Driving Holden's Barina Spark for the first time I needed to remind myself of an self-imposed edict from at least a decade ago: Never judge a car by the first drive. The reason for doing this is simple: Some days you step out of a sports sedan that could be worth $160,000 into a $27,000 4X4 workhorse. Or some days you slip from a Subaru WRX into a Holden Spark, which is what happened last week. It is only human to make immediate judgements. And they are not always correct.
Day two came and the refinement of the Subie was fading and I was becoming accustomed to the Holden Barina Spark's personality. Spark is an addition to the Barina range and the baby in Holden's stable. Every car company needs a Barina Spark with light cars booming as the economy tightens and our major cities become more crowded. The Spark is unashamedly aimed at young drivers - particularly women - buying their first new car. We can also see it in the hands of the not so young living in the burbs and downsizing, perhaps upgrading from a 10 year-old Commodore, preferably with a manual gearbox.
Why a manual ? Well, the Barina Spark comes only with a five-speed manual shifter, at least for the first 12 months. And that will cut a minimum of 50 per cent of buyers out of buying Holden's smallest car. So if you only drive an auto you might as well stop reading this and look elsewhere. By day three we were glad we kept the Barina Spark and did not return it to Holden early. It started to grow on us. The five speed shifter seemed smoother and we were becoming accustomed to the modest performance from the 1.2 litre, 59 kW engine.
BODY STYLE
Barina Spark comes in two trim levels, CD and CDX and share the same driveline, six airbags, electronic stability program and creature comforts such as air-conditioning, power steer, front power windows, dual vanity mirrors, four way adjustable driver and passenger seats, four speaker AM/FM audio, CD player, iPhone/iPod and Aux input and USB input for MP3 players. There's also wheel-mounted audio controls. Both CD and CDX have alloy wheels and a sports body kit. The bottom line being this is a well equipped car for one that has a recommended retail price of $12,490 or launch special of $14,490 drive away. All that equipment is covered in a sheetmetal body that Holden insists is not cute, but we reckon they've got that wrong. It looks like a hatch thanks to cleverly hidden rear door handles, but has the functionality of a five door. There's five seats, but we'd hate to be the piggy in the middle of the rear pew. We can't imagine buyers gushing over the car's appearance, but it looks 21st century and will still appear modern in three or four years time thanks to a subtle wedge shape, clean lines and fin-shaped headlamps which give the Barina Spark a point of difference. The CDX variant adds 15 inch alloy wheels, a large rear body spoiler, rear power windows and Sportec seat trim.
POWERTRAIN/PERFORMANCE
Get-up-and-go is adequate when you push through the cogs - which you do often as the 1.2 litre DOHC, 4-cylinder, 16 valve engine is not going to break any land speed records. On tap is just 107 Nm of torque. Having said that when the Spark is up and running in fourth or fifth gear at 100 km/h it cruises easily with a full complement on board. Don't expect cutting-edge passing ability though. The real domain for the Spark - and most cars in the light segment - is the city and suburbs where economy, size and short-term comfort - are the key factors. And this is where the Barina Spark performs well. At 3595 mm long the Spark slides into any tight space with no fuss. Holden claim 5.6 litres/100 km economy, which we found to be right on the money.
SAFETY
With it's pricing and size the Barina Spark will no doubt be a first car for many young buyers, so safety is paramount as our most precious gain their first few years of driving experience. Front and side airbags as well as full-length side curtain airbags will add peace of mind as will the latest crash-avoidance technology, Electronic Stability Control and ABS brakes, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution and traction control.
FUNCTIONALITY
Interior works well although we have doubts about the 'motorcyclce' style instrument cluster that slots in - like an afterthought - behind the right hand side of the steering wheel. It may look funky, but we found it lowers the driver's eyes too far to have good peripheral road vision. It contains the tachometer and fuel gauge which are both hard to read in any case. The front seats offer plenty of headroom and we like the overall simplicity of the layout and the functionality of the audio system and power controlled mirrors and front windows. The rear seat is a bit cramped with slightly less head height. We took two adult friends to the airport and stowed their medium-size suitcases -one in the 170 litre boot - and the other on the 60 side of the 60/40 split-fold rear seat, which highlights the functionality.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
First impression, not always the best, was disappointment. The gear shifter seemed notchy and there was a gross lack of grunt. By day three we were actually enjoying the Barina Spark and appreciating it for what it is: a cheap five-door runabout intended for an audience of young city slickers. Once in that mode the transmission became smoother, the grunt was not an issue and we enjoyed the car for what it is. When pushing the Spark around some corners we noticed what we had not expected. It actually handles fairly well. There's a little bit of understeer, but those who will buy Spark are not looking for tar-clinging handling or rocket-like acceleration. For the odd trip outside suburbia the Spark gladly sits on 110 km/h at around 3000 rpm, and this was with three adults and two suitcases aboard. It does not like steep hills and this is where the transmission will earn it's keep. We loved it for city work, zipping in and out of shopping centre car parks and a week's grocery shopping fits snugly in the boot, with no need for an net to keep things from rolling about. Small is, after all, good.
Verdict: Lack of an auto shifter will hold back sales initially, but there's a lot to like - especially the standard safety equipment - in this new, bright spark from Holden.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING*
Barina Spark CD $12,490
Barina Spark CDX $13,990
(* Pricing does not include dealer delivery or government charges)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Not available
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Not available
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Curtain Airbags: Standard
Stability Control: Standard
Traction Control: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.2 litres
Configuration: In line four
Head Design: DOHC
Compression Ratio: 9.8:1
Bore/Stroke: 69.7 mm x 79.0 mm
Maximum Power: 59 kW @ 6400 rpm
Maximum Torque: 107 Nm @ 4800 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Five speed
Automatic Transmission: N/A
Final Drive Ratio: 3.905
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 3595 mm
Wheelbase: 2375 mm
Width: 1597 mm
Height: 1522 mm
Turning Circle: 9.9 metres
Kerb Mass: kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 35 litres
Towing Ability: kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: McPherson strut
Rear Suspension: Torsion beam
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Drum
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: 91RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 5.6 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating:8 /10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ 100,000 km |
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