Hyundai Accent Car Review

Hyundai has given its Accent a mid-life makeover and the message is that it "looks better and goes harder".

Buyers weren't too keen on the looks of the previous Accent and the new model gets a more stylish front end and a much more attractive tail - the roof and the doors are in fact, the only carryover panels.

This time around, the Accent comes only in three-door-hatchback form (though a few five-door models will be landed for rental car customers) and in just one equipment level. The previous GL, GS and GLS are deleted.

The Accent costs $14,990 in manual form and $16,853 for the automatic. These prices include airconditioning, but not 'on-road' costs. There's an optional safety pack available that provides a front passenger airbag, anti-lock brakes and electronic brake distribution for $1,590.

To give the Accent a livelier driving feel and increase power and torque (slightly), the engine capacity has been enlarged from 1.5 litres to 1.6 litres. At the same time, the gear ratios in both manual and automatic versions have been re-jigged and wheel size has gone from 13 inch to 14 inch.

The power steering assistance has been increased at parking speeds and decreased at highway speeds, and the rear suspension has heavier duty lateral links.

A range of measures designed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness have been introduced to improve the Accent's general driving feel.

Equipment upgrades include the addition of a tachometer, a change to an electrically driven speedo and odometer, three adjustable rear-seat-head restraints (but still only a lap belt in the centre) and separate retractable cupholders in the dash. Interior trim fabrics have also been upgraded.

As well as the airconditioning already mentioned, the Accent comes standard with a driver's airbag, power steering, a four speaker stereo/CD player, an engine immobiliser, 60/40 split-fold rear-seat backs, a driver's footrest and a tilt adjustable steering wheel.

You don't get a front passenger airbag, central locking, power windows or power adjustable exterior mirrors.

Inside the Accent there's good space up front, however it's a bit squeezy in the rear when the front seats are set right back. Seat comfort is only fair, but that's not unusual at this end of the market.

The Accent hatch rates quite well on luggage space. Our measurements showed it as having the longest load length in its class when the rear seat is erect and the second best length when one third or two thirds of the seat backrest is folded. A full size spare resides under the boot mat.

Though some drivers may not find the Accent's pedal placement to be ideal, the overall layout of controls and instruments is generally quite good. It took me a little while to get used to the rear wiper/washer switch being tucked away on the dash behind the steering wheel (why not have it on a column stalk as in other vehicles?) but that's something owners would get used to fairly quickly.

On the road

On the road, the new Accent gives a competent, rather than inspiring, performance. The improved torque of the larger capacity engine, together with the gearing changes, ensures that the manual Accent has good mid-range response and an improved ability to hold onto the higher gears longer.

Around town, the Accent feels lively enough and has absolutely no trouble mixing it with the general traffic flow.

Hyundai seems to have conquered the imprecise manual gearshift that was a feature of several of its earlier models; the manual test Accent had an easy gearchange action.

At the Accent launch, we also drove an automatic model and in hilly conditions, it displayed a propensity to change up and down frequently as the transmission searched for a suitable ratio.

Both in town and out on the open road, the Accent handles easily in a controlled manner. It's no sports car but neither does it exhibit any undesirable traits.

The Accent's front disc/rear drum brake set-up worked quite satisfactorily in normal driving, but it didn't stand up too well to hard usage, with the front brakes becoming smelly and smoky during our testing.