The Holden Barina is a

subcompact Subcompact car is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car. It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications. According to the U.S. Environmental Prot ...

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

sold between 1985 and 2018 by

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus,

Opel Corsa The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chev ...

, and

Daewoo Kalos Daewoo ( ; Hangul: , Hanja: , ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "dae" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomera ...

. Barina is an Australian aboriginal word meaning "summit".

First generation (MB, ML; 1985–1988)

The first generation MB Barina was launched on 12 February 1985 as a badge-engineered Suzuki Cultus as a five-door

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

. In the first year of production a " Roadrunner Pack" special model was offered complete with decals showing the

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

character. A high-profile marketing campaign featured the slogan ''Beep beep Barina'', a catchphrase that remains in the consciousness of many Australians in the present. The facelifted ML series was released in September 1986, this included a coil sprung rear end replacing the leaf springs of the MB, a revised dashboard, headlights, tailgate and lights, and front grille. In the Used Car Safety Ratings undertaken by the

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...

Accident Research Centre, published in 2008, found that the first generation Barina provides a "significantly worse than average" level of occupant safety protection in the event of an

accident An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researcher ...

. In New Zealand, the Barina (also sold as the "Suzuki Swift") was assembled by GMNZ from 1985 until 1989. At least for the ML series, a three-door version was also offered in NZ. From 1986 to 1989, a Holden Barina GTi model was also sold, being a rebadged Suzuki Swift GTi (see Suzuki Cultus). This vehicle used the G13B engine. General Motors sold this car in other markets as well. In the United States, it was badged as the

Chevrolet Sprint The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki from 1983 to 2016. The nameplate is currently used as a rebadged second-generation Suzuki Celerio in Pakistan since 2017. It was first presented at the 25th Tok ...

Second generation (MF, MH; 1989–1994)

The second-generation MF Barina was a rebadged second generation Suzuki Cultus, co-developed with GM using the

GM M platform The GM M platform was the designation used by General Motors for the platform that underpinned the first, second and third generation Suzuki Cultus and its offspring. The first generation of this platform had been designed by Suzuki for their ...

and marketed worldwide under nearly a dozen nameplates, prominently as the

Suzuki Swift The is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by Suzuki. The vehicle is classified as a B-segment marque in the European single market, a segment referred to as a supermini in the British Isles. Prior to this, the "Swift" nameplate had been app ...

Pontiac Firefly The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki from 1983 to 2016. The nameplate is currently used as a rebadged second-generation Suzuki Celerio in Pakistan since 2017. It was first presented at the 25th To ...

(Canada) and

Geo Metro The Geo Metro is a marketing and manufacturing variation of the Suzuki Cultus available in North America from 1989 through 2001 as a joint effort of General Motors (GM) and Suzuki. In the US, the Metro carried a Geo nameplate from 1989 through ...

(Chevrolet's sub-model in the USA). A five-door hatchback was first released in January 1989, and was followed by the introduction of a three-door "GS" hatchback in September 1990. An ordering mix-up meant that (right hand drive) NZ versions – now imported assembled from Japan – received the North American Geo tail lamp cluster with red flashing direction indicators rather than the Suzuki style cluster with amber flasher sent to Australia. Luckily for GM NZ, NZ law still allowed amber or red so the red lenses remained for the entire MH series run. The equivalent Suzuki had the amber lenses. The MH Barina, which was released in September 1991, featured an improved interior, upgraded suspension, new front and rear bumpers and revised tail-lamp clusters. Like the previous generation, the second generation Barina provides a "worse than average" level of safety according to the 2008 Used Car Safety Ratings.

Third generation (SB; 1994–2000)

The third generation SB Barina was based on the

Opel Corsa B The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrolet ...

and imported from Spain. It was released in April 1994 and was offered as a three- or five-door

. Engine choices were a 1.2 and 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine. A 1.6-litre engine was also offered for the sporty range topping GSi. The third generation Barina was available in the following models: ;Pre-facelift * 1.2-litre '' C12NZ'' – City 3-door (1994–1997) * 1.4-litre ''

C14NZ The Family 1 is a Inline-four engine, straight-four piston engine that was developed by Opel, a former subsidiary of General Motors and now a subsidiary of PSA Group, to replace the Opel cam-in-head engines for use on mid-range cars from Opel/Va ...

