Hyundai puts Accent on looks, economy

BY JEFF TAYLOR For Sun-Times Media December 9, 2011 1:36PM

2012 HYUNDAI ACCENT GLS

ENGINE: 138-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder

TRANSMISSION: six-speed automatic

DRIVETRAIN: front-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: 30 city/40 highway

BASE PRICE: $15,195

AS TESTED: $16,625

WEBSITE: hyundaiusa.com

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A manufacturer’s subcompact car used to be one rung up from a used car and you only bought one because you had to. Today, most manufacturers are loading their subs and compact cars with plenty of standard features – which Hyundai did with the Accent – and are offering some luxury options, which Hyundai did not do.

My test car came with air conditioning with cabin filter, a six-speaker audio system, power windows/mirrors/locks, tilt steering wheel, rear defogger, driver’s seat armrest and height adjustment – in essence all the basics you would expect. The only options on my test car were the premium package that added keyless entry, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth, cruise control, chrome interior accents, a 16-inch wheel upgrade and fog lights.

Glaringly absent on 2012 Accents are options like a navigation system, sunroof and heated leather seating. Competing manufacturers offer leather seating and sunroofs. The lack of a navigation system in this price class can be forgiven, but make sure you check the standard features line by line.

The very base GLS sedan comes with a manual transmission and is the base car of the line. Regardless of transmission, the Accent is nudged by a 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder engine producing 138 horsepower; oddly, other cars in the compact and subcompact class have the same number of horses.

Some drivers think cars in this class are underpowered, but in this segment fuel economy is king and Accent delivers to the tune of 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. The six-speed automatic was smooth, besting the transmission of many larger vehicles.

The Accent is not a road car, but it does offer improvement over the previous model. The new body shell is stiffer and weight has been kept in check for 2012. Hyundai reworked the suspension, adding a stabilizer bar for the front struts and improved shocks. I didn’t drive an Accent with the 14-inch tires but the optional 16-inch tires on the test car were capable enough, so I recommend the upgrade.

Electric steering has taken over in most small cars, so road feel and feedback is not what it used to be, but Hyundai gave it a good try. I didn’t feel as disconnected as I do in other cars. On rough roads a few fillings will rattle, but that’s par for the small car segment.

The Accent’s standard safety list includes six airbags, antilock brakes with brake assist and brake force distribution; there’s also stability control.

One area in which the Accent stands out is styling. This car looks attractive, futuristic and well proportioned. Hyundai hypes its “fluidic sculpture” design and it works here with nice creases, grooves and a swept-back shape that looks more expensive than it is. It’s all curves, a short nose and abrupt trunk rolling on some attractive rims.

Accent’s nice interior is complemented by the inside, and this is what counts because this is what you look at and interact with as you commute. Cheap is out, value is in and Hyundai tackled that scenario with a few nice tricks. High-gloss plastics have been replaced with low-sheen matte-finished and textured surfaces. Easy-to-use controls that fall to easy use are the norm and the quality of the controls has improved from the last generation.

Hyundai one-ups some of the competition with the amount of interior space, which translates to comfort. You can actually slide/recline the front buckets a bit without crushing the legs of rear-seat passengers. The rounded roof line and lack of accommodation for sunroof hardware provides ample head room. At 13.7 cubic feet, the trunk is a nice size and the rear seat backs fold forward for increased capacity.

The Accent takes on the Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa and corporate cousin Kia Rio, finishing midpack – something the old version could not do. The 2012 Hyundai Accent’s two aces are styling and fuel economy; the competition can’t match those.

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