2012 Hyundai Accent Hatch Review
Car Review By MURRAY HUBBARD
To give something a nickname is usually a term of endearment - an acceptance that you like what you see. So our weekly test car, a Hyundai Accent 5-door hatch became known as Kermit. A jolly green frog of a car. But what we liked was not so much the love-it or hate it colour, but what lay under the skin of this all new Accent. Nick names are earned, not simply given. Kermit – aka Hyundai Accent - is that sort of small car. You can't help but like it.
The Accent's colour pallet reflects where the Accent stands within the Hyundai stable. A fun colour for a fun car aimed primarily at the Gen Y buyers. Probably females, although we would not be surprised to see the Accent also appealing to young families as a second car and to older buyers as a down sizer for shopping and the bowls club.
Style and build quality from Hyundai has improved possibly more than any other maker in the past five or six years. Cars like the i30 and i45 have reputations that have helped changed the public perception of Hyundai as a quality car maker. Accent further enhances the image and perception that Hyundai is a company on the move.
STYLING
Hyundai call it "fluidic sculpture" which is the car makers across-the-stable look for its range with four models to date sporting the `new' look: ix35, i45, Elantra and now Accent. You could easily replace the Hyundai badging with a European logo and most people would be none the wiser. As we said above, Hyundai has gone ahead in leaps and bounds in recent years, and that progress is not just under the sheetmetal, but the exterior itself of all models. Hyundai Accent is a sleek, slick small car and the five door hatch is one of the better looking compact passenger cars on the road today. The belt line - common to all Hyundai cars - is reminiscent of the styling of some Mercedes-Benz models.
SAFETY
Five star ANCAP says it all. It was not that long ago the active and passive safety equipment now seen on this $18,490 (plus on roads) offering from South Korea was being hailed as breakthrough technology on the hallmark models from the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW and Audi. Standard on Accent is Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Electronic Stability Control, traction control, ABS brakes, and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution. If the worst should happen there are six airbags across all three variants in the Accent range. VSM integrates the active safety systems including ESC, traction control, ABS brakes and Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) to help maintain vehicle control by adjusting steering input to help prevent losing control in an emergency situation.
POWERTRAIN
Accent is powered by Hyundai's acclaimed 1.6 litre 'Gamma' petrol engine. In Kermit the engine was linked to a five speed manual gearbox. A four speed auto is available at a $2000 premium. The engine is quite torquey and pulls easily away in low revs in second and third which makes it an easy car to drive in the suburbs and heavy traffic.
Mention must also be made of the five speed transmission. We recall the early Hyundai cars that had manual gearboxes that were notchy and about as smooth as grade six sandpaper. Fast forward to 2012 and this manual transmission in the Accent is cutting edge when it comes to smoothness. On top of that the gear ratios are finely tuned to the engine and it makes for a great combination. This has to be one of the easiest manuals to use in this segment. The only improvement we'd like tio see is hill start as the clutch comes in late which means handbrake starts are needed to prevent rolling backwards.
INTERIOR/FUNCTIONALITY
Accent starts with the entry-level $16,990 model that comes standard with USB,AUX and iPod plus Bluetooth with steering wheel mounted audio and Bluetooth controls. The rear pew had a 60/40 split function and has 14" steel wheels. Elite as tested adds a premium steering and gear knob, piano black and chrome inserts in the cabin, front fog lamps 4 speakers and two tweeters, deluxe style console, luggage hooks in the boot and 16" alloy wheels with a full-size spare. Hyundai has done well to look after the driver and passenger, but those in the second row get the poverty pack. Accent is a five seater, but the middle seat in the rear pew is high set and hard and for short distance travel only. We can imagine after just five minutes kids asking "Are we there yet? " when seated in the middle pew. Head room is also compromised. Even with two seats only in use there is no fold down centre armrest. Also, the side armrests look great but are hard and uncomfortable. The side seats however, are quite comfortable and supportive.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Despite being a manual – and even if you have not driven a manual for a while - this is one of those cars that you can simply get into and drive and feel completely at home. The 1.6 litre Gamma engine pulls Accent along with ease and we really like the low-down torque that laps up stop-start traffic and reduces gear shifts around town. For a city car this functionality is excellent.
Testing was undertaken in Australia to ensure Accent's driving dynamics were suited to our conditions. This comes through clearly with Accent handling our poor roads in relative comfort for a small car. There is some understeer – which you expect with a front wheel drive car – when going a bit quick into tight corners. So you learn early to back off the right foot in these conditions for a more comfortable ride in the twisty stuff. Accent's long list of safety technology including crash-saving stability control means even young drivers are in good hands as long as they do not go beyond laws of physics. We like this car.
MODEL RANGE AND PRICING*
ACCENT
Active sedan/hatch: 5-speed man/4-auto $16,990/$18,990
Elite sedan/hatch: 5-speed man/4-auto $18,490/$20,490
Premium sedan 4-auto $22,990
Premium sedan/hatch 5-speed man/4-auto $20,990/$22,990
(*Dealer and government charges not included)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: optional
CD Player: standard
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: N/A
Dual Front Airbags: standard
Front Side Airbags: standard
Stability Control: standard
Traction Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Hyundai Accent Elite)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.591 litres
Configuration: in line four
Head Design: 16 valve DOHC
Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 77.0 mm x 85.44 mm
Maximum Power: 91 kW @ 6300 rpm
Maximum Torque: 156 Nm @ 4200 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: front
Manual Transmission: five speed
Automatic Transmission: four speed
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4115 mm
Wheelbase: 2570 mm
Width: 1700 mm
Height: 1450 mm
Turning Circle: 10.4 metres
Kerb Mass: 1115 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 43 litres
Towing Ability: kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson struts, coil springs,
Rear Suspension: coupled torsion beam axle
Front Brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear Brakes: Solid discs
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: RON91
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 6.0 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 8/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
5 years/ unlimited km |