'' – City 3-door (1996–1997) * 1.4-litre ''

'' – Joy 3-door (1994–1995) * 1.4-litre ''

'' – Swing 5-door (1994–1997) * 1.4-litre ''

'' – Grand Prix 5-door (1996–1997) – special edition * 1.6-litre '' C16XE'' – GSi 3-door (1994–1995) * 1.6-litre '' X16XE'' – GSi 3-door (early 1995–1997) File:1996-1997 Holden Barina (SB) City 3-door hatchback (2011-08-17) 01.jpg, alt=, 1996-1997 Holden Barina (SB) City 3-door hatchback (pre-facelift) File:1996-1997 Holden Barina (SB) City 3-door hatchback (2011-08-17) 02.jpg, alt=, 1996-1997 Holden Barina (SB) City 3-door hatchback (pre-facelift) File:1995-1997 Holden Barina (SB) Swing 5-door hatchback (19669722092) (cropped).jpg, alt=, 1995-1997 Holden Barina (SB) Swing 5-door hatchback (pre-facelift) File:1994-1995 Holden Barina (SB) Swing 5-door hatchback (17118879980) (cropped).jpg, alt=, 1995-1997 Holden Barina (SB) Swing 5-door hatchback (pre-facelift) ;Post-facelift * 1.4-litre '' C14SE'' – City 3-door (1997–2000) * 1.4-litre '' C14SE'' – Olympic City 3-door (1999–2000) – special edition * 1.4-litre '' C14SE'' – Swing 5-door (1997–2000) * 1.4-litre '' C14SE'' – Olympic Swing 5-door (1999–2000) – special edition * 1.4-litre '' C14SE'' – Lambada 5-door (1997) – special edition * 1.4-litre '' C14SE'' – Cabrio 3-door (1997–2000) * 1.6-litre '' X16SE'' – GSi 3-door (1997–1999) File:1999 Holden Barina (SB) City 3-door hatchback (2015-06-18) 01.jpg, alt=, Holden Barina (SB) 3-door hatchback (facelift) File:1999 Holden Barina (SB) City Olympic Edition 3-door hatchback (2015-06-15) 02 (cropped).jpg, alt=, Holden Barina (SB) 3-door hatchback (facelift) File:1998 Holden Barina (SB) Cabrio convertible (22311990821) (cropped).jpg, alt=, 1998 Holden Barina (SB) Cabrio convertible (facelift) File:1998 Holden Barina (SB) Cabrio convertible (21680377273).jpg, alt=, 1998 Holden Barina (SB) Cabrio convertible (facelift) In August 1997 there was an update featuring multipoint fuel injection across the range and suspension upgrades to improve ride and handling. These models can be identified by their half body coloured bumpers, three-bar grille, and updated trim and badging. During 1997, Holden released the special edition Lambada. Limited to 500 cars, the Lambada 3-door hatchback added a sunroof, 14 inch alloys, body coloured bumpers, and power steering over the City it was based on. Holden offered the choice of Casablanca White, Atlantis Blue, and Mint Green. From November 1997 until late 2000, Holden sold the Barina Cabrio soft top

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

. Based on the Barina City three-door hatchback, the soft top version was built in Spain like the rest of the SB series lineup. However, once imported into Australia, Holden organised for the conversion into cabriolets at

Clayton, Victoria Clayton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District,Holden Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...

(HSV). Separately in mainland Europe, the same concept was sold from 1995 as the Opel Corsa Twister, converted by R&R Kupfer in the Dutch city of

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...

. A small number were exported to the United Kingdom between 1998 and 1999 for sale with Vauxhall Corsa branding. The final cars were built in 2000, but sales continued into 2001 until the XC model arrived. In the 2008 Used Car Safety Ratings, the SB Barina was assessed as providing an "average" protection.

Fourth generation (XC; 2001–2005)

The fourth-generation XC Barina was released in April 2001, based on the

Opel Corsa C The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevr ...

platform. It was available to the Australian market in Barina 3 Door and Barina 5 Door models with a Z14XE 1.4-litre 16-valve engine. In September of that year an SRi model with a new Z18XE 1.8-litre engine and the 3-door 1.4-litre SXi joined the line-up. The Barina was awarded the ''

Wheels Car of the Year ''Wheels'' Car of the Year (commonly abbreviated to COTY) is an annual automotive ''Car of the Year'' award presented by ''Wheels'' magazine. The publisher claims that it is the world's oldest continuous motoring award of its kind. The award is gi ...

