New Holden Barina Spark "sporty stance"

Notice Something? How could you not? A shift from the boring sameness of other small cars, the all-new Holden Barina Spark stands out for all the right reasons – sporty stance, edgy looks inside and out, class-leading standard safety features, and included luxuries that many small cars offer only as added extras.

January's Detroit Auto Show saw former Holden boss Alan Batey confirm its coming, and this week Holden has announced availability of the tiny 2011 Holden Barina Spark, the company's first offering in the small (but growing) city car segment.

Launched in Europe earlier this year, the Barina Spark is the Australian version of the globally-developed Chevrolet Spark that debuted in the US earlier this year. It is manufactured at GM's Daewoo plant in South Korea.

The Barina Spark comes with the must-haves like a 4-speaker CD/MP3 sound system that lets you DJ your favourite beats via steering wheel controls, as well as offering a USB MP3 player input and an auxiliary input for your iPod®.

In the words of Holden Chief Designer Richard Ferlazzo, the Barina Spark has been designed with a focus on "fun and function," bringing a constant sense of motion while utilising small-car proportions to get the most of the city car segment.

That sense of speed is clear in the Spark's profile, with a diving belt line and sweeping windows, a sporting look accentuated by the hidden rear door handle that gives the Spark a three-door appearance.

That sporty feel is strengthened by the 'body-in, wheels-out' approach, with the wheels positioned at the far corners of the body - a design decision that helps more than a little with interior space too.

Inside, the most noticeable feature of the Spark's interior is its motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster, mounted directly on the steering column. Featured in the instrument cluster are the analogue speedometer, digital tachometer and minor gauges. The centre stack offers a design again focused on a 'fun and functional' approach, lit with ice blue illumination.

Powered by a 1.2 litre DOHC four-cylinder petrol engine producing 59kW and 107Nm of torque, the Barina Spark lists fuel consumption figures of just 5.6 l/100km - making it the most economical car in the Holden line-up.

Among its features, the small engine's technology includes Port Deactivation technology, developed to induce a swirl charge motion within the cylinder that produces high exhaust gas recirculation for more stability during idling and enhanced fuel efficiency.

Available with a five-speed manual transmission only, the Spark achieves a 5-star rating in the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide with CO2 emissions listed at 128g/km. Suspension is handled by MacPherson struts up front - with side-load compensated strut modules and direct-acting solid stability bars. Rear suspension is comprised of a compound crank and a torsion beam axle.