Once
upon a time, the subcompact car was something grudgingly settled for, when
one’s budget had been stretched beyond the point of no return. While it may
have been cheap, cheerful it wasn’t. Little effort was put into exterior
styling, beyond the minimally functional, and interiors were rarely more than
dismal swaths of dreary, cheap plastic. Nobody expected it to be anything more
than what it appeared: an economic compromise.
But
something happened during the past decade.
People
came to the realization that their resources – and the planet’s – were finite.
That transportation needs could be met sufficiently, and efficiently on a
smaller scale. Finding favour among urban dwellers and the environmentally
conscientious, small cars became a conscious choice instead of a last resort.
The segment exploded, and the resulting competition led to enormous changes in
quality, innovation, and customer expectations.
Today’s
compact cars often boast features once seen only in premium brands, and if
cabin materials reflect their price points, designers go to great lengths to
use them in stylish and imaginative ways.
Previous
generations of Hyundai’s
smallest entry went from woefully ugly to acceptably forgettable. Hyundai’s “Fluidic
Sculpture” design ethos reshaped the Accent into one of the most
stylish in its segment. This particular Accent is the new for 2015 “Sport
Appearance Package” trim which includes all the features of the mid-range GL
and adds sunroof, fog lights and 16-inch alloy wheels. The GL model’s base
price is $17,799, the Sport Appearance Package is $18,849, a $1,050 difference.
It’s wrapped in a cheery “Yellow Sunflower” paint that’s new for this year.
Inside
the Accent, you’ll find plenty of hard plastics, too – but they’ve been molded
into creative surfaces and textures with plenty of attention to design and
function. There’s no pretense of luxury here. Niceties like leather seating and
navigation are unavailable on the Accent, but you can get them
on its sister car, the Kia Rio. But that doesn’t mean that the Accent’s cabin
is without charm.
Seating
may be cloth, but it’s attractively patterned and the front ones are heated.
There’s a lot more room overhead than you’d expect from a car that doesn’t look
that tall from the outside.
Highway
fuel consumption in the 2015 Hyundai
Accent was a pleasant surprise, with the as-tested economy coming up lower than
the 7.8 L/100 km official combined rating.
Highway
fuel consumption in the 2015 Hyundai
Accent was a pleasant surprise, with the as-tested economy coming up lower than
the 7.8 L/100 km official combined rating.
Highway
fuel consumption in the 2015 Hyundai
Accent was a pleasant surprise, with the as-tested economy coming up lower than
the 7.8 L/100 km official combined rating.
The
steering wheel telescopes (not all competitors do), there’s hands-free
Bluetooth, remote power entry, cruise control, a power sliding sunroof,
steering wheel audio controls and air conditioning.
Rear
seats split 60/40 to produce 600 litres of cargo space – which is about
mid-pack for the segment. However, it falls far short of the Honda Fit, which,
with its grand total of 1,492 litres, is the undisputed champion of interior
flexibility.
The Accent has no flashy
touchscreen and, as mentioned, no navigation. It’s fairly simple to pair a
smart phone and channel the turn-by-turn app through the Accent’s sound system,
but the caveat is increased data usage. The communication between my iPhone and
the Accent’s connectivity system was a bit wonky as incoming phone calls would
sometimes sever the navigation connection and only “rebooting” the car would
reestablish it.
With
the display screen, there’s no backup camera, which could be of concern to some
buyers. The Accent’s tapered roofline and small rear window result in poor
rearward visibility.
On the
road, the Accent is well-mannered and with the predictable sort of handling
you’d expect. It’s soft enough to be comfortable without inducing a lot of
wallow. Suspension is comprised of a shock and struts with sway bar front setup
and a simple torsion beam in the rear. Steering feel is solid and weighty
(which I liked) but utterly devoid of feedback (which I didn’t).
There’s
a nice level of sound deadening when it comes to wind noise and vibration, but
the tinny sound of rocks or ice pinging off its undercarriage give away the
Accent’s budget lineage.
With
138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque, the Accent boasts best-in-segment
power. However, the six-speed auto tends to keep it in the lower rev range to
conserve fuel, which makes it seem rather lethargic at times. Knock the shift
lever over to sport and drop it down a few gears and the Accent can zip along
nicely.
However,
with extra power comes extra fuel consumption. The Accent’s official combined
rating is 7.8 L/100 km – and this go-round they’re being truthful as that’s
pretty much what I averaged. However, the roomier Versa Note and Honda Fit
boast combined ratings of 6.7 L and 6.5 L, respectively.
During
a four-hour road trip through a miserable snow and ice storm our highway
consumption actually dropped to 6.1 L/100 km – mostly because traffic
conditions forced us to keep it below 70 km/h the entire way. But the trip
itself was warm and pleasant, the cloth seats remaining comfortable for the
duration of the long drive.
In this
highly competitive segment, there are a lot of choices. Some offer better
utility, and others are more fuel efficient. But the Hyundai Accent is a stylish
little car offering plenty of features, and with its low base price and
terrific warranty it’s definitely worth considering.
Highway
fuel consumption in the 2015 Hyundai Accent was
a pleasant surprise, with the as-tested economy coming up lower than the 7.8
L/100 km official combined rating.
Highway
fuel consumption in the 2015 Hyundai Accent was a
pleasant surprise, with the as-tested economy coming up lower than the 7.8
L/100 km official combined rating.
The Specs
Type of
vehicle FWD compact hatchback
Engine 1.6L 4-cylinder
Power 138 hp/123 lb.-ft. of torque
Transmission 6-speed automatic,
or 6-speed manual in lower trims
Brakes Four-wheel disc
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy
(L/100 km) Automatic transmission: 8.9 L/100 km city, 6.3 L/100 km highway
Price (base/as tested) $18,849; $20,544
A/C Tax $100
Freight & PDI $1,595
Standard Features Front active
headrests, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS),
and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Dual front/side and side curtain
airbags, remote keyless entry with panic alert, power door locks,
AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3/USB/iPOD audio system, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, air
conditioning , cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, front heated
seats, sliding sunvisor, telescopic steering wheel, power windows with driver
auto up and down, automatic light control, body colour door handles and
mirrors, power, sliding sunroof, mirror mounted turn signals, fog lamps, rear
spoiler, 16-inch alloy wheels
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