'' award for 2001. Limited edition Equipe models were released in April 2002. In January 2003 for the MY03 update, the SXi three-door and CD five-door models replaced the base 1.4-litre cars, but slower sales prompted Holden to revert to the unbadged base model names again from mid-2004 (MY04.5), despite a facelift from January 2004 (MY04) that saw a new nose treatment, some steering and suspension modifications, trim changes and a heavily revised 1.4-litre engine in manual-only base model Barinas. In the 2008 Used Car Safety Ratings the XC Barina was rated as providing a "better than average" level of occupant protection in the event of an accident, with

ANCAP ANCAP may refer to: * ANCAP (commodity standard), based on ammonium nitrate, copper, aluminum and plywood * Australasian New Car Assessment Program * ANCAP (Uruguay) ANCAP (Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland, Engl ...

rating the model four out of five stars. ;Pre-facelift * 1.4-litre '' Z14XE'' – "base" 3-door (2001–2002) * 1.4-litre '' Z14XE'' – "base" 5-door (2001–2002) * 1.4-litre '' Z14XE'' – Equipe 3-door (2002) * 1.4-litre '' Z14XE'' – Equipe 5-door (2002) * 1.4-litre '' Z14XE'' – SXi 3-door (2003; MY03) * 1.4-litre '' Z14XE'' – CD 5-door (2003; MY03) * 1.8-litre ''

Z18XE The Family 1 is a straight-four piston engine that was developed by Opel, a former subsidiary of General Motors and now a subsidiary of PSA Group, to replace the Opel cam-in-head engines for use on mid-range cars from Opel/ Vauxhall. Origi ...

'' – SRi 3-door (2001–2003) File:2003 Holden Barina (XC MY03) SXi 3-door hatchback (2015-05-29).jpg, 2003 Holden Barina 3-door (XC; pre-facelift) File:2003 Holden Barina (XC MY03) SRi 3-door hatchback (2016-01-04) 01.jpg, Holden Barina SRi 3-door (XC; pre-facelift) File:2003 Holden Barina (XC MY03) SRi 3-door hatchback (2016-01-04) 02.jpg, Holden Barina SRi 3-door (XC; pre-facelift) File:2001 Holden Barina (XC) 5-door hatchback (2015-07-03) 02.jpg, Holden Barina 5 door (XC; pre-facelift) ;Post-facelift * 1.4-litre ''

Z14XEP The Family 0 is a family of inline piston engines that was developed by Opel, at the time a subsidiary of General Motors, as a low-displacement engine for use on entry-level subcompact cars from Opel/Vauxhall. These engines feature a light-w ...

'' – SXi 3-door (2004; MY04) * 1.4-litre ''

'' – CD 5-door (2004; MY04) * 1.4-litre ''

'' – "base" 3-door (2004–2005; MY04.5 and MY05) * 1.4-litre ''

'' – "base" 5-door (2004–2005; MY04.5 and MY05) * 1.8-litre ''

'' – SRi 3-door (2004–2005) File:2004 Holden Barina (XC MY04) SXi 3-door hatchback (2010-06-17) 01.jpg, 2004 Holden Barina (XC MY04) SXi 3-door File:2004 Holden Barina (XC MY04) SXi 3-door hatchback (2010-06-17) 02.jpg, 2004 Holden Barina (XC MY04) SXi 3-door File:2005 Holden Barina (XC MY05) 5-door hatchback (2005-05-14) 04.jpg, Interior

Fifth generation (TK; 2005–2011)

In December 2005, Holden dropped the Opel-sourced Barina and rebadged the

hatchback as the fifth generation TK Barina. In February 2006, a four-door sedan went on sale, the first sedan type for the Barina nameplate. It is also equipped with a 1.6-litre twin-cam 16-valve ''F16D3'' Daewoo inline-four engine. The decision to use the Daewoo Kalos as a basis for the car was made to ensure Holden remained highly competitive in the fast-growing small car market in Australia, facing fierce competition from other South Korean-sourced models like the

Hyundai Getz The Hyundai Getz is a supermini manufactured and marketed by Hyundai from 2002 to 2011 in three and five-door hatchback body styles over a single generation — and marketed globally except in the United States, Canada and China. The Getz ...

. The Opel-sourced model sold at a large loss and was sold to build up a presence in the entry-level new car market in Australia. The Holden Barina was sold in single specification, starting at A$12,990 for the 3-door, which was later changed to A$13,490. The Daewoo-sourced Holden Barina scored a lower two out of five star

rating than its European-built, Opel-based predecessor. Criticism was focused on the 2006 Barina TK sedan because of these crash test results, one of the worst in recorded history. As a result,

Denny Mooney Dennis M. "Denny" Mooney (born 1956 in the United States) is a former General Motors (GM) executive. Mooney joined GM in 1978, and held positions such as head of the Buick-Cadillac-Oldsmobile N-car chassis development team, and executive director f ...

