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The Holden Barina is an , Opel Corsa , and Daewoo Kalos . FIRST GENERATION (1985-1988) The first generation MB Barina was launched in 1985 as a badge-engineered version of the Suzuki Swift , which was offered as a five-door Hatchback . In the first year of production a Road Runner special model was offered complete with decals showing the Warner Bros. Cartoon character. The high-profile marketing campaign featured the slogan ''Beep beep Barina'', a catchphrase that remains in the consciousness of many Australians in the present. The mildy facelifted ML Barina was released in September 1986. SECOND GENERATION (1988-1994) , which introduced a new ‘aero’ styled body.]] The second-generation MF Barina was a badge engineered version of the Suzuki Swift Mk2. A three-door hatchback was first released in 1988, and was followed by the introduction of a five-door hatchback in 1990. A facelifted MH Barina was released in October 1991. THIRD GENERATION (1994-2001) B.]] The third generation SB Barina was based on the Opel Corsa B and imported from Spain . It was released in 1994 and was offered as a three- or five-door Hatchback . Engine choices comprised of either a 1.2 or 1.4 litre four-cylinder engine. A 1.6 litre engine was also offered for the sporty range topping GSi. The second generation was available in the following models:
In 2001, Holden issued a voluntary recall of all Barina SB models, built between 1994 and 2001. This was due to a faulty seatbelt mounting on front bucket seats. FOURTH GENERATION (2001-2005) The fourth generation XC Barina was released in April 2001, based on the Opel Corsa C . It was available in Barina 3 Door and Barina 5 Door models with a 1.4 litre 16-valve engine. In September of that year a GSi model with a new 1.8 litre engine joined the line-up. The Barina was awarded the '' Wheels Car Of The Year '' award for 2001. In 2003 a decision by Peter Hanenberger's (Holden's then managing director) led to the importation of higher spec SXi three-door and the CD five-door models, to boost sales. The SRi remained unchanged. These newer models did not provide a boost to sales in the face of increasing pricing competition in the market. In 2004 the 1.4 litre models were downgraded, reverting back to their original Barina 3 Door and Barina 5 Door model names. FIFTH GENERATION (2005-PRESENT) / Chevrolet Aveo .]] In December 2005 Holden dropped the Opel-sourced Barina and rebadged the Daewoo Kalos 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 variation. The decision was made to ensure Holden remains highly competitive in the fast-growing small car market in Australia, facing competition from other superior South Korea n-sourced models like the Hyundai Getz . The Opel Barina imported to Australia sold at a loss and was sold to build up a presence in the entry-level new car market. {Link without Title} Holden's decision to bring the Daewoo-sourced Barina to Australia caused some negative publicity. In spite of on-going negative publicity, the Barina TK continues to sell well perhaps because of its low price. The Holden Barina was sold at AU$12,990 for a base model car, which was later changed to AU$13,490, due to high demand. In 2007 the Barina sales are down compared to the previous years. SAFETY In Australia, 1986-88 and 1989-99 Holden Barinas were assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "significantly worse than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash. The Barina SB was assessed as providing "worse than average" protection, and the Barina XC as providing an "average" level of protection, with 4 out of 5 stars. [http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/vehicles/ancap/sm-2001-2/holden-barina-city.html Criticism was focused on the Barina TK, which achieved 2 out of 5 stars in the Australian New Car Assessment Program crash test results, one of the worst in history. As a result, the Managing Director of Holden was forced to publicly defend his product. [http://www.caradvice.com.au/250/holden-barina-2006-poor-safety-slows-sales/ Holden has gone on the record stating that "safety is not a concern in this segment and sales have proven this, therefore we will not be importing the Opel Barina" as quoted by Holden marketing executive Jason Laird. In late 2006, Holden were rumoured to be considering alternative options for the Barina. {Link without Title} Footage of the Barina TK's frontal offset crash test can be seen on YouTube . EXTERNAL LINKS Official sites: Unofficial sites: |
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