Badge Engineering

Everyone seems to have an opinion when it comes to labelling cars good or bad. How many times have you heard people blurt out that, say, a Nissyota Model X is a bloody ripper? It doesn’t seem to rate a mention that Model X might’ve had three completely different series engines from different manufacturers over its life. And, even more importantly, that Nissyota Model X might’ve been designed and built from the ground up by three different companies; all they share is the name.

In this article we’ll look at some examples of automotive ‘badge engineering’ and how manufacturers sometimes make monumental changes to the cars you think you know...

Holden Barina

The Barina has a reputation for being fun, reliable and economical transport. But does that reputation hold true across the three completely different Barina platforms sourced from Suzuki, Opel and Daewoo?

The original Barina appeared in the mid ‘80s when the front-wheel-drive hatchback revolution was starting to get into its stride. Holden had nothing to plug this particular niche so it linked with Japanese manufacturer, Suzuki, and gained approval to market the five-door Swift hatch. A few tweaks and trim changes later and you’ve got the first generation Holden Barina!

These early Barinas come powered by the Suzuki designed and built 1.3 litre SOHC carby engine (G13A) which gives 50kW and fuel economy similar to the three-cylinder Daihatsu Charade. And, tipping the scales at under 800kg (amazingly light for a 1.3 hatch by today’s standards), the Barina five-speed was regarded a willing performer. The Barina range was later expanded to include a three-door version (which became popular as a pizza delivery and courier car).

Interestingly, it is also possible for identical engines to be regarded differently depending on the vehicle they're mounted in. For example, the GM Family II SOHC four was fitted to the Holden Camira range and, in the last-of-the-line JE series, the engine was taken out to 2 litres and made a creditable 85kW. But don't let anyone hear you mention the Camira name in positive tones - the mid-size Holden's reputation is such that you'll become the subject of much ridicule... On the other hand, the same Family 2 engine - but in only 1.8 litre guise - is regarded as a dependable, bullet-proof little slogger when mounted under the bonnet of a post '87 Nissan Pulsar. Go figure.

But Holden wasn’t about to let the Barina fade into obscurity.

In 1994, Holden stopped selling tweaked Swifts and began a relationship with GM’s Euro branch – Opel. The all-new Opel-based Barinas were available at very cheap prices and brought ‘Euro sophistication’ (whatever that is!) to the little Holden. The range started with a cheapo three-door Barina Swing powered by a puny 1.2-litre four while the volume selling Swing and Joy five- and three-door models benefited from a 1.4-litre engine. At last, buyers could also opt for a hi-po version of the Barina – the 1.6-litre GSi. Unfortunately, contemporary road tests reported that the GSi failed to capture the essence of the Suzuki Swift GTi – it was more refined but it lacked the driver enjoyment. Poor air conditioning (designed for European climates) and some build quality issues were initially a thorn in the Euro Barina’s side - but that didn’t stop it selling in huge numbers.

In recent years, the Euro-sourced Barina underwent a major update that reduced the range to just a 1.4-litre engine and the go-fast GSi was replaced by a go-faster SRi with a 1.8-litre. Improved NVH also gave the feel of a more expensive car.

And here we are in 2006 with yet another Barina – this time with its roots in Korea. Interestingly, Holden has taken the original Daewoo Kalos design, improved it to suit Australian conditions and slapped it with a low price-tag. The Barina’s original fun factor has been largely shuffled aside and all you’re left with is, well, basic transport.

Certainly, anyone who says the Barina is a great car needs to elaborate on the model...

Holden Astra

And here’s another situation where Holden has been doing some creative badging.

Further highlighting the lack of good GM hatches during the mid ‘80s is the Holden Astra which was essentially a re-badged Nissan Pulsar. Initially released in five-door hatch guise only, the Astra came propelled by a 50-odd kilowatt 1.5-litre SOHC four. This was replaced by an unleaded-slurping 1.6 in ’86 and a 1.8 became available in upper-spec models from mid 1987. In late ’87 a sedan version was also introduced. This more-or-less mirrored what was happening in the Pulsar range but, again, Holden missed out on the performance version – the Pulsar ET.

After being axed in the late ‘80s, the Astra remerged in 1996 with an all-new design available with 1.6, 1.8 and 2-litre engines. Oh, and it was built in Europe along similar lines to the Barina. An update in late ’98 streamlined the range to just 1.8-litre engines and in 2002 the sporty SRi model was re-released with a 2.2-litre donk. But more impressive was the low-profile release of the turbocharged 2-litre model (the Astra Turbo now being one of the most overlooked performance cars on the second-hand market).

The current AH-series Astra is also derived from the European market (though it’s Spanish built) and comes with the same 1.8-litre engine found in the previous generation. For the first time, coupe and wagon bodies are available. Compared to the original Pulsar-based Astra, the current generation offers f-a-r improved levels of sophistication – NVH levels are comparable to what you’d find in an equivalent Audi. Sure, it’s more expensive (relatively speaking) but it’s also a much nicer ride.

Engine Outsourcing

It’s not only complete cars that have been re-badged. Many manufacturers drop in engines (arguably the most important part of the car!) from some pretty mysterious sources...

Let’s take Saab for example. The Swedish car company had been building bullet-proof engines with no external input until, in the early ‘90s, GM took a significant share. From this point, the Saab models you thought you knew were offered with a new range of V6 engines. New V6 engines that – despite carrying the prestigious Saab nameplate – arrived in bulk from GM and used GM airflow meters... It’s widely accepted that the Saab-based 2.0 and 2.3-litre fours of the mid ‘90s 900 model are far more durable than the GM-based 2.5-litre V6 versions.

So not all Saab 900s are created equal...

And the same goes for Toyotas - especially those from the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. During this timeframe, the popular Toyota Corona dropped its Japanese 2-litre engine in favour of the Australian-developed Starfire (aka "Backfire") 1.9-litre four which was originally used in the Holden Sunbird. This engine was essentially a Holden 173ci (2850cc) straight-six minus two cylinders. Not surprisingly, it’s a very coarse engine and power is hardly a strong point. In Toyota Corona guise, the Starfire made 58kW (8kW less than the previous engine) and fuel consumption worsened. But, for the record, the most ludicrous application for the Starfire four was in the nose of the 1981 Holden VC Commodore. With an abysmal 54kW output, the Starfire Commodore has the dubious honour of being one of the most underpowered family car ever sold in Australia...

These are just some examples of the dangers of judging a car by its badge. The next time someone spouts something about a certain model it’s a good idea to make ‘em qualify their statement...