New look but where’s the RS?
and had the TK Barina fitted with a stronger B-pillar and side impact airbags in 2008. These lifted the crash test score from two stars to four, and the sales of the car began to gain more traction.
Barina’s big turning point then took place two years later, when the covers came off its Chevrolet Sonic namesake at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The new Sonicbased, TM-generation Barina debuted GM’s new Gamma II compact car platform, and had radical design, penned by Holden designer Onyrei Koromhaz, a lover of motorcycles. Twowheelers inspired the exposed headlights and compact instrument binnacle of the TM, and there was even a sporty turbocharged hero model included in the range, the RS.
Barinas certainly weren’t boring anymore. Nor were they crash test dunces any longer, as a huge increase in safety equipment and body rigidity added the coveted final star to the score.
It’s worth mentioning the entire star-crossed journey of the Barina nameplate because of the more important role the compact Holden will play in the fortunes of the Lion brand as it transitions to its new life, post-Commodore. While recently launching the coming campaign of former V8 Supercars star, Greg Murphy, in the 2017 New Zealand Rally Championship with Barina, Holden NZ boss Kristian Aquilina drew parallels to what is about to happen in Holden showrooms as the curtain falls on Commodore production. It was clear that the Kiwi rally campaign will continue to reinforce Holden’s connection to motorsport, and polish up the sporty image of the Barinas on sale in this country.
Some of this is at odds with the recent upgrade given to the TM Barina. For Koromhaz’s bike bits have gone, binned along with the RS model. In come more conventional headlights, with the dual party-tricks of daytime LED running lights and automatic activation at night for this rangetopping LT model.
Squint really, really hard, and you might notice that the sportylooking faux-vents that hold the fog-lights resemble those of the Camaro muscle car sold in the US. The new tail-lights also have a visual connection to the hunky stateside V8 albeit in their vertical, rather than horizontal, layout.
Inside is where the TM Barina has changed most.
The motorcycle-like clocks have been replaced by a more conventional yet more legible instrument binnacle, there’s a new screen to access the increased connectivity of the Barina, and a reversing camera
and rear sensors make parking easier. As an LT, this Barina gets dressed with faux-leather trim, dual-toned 17-inch alloy wheels, proximity locking, and cellphone interfaces like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
However, I wouldn’t be in any rush to trade in an RS if I owned one.
The 85kW 1.6 four-cylinder engine might possess plenty of capacity in its cylinders but it doesn’t deploy these generous calibres to any great effect.
Try hard, and you might get the six-speed automatic to accelerate the car from rest to 100kmh in less than 13 seconds.
A modest maximum of 155Nm of driving force, and the car’s hefty 1250kg of mass, are the main culprits for the way the Barina can’t quite live up to the sporty promise of the exterior design.
Same goes for corners. The wide 205/50ZR17 Continental PremiumContact2 radials offer suction-like grip, but the Barina’s suspension isn’t quite as adept at keeping them in contact with road in bumpy bends. Steering too, is delightfully light when parking, but the assistance is a little too eager when driving at open road speeds.
Holden’s MY2017 Barina makeover does offer more kit and more driving convenience for the same prices as the 2016 model range.
But it could be argued that the previous version had more character and verve, especially if there was an RS badge on the back.