Hyundai hopes the 2012 Accent will make it a competitive player in the subcompact segment.
Let’s face it, when someone mentions Hyundai you’re more likely than not to associate the brand with low-priced econoboxes, rather than high-end products.
Sure, that’s begun to change as the Korean carmaker launches more sophisticated offerings, like the Genesis and Equus. But the Accent has been the classic cost-leader, a subcompact traditionally appealing to those on a budget, with a starting price tag of just under $10,000.
If you’re one of those motorists who ignored the Hyundai Accent, you may have to think twice when the 2012 model rolls into showrooms, however. On the downside, you’ll have to pay a fair bit more, the all-new model starting at $13,205 including destination charges. But what you’ll get for the money is a car you no longer have to apologize for, bragging only about the bargain you got.
And, if nothing else matters, you’ll be able to crow about the latest Hyundai Accent’s new Gamma engine, an all-aluminum I-4 that delivers impressive fuel economy – it’s the Korean maker’s latest offering to deliver better than 40 mpg on the highway.
The 2012 Hyundai Accent bears a striking visual similarity to the maker's latest compact and midsize models.
As with the latest iterations of the midsize Sonata and compact Elantra, Hyundai is turning in an entirely different direction with the launch of the 2012 Accent. The new car is stylish, surprisingly sophisticated and even a bit fun to drive, as we discovered during a day behind the wheel in Sin City.
Like the Sonata and Elantra, Hyundai has put a premium on design with the new subcompact – which it is offering in both sedan and 5-door configurations. (Sadly, if past is prologue, many potential buyers will ignore the hatchback, a mistake considering its sleek shape and functional versatility. There’s a reason wagons and hatchbacks are so popular in Europe, where small cars dominate. We just wonder when American motorists will figure it out.) Both body styles echo the distinctly sculpted and stylized family look that first appeared, barely two years ago, on the midsize Sonata, and in the subcompact segment, that makes Accent perhaps the most visually distinctive offering save for the Ford Fiesta.
The 2012 Hyundai Accent will be offered in both sedan and hatchback body styles.
About six inches shorter than the compact Elantra, Hyundai engineers managed to come up with more interior space than you’d expect with the new Accent, enough for those in the front seats to relax in comfort without squeezing rear seat passengers into the sedan’s trunk or hatch’s cargo bay. That trunk, by the way, holds a full 13.7 cubic feet of stuff, only a single cf short of what you’ll squeeze into the bigger Elantra.
From behind the wheel you’ll likely be impressed by the instrument panel, which features piano black accents and the overall level of refinement that one would normally expect in a vehicle several price segments above that of a basic subcompact – especially when compared to the distinctly plastic appearance of some of the Japanese alternatives now on the market.
Both body styles offer surprising interior space, especially when compared with the larger Elantra compact.
The overall package is closer to that of the new Ford Fiesta, arguably the most sophisticated – albeit also the most costly – offering in the mainstream subcompact market.
In fact, a number of features that other makers often place in the option column come standard, including Bluetooth, and a sliding armrest console cover.
Like the Ford, Hyundai’s 2012 subcompact is pleasantly quiet – credit such subtle engineering efforts as providing a side mirror gasket — and composed and, even after some extensive driving, we felt more than refreshed enough to keep going.
Seating is reasonably comfortable, though if we had to complain about the 2012 Hyundai Accent we’d probably ask for a bit more lateral support, especially for anyone who wants to push the new subcompact near to its dynamic limits.
You'll likely still remain friends with those in the backseat, even while maintaining a comfortable position up front.
Our other concern centers around the Accent’s electric power steering system. Column, rather than rack-mounted, it’s reasonably responsive but a little but numb and it requires a bit more input than you might expect to steer back to an on-center position.
The overall dynamics of the new sedan and hatchback are solid, especially considering the competition, however. To some, the ride might actually seem a bit on the firm side, but the overall ride feel is, to us, better than that of the bigger Elantra. There’s relatively little body roll, even in tight cornering. You’ll likely be surprised to get this stable a feel out of a car with only a 101-inch wheelbase.
But let’s get to what motorists seem to be asking about most, these days. You can expect to get 30 mpg around town, 40 on the highway, with an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 34 mpg.
The 2012 Hyundai Accent interior features a level of refinement found on few models in this segment.
Credit the new Direct-Injection, all-aluminum inline-four Gamma engine, one of a stream of all-new, high-tech powertrains the folks from Seoul have been rolling out in a bid to lay claim to the highest fuel economy of any brand on the U.S. market. (That claim is questionable, of course, as Hyundai doesn’t offer the breadth of line-up of a GM, Ford, Toyota or Nissan.)
The 1.6-liter Gamma makes 138 horsepower, with a broad, confidence-inspiring torque curve that peaks at 123 lb-ft. That’s only 10 hp short of the Elantra, so the lighter car just feels a bit quicker, turning 0 to 60 times of around 9 seconds. We spent most of our time with the new 6-speed automatic, a nice offering in a segment that has often lagged on transmission technology. The automatic allows for manual shifting, though it’s intuitive and responsive enough you may not feel the need.
There is a stick available for diehards, but we have a feeling – as do Hyundai planners – that it simply won’t offer enough advantage to develop much of a following.
But we think the new Accent could be the next model to chip away at long-standing perceptions of the Hyundai brand. Sure, it’s a bit more expensive than the old Accent econobox, but for anyone other than those on the most limited budget it’s well worth the added cost. And consider that even with such niceties as 16-inch alloy wheels, A/C, cruise control, fog lamps and keyless remote, you’ll still come in barely over $17,000 – a thousand or more below comparable Japanese, domestic and European competitors.
When you add the Korean maker’s 10-year warranty, the 2012 Hyundai Accent is going to be greeted by groans from the competitors – but potential buyers are more likely to smile and look for the checkbook.