Holden: Meet Barina's booty-ful addition

Holden's sedan shares the hatch's instrument cluster. Photo / Supplied

Holden New Zealand is to expand the Barina range by adding an all-new sedan variant to sit alongside the existing hatch model.

The Barina sedan mirrors the hatch's styling including the dual front headlights and the motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster.

Set to launch on April 1, the sedan will cost $24,990 for the six-speed auto.

Holden New Zealand managing director Jeff Murray said the Barina sedan provides even greater options for New Zealanders.

"Since the new Barina hatch was launched in November the response has been great, now the Barina sedan can only be a terrific addition to the range," said Murray.

"The sedan variant certainly adds a dimension of practicality and flexibility to the Barina range and offers more than 500 litres of boot space, while still maintaining the excellent driving characteristics and style of the hatch.

"I expect the Barina sedan will only add to the popularity of the Barina and I look forward to its continued success in New Zealand," he said.

The four-door sedan is not a stretched version of the hatch. Its short, compact boot lid is matched to the car's overall proportions, while the tail lamps on the Barina sedan carry a dual-element lens.

The practicality of the sedan is highlighted by the boot, offering a storage capacity of 502 litres. In fact, the new Barina sedan's boot also eclipses those of Holden's own larger sedans - the Cruze (445 litres) and even the Commodore sedan (496).

Like the hatch, the sedan features Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, USB input and iPod connectivity, steering wheel controls, cruise control and "follow me home" headlights.

Boasting the same 85 kW, 1.6-litre DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine as the hatch, the Barina sedan has one of the largest engines in the segment and blends spirited performance with competitive fuel economy.

Like the hatch, the Barina sedan has a five-star rating from ANCAP.