Korean small cars get a nip and tuck. By
You might picture Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, Judy Garland and James Mason, or Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.
But the Star Is Born story is a classic. One on a rapid rise, the other in decline; they meet when those trajectories cross over. Dramatic, huh? So there’s Hollywood-themed metaphor for Holden’s Trax and Barina.
The Korean-built small cars have a lot in common, including a platform. They’ve both also just been facelifted; the Barina is on sale now, and although we’ve just driven the new Trax it doesn’t hit showrooms until February.
But their fortunes are different at the moment. The small-suv segment in which Trax competes has doubled in market share since the little Holden was launched in 2013. The light-car segment where Barina lives has been declining of late.
So like the characters of Esther and Norman in the movies, the careers of Trax and Barina have suddenly crossed over. Small SUVS have grown to 9 per cent share and light cars have shrunk to... 9 per cent. Snap.
Actual sales volumes for the Holden pair are even quite similar: 939 year-to-date for Trax and 904 for Barina.
Trax is currently holding its own in the small-suv class, fifth (but still close in volume) behind Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Mitsubishi ASX and Suzuki Vitara.
Year-to-date Barina is fourth in its segment, just behind Mazda2 and way behind the heavy-hitters of the light-car world, Toyota Yaris and Suzuki Swift.
Both Holdens are facelifts, pure and simple. Platforms and powertrains are carried over, and changes are limited to styling and equipment. Trax continues with a 103kw/200nm (6.7 l/100km) 1.4-litre turbo, although the 1.8-litre naturally aspirated lump in the entry model has now been dropped.
Barina’s 85kw/155nm (7.2 l/100km) 1.6-litre engine is carried over. There are now just two variants: you can no longer buy a turbocharged RS version.
Barina’s quirky styling cues, including those ‘naked’ headlights and the motorcycle-inspired instrument panel, have gone in favour of cleaner Gm-corporate design themes.
Both Barina and Trax have revised front and rear styling (even different grilles for different Trax models), new lights and new interiors with Mylink systems that now support Apple Carplay and Android Auto phone projection technology.
The heavily revised interiors are perhaps the most worthwhile upgrade. The outgoing Barina suffered from dowdy materials, while the Trax had pretty downmarket styling. Both cabins now have dramatically improved build quality, more interesting textures and a generally more classy ambience.
Barina badging has also been changed. Formerly CD and CDX, Barina is now available in LS and LT models, bringing it into line with Holden’s other small cars.
The entry Barina LS has gone up a wheel size to 16 inches, while the flagship LT now has passive entry and pushbutton start (that’s PEPS in Holden-speak), as well as some impressive-looking two-tone alloys.
Just as the Barina range has been rationalised, the Trax range has been expanded. The entry LS and LTZ models continue, but there’s now an LT variant in the middle.
All have rear parking radar and reversing camera.
LT has some high-end features like 18-inch alloys, PEPS and cloth/pvc upholstery, but the LTZ adds an extra information display on the instrument panel, blind-spot warning, cross-traffic alert and some visual difference in the form of turn-signal side mirrors and LED tail lights.
The Barina now has a more grown-up feel inside and out, and prices are pretty sharp: they’re unchanged at $23,990 and $25,990 for the two models. It’s a lot of car for the money, especially when there’s a six-speed automatic on offer (you can also still have an LS manual to special-order for $22,490).
But Barina is no ball of fire, either performance-wise or in the corners. Definitely nicer to the touch and still quite practical, but it doesn’t have the driver appeal of rivals like the Mazda2 and Suzuki Swift.
Trax is quietly impressive on the road, especially now that the 1.4-litre turbo engine is standard across the range. It remains a front-drive model only – Holden has never offered a 4WD version.
It’s sprightly and spacious, and new interior really will lift your mood if you’re coming out of the current model.
But then, Trax is far from cheap. Like Barina, prices are unchanged: but they start at $32,990 for the LS, run through $35,490 for the new LT version and top out at $36,990 for the LTZ.
Which is well-equipped, but when your small-suv is climbing towards $40k it makes you stop and think.
It’s been a year of Korean upkeep for Holden NZ. It started 2016 with the launch of the all-new Spark, spruced up Captiva and has ended with this brace of facelifted small cars.
Expect some Euro-action in 2017: Holden’s first release of the year will be the all-new Astra.