Holden cars

The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold since 1985 by Holden, the Australian arm of General Motors (GM). Each of the five generations have been badge-engineered versions of GM vehicles: Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo Kalos.

The first generation MB Barina was launched in 1985 as a badge-engineered Suzuki Cultus as a five-door hatchback. In the first year of production a Road Runner special model was offered complete with decals showing the Warner Bros. cartoon character. A high-profile marketing campaign featured the slogan Beep beep Barina, a catchphrase that remains in the consciousness of many Australians in the present. The mildy facelifted ML Barina was released in September 1986.

In New Zealand, from 1986 to 1989, a Holden Barina GTi model was also sold, being a rebadged Suzuki Swift Gti (see Suzuki Cultus - Generation 1). This vehicle used the G13B engine.

The second-generation MF Barina was a rebadged second generation Suzuki Cultus, co-developed with GM using the GM M platform and marketed worldwide under nearly a dozen nameplates, prominently as the Suzuki Swift, Pontiac Firefly (Canada) and Geo Metro (Chevrolet's sub-model in the USA). A three-door hatchback was first released in 1988, and was followed by the introduction of a five-door hatchback in 1990.

The MH Barina, which was released in September 1991, featured an improved interior, upgraded suspension, new front and rear bumpers and revised tail-lamp clusters.

Like the previous generation, the second generation Barina provides a "worse than average" level of safety according to the 2008 Used Car Safety Ratings.

In late 1998 there was an update featuring multipoint fuel injection across the range and suspension upgrades to improve ride and handling. These models can be identified by their half body coloured bumpers and 3 bar grille. In 2001, Holden issued a voluntary recall of all Barina SB models, built between 1994 and 2001. This was due to a faulty seatbelt mounting on front bucket seats.