2017 Holden Barina LT review

The light car segment is more competitive than it's ever been in Australia, and buyers get more value for money than they ever have. The Barina has its work cut out.

Now more than ever, the crowded micro car segment is a battleground for manufacturers and now more than ever, those same micro cars are more comprehensively equipped and more compelling value for money than they’ve ever been.

The updated 2017 Holden Barina has some work to do then to win over the hearts and minds of Australian buyers looking for a value for money city car.

VFACTS calls this segment ‘Micro And Light Passenger’ cars and it’s crowded with interesting, sometimes quirky, but often viable alternatives to the more well known options.

The Barina as tested here, sits above the cheaper Barina Spark, and the segment also includes Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz, Hyundai Accent, Mazda 2, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Micra, Peugeot 208, Skoda Fabia Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Polo.

We’ve tested the six-speed automatic LT model here, with pricing that starts from $20,390 before on-road costs. Ours only has optional paint – Nitrate Silver – costing $550.

The manual LS variant is significantly cheaper, starting from $14,990 before drive away costs are added, while there’s also an LS automatic available starting from $17,190. All three grades are powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine, with the five-speed manual standard on the base model. The automatic transmission is optional on the base LS and standard on the LT.

Changes for this facelifted model are minor, and include a redesigned front end, updated rear end and an upgraded interior. While the exterior changes ensure it looks appealing in this crowded segment – especially the 17-inch alloy wheels that the LT sports – it’s inside the cabin where much-needed changes have been made.

All Barinas now come equipped with Holden’s 7.0-inch MyLink infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with six airbags, auto headlights, rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and cruise control.

Outside there are LED daytime-running lights and fog lights. Our LT gets the aforementioned 17-inch wheels, leather trim for the steering wheel, ‘Sportec’ leatherette seat trim (which isn’t great in the heat of an Aussie summer), heated front seats and keyless entry and start.

Under the bonnet, there’s a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, which kicks out 85kW at 6000rpm and 155Nm at 4000rpm. Against the ADR claim of 7.2L/100km, our Barina LT returned an indicated 9.5L/100km during our week behind the wheel. A lot of that time was spent working our way through heavy traffic too, so expect that number to drop if you spend more time on the move than going nowhere.

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