Topping
out just under $20K, Hyundai Accent is no
longer a cheapie subcompact. Nor does it look the part.
Sure, you
can score one for as little as $13,249 ($350 more for the hatchback). But
that’s the base car with six-speed manual -- and none of the comforts we now
expect in our rides. No air conditioning, keyless entry, power windows,
Bluetooth, telescopic steering or anything that elevates the daily commute
above abject misery.
So an Accent you
can really live with will cost another couple of grand, be it for the sedan or
five-door hatchback as tested.
The LE
five-door ($15,999) and the SE ($18,499) are two new models in the Accent lineup.
Hyundai is a master of
packaging and has reduced the steep price walk from its barebones entry car to
the next model up by introducing the LE, which for another $2,400 adds a
six-speed automatic (with Shiftronic), air conditioning and remote start.
Two more
steps up is the sportier SE -- my ride for the week. It was dipped in a
head-turning shade of Sunflower Yellow and rolled on a set of 16-inch alloys
instead of crappy 14-inch steel wheels with wheelcovers.
Compared
to the ìjellybeanî styling of the last-generation Accent, this one’s quite
handsome with an aggressive profile that features sculpted sheetmetal, and a
sharp character line that follows its rising beltline.
In front,
the black hexagonal grille is flanked by swept-back headlamps, and in back, the
Accent’s
rear-sloping roofline ends in a sporty roof spoiler. The car’s wedge shape not
only looks cool but is good for aerodynamics. Coefficient of drag is a
slippery 0.30.
But it’s
not so good for rear visibility.
Inside,
there’s no shortage of hard plastic, but it’s nicely textured and doesn’t look
cheap. The centre stack is simply laid out, with large dials for HVAC and basic
buttons and knobs for the six-speaker AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio system.
Steering
is tilt/telescopic, and includes controls for audio, cruise and Bluetooth
phone, and front seats get two-position heating. A power sunroof provides
much-needed light to the mostly charcoal interior.
Headroom
is abundant in back, and leg room is adequate for most, able to accommodate two
adults -- three in a pinch. The 60/40 seats drop to expand the generous
600-litre cargo hold to 1,345 litres. That was enough room last winter to
swallow an entire trade show display, which I assumed would take two trips --
or an SUV.
Power
comes from an all-aluminum 1.6-litre four cylinder with gasoline direct
injection (GDI), and dual continuously variable valve timing. It makes 138 hp
and 123 lb/ft of torque, besting several major competitors. But with tall
gearing, it’s more about fuel economy than snappy performance.
At
highway speeds, it turns over just north of 2,000 rpm, making this subcompact
far less buzzy than some I’ve driven. And although the Accent is no hot hatch, it’s
on par with much of the competition.
ActiveEco
will help achieve the posted fuel economy of 8.9/6.3/7.7 L/100 km, but as it
blunts the throttle and remaps the transmission for earlier shifting, any
liveliness from the little four-pot engine is gone. I kept ActiveEco off most
of the week and still achieved just over eight litres per 100 km combined.
Vehicles
like this Accent hatchback,
and the slightly more commodious Elantra GT I drove a week earlier, nicely fill
the needs of today’s smaller families.
With
ample room for four passengers, a ìtrunkî larger than most full-size sedans,
and thrifty fuel
economy, it’s no wonder so many buyers choose five doors over four.
No comments:
Post a Comment