Holden Barina CDX 2013 Review

The Barina nameplate has been through its highs and lows over the years; affordable yet uninspiring Suzuki, high-quality but expensive Opel and more recently a disappointing rebadged Daewoo.

Nowadays Barina is a dedicated General Motors developed car, to which Holden has contributed design and engineering expertise, although South Korea remains its homeroom.

Still, the reception when this current T300 Barina arrived about 12 months was significantly underwhelming. Lethargic engine and squidgy dynamics let down a package praised for sharp pricing and styling.

So enter the up-market CDX. The engine remains the same 85kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder, but it is now mated to the second generation GM GF6 six-speed auto (there is no manual CDX). Electric power steering and 17-inch wheels and tyres attack the dynamic issue, with the aid of local calibration performed by Holden chassis whiz Michael Barber.

On top of that the CDX, which is available as both $20,490 five-door hatch and $20,990 four-door sedan, adds a significant amount of equipment over the Barina CD including front foglights, reverse parking sensors, leather steering wheel and transmission shifter, heated front seats and chrome exterior accents.

But by far the most individually significant bit of new gear is the MyLink infotainment system, which make its Holden debut in the Barina and will seep out into new models as they come onto the market, including VF Commodore, Malibu and Trax – which all arrive in 2013.

MyLink, which operates through a seven-inch touch screen, integrates with the owner’s compatible smartphone and stored media -- via Bluetooth, aux jack or USB -- with the radio. It launches with the Stitcher smart radio embedded application, and will follow up with Pandora internet radio, TuneIn global radio streaming and the Bringo nav application.

One thing the Barina loses with the arrival of MyLink is a CD player – the Peugeot 208 did that first in the mini-car class -- but second gen MyLink in Commodore and the like retain that function. Just as well for us luddites.

Speaking of old fashioned, here’s a 20th century automotive question. What’s the CDX like to drive?

Well, we can’t say Mr Barber has cut and shaped the Barina CDX into something deeply attractive, but he has shorn it of some of its less appealing quirks.

Electric steering has some weight, a little feel and no appreciable kickback, so it’s an acceptable steer. The big 205/50R17 Continental ContiPerformanceContact certainly adds gripping certainty, although noise becomes an issue on coarse surfaces, as it often does for European sourced tyres.

The ride can also become unruly, the big wheels tending to smack hard into sharp-edged bumps and corrugations, especially at the rear.

The six-speed auto works hard to disguise the engine’s lack of character and inspiration. The manual shift ‘Active Select’ switch on the gearshift is a cruddy idea which we hope gets flicked soon. Steering wheel paddles please!

Holden claims improved fuel economy for the CDX, as low as 6.3L/100km with the new auto, but our drive was too short and only in the country, so verification of that will have to wait.

The Barina CDX has a pleasant cabin. The vented ‘Sportec’ trim seats (something like leather) provide some support, the motorcycle binnacle instrument panel is neat and attractive as is the co-ordinated look of the controls and the interior hues. Hard surfaces give away the car’s cheap price.

Rear-seat passengers don’t do so well. There are no door pockets, no air-con vents and no fold-down centre armrest. In the sedan we sampled, space is tight and seat is upright.

But it is a city car after all. And not a bad first step down Holden’s now stated path to deliver better driving cars. The exciting news is that a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine could soon be sneaking into the Barina. Now that would be worth driving!