For years, if you wanted “cheap” transportation, but you wanted to buy a new car, and size was no object, chances are that the Hyundai Accent may have been on your list at some point or another. While the Accent has done relatively well in years past, Hyundai plans to launch sales into the stratosphere with the newest generation. Boasting strong, handsome styling, thanks to a hearty helping of Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design philosophy, the new Accent bears absolutely no resemblance to that cute little cream puff you might remember from a few years ago. For 2012, the Accent comes in both a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback. The old three-door Accent is now a thing of the past.
The new Accent is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC 4 cylinder engine that produces a respectable 138 HP while returning up to 40mpg on the highway, which provides a fantastic combination of power and efficiency. And with the standard six-speed manual transmission, the Accent is certainly fun to drive. For those of us who aren’t so great with a clutch pedal, Hyundai also offers an available six-speed automatic with manual shiftability – just slide the gear selector over to manually upshift or downshift.
Inside, the Accent is a huge improvement not only over the previous generation, but perhaps an improvement on any other vehicle in the non-luxury compact segment. The seats are very comfortable and the cabin materials are hard (as expected in this price class), but the textured treatments give the Accent’s interior a more upscale feel. Throw in the available Bluetooth hand-free system, 172-watt audio, and plenty of versatility, and you’ll see why the Accent is a real winner.
But don’t just take our word for it – we encourage you to stop by our location in beautiful Hazelwood, MO for a test drive of the Accent. Until then, check out our exhaustive high-resolution image gallery below.
UPDATE:
Motor Trend magazine just wrapped up their test of five-door economy hatchbacks including the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Sonic, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Mazda 2, and Suzuki SX4. You know what? The Hyundai Accent beat out the competition not only with the best observed fuel economy numbers among the pack, but the reviewers also commented on how spacious and grown-up the Accent feels compared to its rivals.
To view the article on Motor Trend’s website, click here.
Source – Hyundai USA
Image Credit – Hyundai Newsroom