HOLDEN’S funky new Barina, aside from being a massive step up on its Daewoo-derived predecessor, is an intriguing mixture of two schools – the old and the new.

On the one hand it feels a bit like a throwback to city cars of yore – light on its feet yet slightly rough around the edges – while on the other it has a funky cabin kitted out with a thoroughly modern, even class-leading, level of Gen Y gadgetry.

A recent update also added a new 17-inch wheel and tyre combination, and a fuel-saving electric power steering system with Australian-market calibration.

What the Barina doesn’t offer, however, is the overall dynamic nous of a Fiesta, anywhere near the material quality of a Polo or the engine performance of a high-end Rio.

But while these latter bugbears may make us wary, we reckon Holden has given its funky baby enough additional showroom glitter to sway some buyers less focused on the driving experience than writers such as we.

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