IT’S SHREWD business sense to reduce costs by importing a vehicle from a cheaper source in order to compete against rivals who specialise in low, low pricing. And here the new TK Barina scores a king-hit: $12,990 with air, two airbags, three rear head restraints and five lap-sash seatbelts – all with the reputation and back-up of Holden. But is the company short-changing Australian consumers who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, or will the South Korean-built 2006 Barina from Daewoo end up as a landmark light car by virtue of its sheer accessibility? With the controversy that’s likely to rage, the fact the baby Holden is perfectly adequate almost seems to not to matter.
Holden XC Barina
Released: Feb 2001
Ended: Nov 2005
Family Tree: BarinaReplacing a car renowned for its low quality and dud dynamics, the Opel-sourced 2001 XC Barina made good with high levels of comfort, refinement, value and driveability. Available in three or five-door hatchback guises, it felt like a TS Astra, only smaller. Power came courtesy of a 66kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder tied to a four-speed auto or five-speed manual. Fluctuating currencies meant that Holden had trouble keeping the XC prices competitive against ever-improving cheapies like Hyundai’s Getz.
Super Test
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