2005 Holden Barina three-door 1.4L 5MT FWD (83 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Besides the five-door hatchback and the sedan, the 2005 Holden Barina was also available as a sporty-looking three-door vehicle that helped young drivers get behind the wheel of a brand-new car without breaking the bank.

Holden introduced the Barina nameplate in its inventory in 1985 as a rebadged Suzuki Cultus. The second generation came four years later and was also based on a Suzuki. Starting with the third iteration of this nameplate, GM decided to move on its own products, so instead of a Japanese-based vehicle, the Barina became the twin-sister of the European Opel/Vauxhall Corsa for the third and fourth generations introduced in 1994 and 2000, respectively. However, after GM bought the remains of the Daewoo Motors Co. in 2002, it changed its strategy for the Barina. So, instead of shipping the cars from Spain, where they were built, it imported them to Australia from Korea. It was much cheaper. As a result, the fifth generation of Holden’s smallest vehicle was actually a rebadged Daewoo Kalos, which was available as a sedan and as a hatchback with three or five doors. While the sedan and the five-door versions targeted families, the three-door one aimed at the younger generation that needed transportation on a budget. The recipe worked.

The 2005 Holden Barina three-door shared its front fascia with its five-door sibling. It featured angular-shaped headlights that flanked a single-slat grille integrated into the upper side of the plastic bumper. On the lower side, the automaker created an air dam with a second air intake in the middle flanked by a pair of scoops with available fog lamps. In addition, the automaker offered a chin spoiler for the small-sized vehicle, which made the three-door Barina look more aggressive.

With a design signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro from Italdesign styling company, the 2005 Holden Barina three-door looked more upscale than most of its competitors. The car had color-keyed door handles and mirrors. In addition, the ascending waistline and the sculptured long doors made it look sporty. GM knew that hot hatches attracted young buyers, so even if the Barina wasn’t such a vehicle, the automaker made it look like one. Firstly, it installed flared wheel arches on both axles and side skirts, and then it added a set of 15-inch alloy wheels on the options list, even though the base model featured steel ones of the same size. At the back, GM installed angular-shaped taillights on the C-pillars’ midsection that flanked the tailgate. As a final touch of sportiness, the 2005 Barina featured a roof spoiler placed above the rear window.

The car’s interior, on the other hand, didn’t have any particular high-end materials. Its rounded-shaped dashboard was made from hard plastic and was styled pleasantly. It featured a center stack that housed a pair of round vents at the top, followed by the stereo and the HVAC control panel. However, the AC was optional. Moving on to the center console, customers found the gear stick and the handbrake. At the front, the automaker installed bucket seats with mild-bolstered areas and adjustable headrests. In the back, the 2005 Holden Barina three-door featured a split-folding (60/40) bench seat where two adults could barely fit. Interestingly, the rear windows could be opened slightly thanks to a pop-out mechanism.

Under the hood, the 2005 Holden Barina was available with a 1.6-liter inline-four gasoline engine. The automaker paired it with a five-speed manual transmission that sent the 103 PS (102 hp) to the front wheels. Since the car had to keep its price low, the automaker kept the front vented discs and the rear drums from the original Daewoo Kalos.