Holden Barina Spark (Auto) first drive

[from oz]

Holden Barina Spark Review


By Daniel DeGasperi | November 29th, 2012



The headlines say Australians are deserting large cars like the Commodore, but they’ve also forgotten ultra-cheap hatchbacks like the Holden Barina Spark.

Despite a $12,490 entry sticker a full $3500 less than the Barina proper, the larger Holden hatch outsells its Barina Spark sibling by 10 to one.

Before it’s claimed that a lack of automatic transmission availability has affected popularity, the Barina Spark’s 1168 sales to October 2012 compares poorly with its also-manual-only Daewoo Matiz successor, which recorded 3148 sales in the first 10 months of the year 2000.

Even Daihatsu managed to shift 2038 Sirions to the month after the Sydney Olympics, and both numbers were recorded despite the market being substantially larger twelve years later…

Sales trivia aside, buyer tastes are clearly changing for the better, because until the arrival of the Volkswagen Up, the sub-light class has been evolving at turtoise pace – incremental improvements from a low base of ability.

The Spark – called Barina only to leverage badge cache – is now available with an automatic transmission, for the first time since its launch two years ago.

However, the Holden Barina Spark utilises a four-speed automatic, the same number of ratios eventually provided as an option in the Matiz a decade ago. Holden charges $2000 extra for the auto-shifter, the single-spec $14,490 CD priced $500 less than the Nissan Micra ST auto but $1200 more than the Suzuki Alto GL auto. Neither the (awful) Chery J1 or (brilliant) Up are available with an auto, though.

Continued here

[from oz]

It should be noted that in the days of the old Matiz and Charade there were less micro car competitors. However those were also the days of the Hyundai Excel and cheap petrol so market forces should really be in the Sparks favour.

[VS Ute 5Litre]

They just can't help themselves can they

I think they mentioned "Daewoo" and "Korea" at least 3 times in that article

[from oz]

Once talking about the Matiz and once saying this used to be badged a Daewoo in it's home market of Korea. If you read Hyundai and Kia articles they also mention that they're built in Korea, and also note where other vehicles are built.

Having actually been badged as a Daewoo overseas when it launched, and with Epica defunct, Barina and Malibu developed by GM, and Cruze built here, it is the Holden brand’s final connection to the ill-fated Korean brand.

Gee I would have thought the message that sentence is giving the reader you would approve of.

[Commodoreman2000]

The sheep will read the word Daewoo, and it will be "All over red rover" Meanwhile Daewoo has not existed as an automaker since the beginning of 2001. It existed in its home market branded as Daewoo untill 2011 when GM converted the brand over to Chevrolet badges and updated models like said Spark.
Daewoo still however does exist as six separate companies from shipbuilding, Electronics, A trading and investment company, Small arms manufacture, construction and the only autolink the name still has is with Tata comercial vehicles

[VS Ute 5Litre]

Yup and the sheeple continue to read it as a Daewoo

[Commodoreman2000]

I think the dude or chick named Golfmother must love Daewoo cos he/she made some comical comment on that article link thread the stated Long live Daewoo. I feel so terrible to not be able to bring myself to telling him/her the sad news.

PS I think it might be Trolling but man with a name like Golfmother they must have put heaps of kilometres on their mothers Golf.

[from oz]

GoAuto.com.au review-


We like
Auto Spark’s performance increase, sufficient open-road performance, cleaner nose and instrument presentation, Bluetooth (on auto), affordable pricing, spacious packaging

Room for improvement
No seat height adjuster, unpleasant interior odour, only four forward speeds in the auto

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
30/11/2012

TWO years ago, Holden introduced an entry-level sub-B segment hatch and elected to forgo an automatic version for a rubbery five-speed manual transmission, in a market where up to 70 per cent of buyers would rather have the car change gears for them.

The full-auto Spark available to Holden back in 2010 included a 50kW/93Nm 1.0L engine with a 15-second-plus 0-100km/h “sprint” time and therefore deemed too gutless.

And some people reckon it was right of Holden to hold off for the 59kW/107Nm 1.2-litre/auto combo being developed for US.

But by the company’s own admission, the overwhelmingly female demographic the baby Barina was targeting couldn’t care less about performance as long as it wasn’t a manual. Then, and by that we mean right now, when an appropriate Spark auto does come along, Holden decides to launch this important development not in crowded city streets or built-up urban terrain, where the auto’s benefits would be most obvious and appreciated, but on sweeping country roads more suited to a two-seater roadster.

Yes, we can’t tell you how the ‘new’ four-speed auto with its neutral idle control tech works in heavy traffic, nor how the 4kW and 6Nm respective power and torque increases in the almost 50cc bigger 1.2-litre four-pot petrol engine that is denied in the continuing horrid five-speed manual model behaves crawling along behind a smelly city taxi.

Continued here

[Black AH CDX]

I love that they think the interior "stunk like a cheap plastic sex toy"

HILARIOUS!