Both inside and out, new Accent was built to impress

What is it?: There will be a day where sales of crossovers and SUVs will eclipse cars, but that isn’t stopping Hyundai from breathing new life into its plucky and not-so-little Accent. The fifth generation grows in almost every dimension and gets a snazzy new look inspired by its bigger brother, the Elantra.

Why does it matter?: The 2018 Accent is one of Hyundai’s bread-and-butter models in Canada, dominating the subcompact segment with 23.7 per cent of the market and having sold more than 430,000 Accents over the past two-plus decades. Like it or not, bargain-basement cars are here to stay. And yet, the Accent is more than a “bargain-basement” compact. Underpinned by Hyundai’s Superstructure platform, the Accent is 32 per cent stiffer than the previous model.

Powertrain options are familiar: a 1.6-litre direct-injected fourcylinder engine pumps out 132 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can have the 1.6-L four-cylinder engine hooked up to a manual or automatic transmission, both with six gears.

The most impressive bit is, arguably, the looks, both inside and out. The Accent is fetching for a subcompact, wearing Hyundai’s trademark cascading grille and optional LED daytime running lights up front. Under the skin, goodies such as push-button start, a seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, are available.

When is it coming?: The 2018 Accent sedan will launch later this year, followed by a hatchback in early 2018. That hatchback, will be exclusive to Canada.