, the managing director of Holden, was forced to publicly defend the perceived poor reputation of the TK Barina.

Pre-facelift

File:2006 Holden Barina (TK) 3-door hatchback (2010-09-23).jpg, alt=, 2006 Holden Barina (TK) 3-door hatchback (pre-facelift) File:2006 Holden Barina (TK) sedan (14338742103) (cropped).jpg, alt=, 2006 Holden Barina (TK) sedan (pre-facelift)

Facelift

The updated TK Barina hatchback was released in August 2008. It has been facelifted with a bolder grille, new headlamps and tail lamps, along with the same interior seen on the sedan model introduced in 2006. Power windows and electric mirrors were standardised in the updated Barina's specification. Safety-wise, side-impact air bags have been included as standard fitment. As a result of this, and structural improvements including a high-strength steel reinforced

B-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door stat ...

rated the car four out of five stars, up from two. Common issues with the TK throughout the model run were Holden's use of an unusual all-plastic thermostat housing design on the engine, which could fail and split apart due to repeated stress and heat cycles. The ABS system is known for electrical faults and failure of the ABS system to operate if the warning light illuminates. Front tire wear was high in the early 2006 models due to factory suspension camber settings, which were revised by 2008. Automatic transmission TK cars were also the subject of a recall due to internal shift solenoids not allowing the car to shift higher than 3rd gear. File:2008-2010 Holden Barina (TK) 3-door hatchback (2018-10-08) 01.jpg, 2008-2010 Holden Barina (TK) 3-door hatchback (facelift) File:2008-2010 Holden Barina (TK) 3-door hatchback (2018-10-08) 02.jpg, 2008-2010 Holden Barina (TK) 3-door hatchback (facelift)

Sixth generation (TM; 2011–2018)

The sixth generation TM series Barina debuted at the 2011

Australian International Motor Show The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Melbo ...

held in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. The 5 door hatch was released for sale in November 2011 and the sedan was launched in February 2012. The TM Barina has a similar interior design seen on the smaller Barina Spark both sharing the same ice blue LCD gauge cluster and a similar centre stack design. The exterior looks much more like the Series II

Holden Captiva The Holden Captiva is a crossover SUV that was produced from 2006 to 2018 by GM Korea (previously known as Daewoo). The car was sold in Australia and New Zealand under the Holden brand and derives from either the Chevrolet Captiva or Opel Antar ...

with similar headlight and grille designs. The TM series is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a choice of a five-speed or 6-speed manual as well as a six-speed automatic transmission. The TM Barina is based on the second generation

Chevrolet Aveo The Chevrolet Aveo ( ) is a subcompact car (B-segment) marketed by General Motors since 2002. Originally marketed as the Daewoo Kalos, takeover of Daewoo Motors by General Motors (GM) also saw the car being marketed under seven brands (Chevrolet, ...

. In 2015, a limited run Barina X was introduced, based on the CD model (base). Only 700 of them were produced for the Australian market. The Barina was given a facelift in November 2016, with design updates given to the interior and exterior. The RS and Sedan models were dropped as part of the facelift. On 14 September 2018, Holden announced that the Barina will be dropped from the line-up. ;Pre-facelift * 1.6-litre " F1III" - CD 5-door (2011-2016) * 1.6-litre " F1III" - CD 4-door (2012-2016) * 1.6-litre " F1III" - CDX 5-door (2012-2016) * 1.6-litre " F1III" - CDX 4-door (2012-2016) * 1.4-litre " LUV" - RS 5-door (2013-2016) File:2015 Holden Barina (TM MY15) X Special Edition hatchback (2018-09-17) 01.jpg, Holden Barina X (pre-facelift) File:2015 Holden Barina (TM MY15) X Special Edition hatchback (2018-09-17) 02.jpg, Holden Barina X (pre-facelift) File:2012-2015 Holden Barina (TM) CD sedan (2017-01-22) 02.jpg, Holden Barina sedan (pre-facelift) ;Post-facelift * 1.6-litre " F1III" - LS 5-door (2016-2018) * 1.6-litre " F1III" - LT 5-door (2016-2018) File:2018 Holden Barina (TM MY18) LS hatchback (2018-03-20) 01.jpg, 2018 Holden Barina (TM) LS hatchback (facelift) File:2018 Holden Barina (TM MY18) LS hatchback (2018-10-22) 02.jpg, 2018 Holden Barina (TM) LS hatchback (facelift)

References

{{Holden timeline Barina Hatchbacks Subcompact cars Cars introduced in 1985 1990s cars 2000s cars 2010s cars OEM Suzuki vehicles ANCAP superminis