Accent punches above its weight class
It is amazing how capable and well-equipped entry-level cars have become. The days of “cheap and cheerful” — i.e., wind-up windows, rubber floor coverings and a three- or fourspeed transmission — are history.
Take, for example, the 2018 Hyundai Accent. The company had not yet released pricing at the time of this writing, but we can expect the new 2018 Accent to start at or near the $14,000 point.
The least expensive trim level, the L model, comes with a electronically-controlled, four-cylinder engine with all the latest technologies. It has a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, 13-cm colour touchscreen, USB, Apple and MP3 inputs, power windows, power locks and a rear-view camera.
Arguably more impressive is the list of features that are standard on the top-trim GLS model I tested. The list would have been impressive on a $50,000 luxury car a few years ago — 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated, power mirrors; power sunroof, heated front seats, Bluetooth wireless connectivity with voice-recognition, 18-cm colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, automatic climate control, heated, tilt and telescope steering wheel; cruise control, power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, rear-view camera, forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking.
All this on a car I expect will be priced below $20,000. We have indeed come a long way. There is a very good reason cost-conscious Canadians have made the Accent the bestselling small car in the country for five years in a row.
The fifth-generation Accent comes in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles. Our neighbours to the south do not get the hatchback version. The sedan comes in LE, GL and GLS trim levels. The hatchback adds a base L version.
Riding on a new platform, it looks much like big-brother/ sister Elantra. The interior has been redone as well, moving upscale considerably in terms not only of design and content, but also the materials used.
The new Accent is 29 mm wider, 15 mm longer, and rides on a wheelbase that has grown 10 mm, resulting in a larger interior.
The EPA, which rates vehicles according to passenger and cargo space, classifies the 2018 Elantra as a compact car, even though it competes in the subcompact category.
The 2018 Accent, in GLS trim comes with forward collision warning, a vitally important safety feature that monitors the situation ahead, warning of an impending problem, and automatically applying the brakes should the driver fail to take corrective action.
Accent is powered (relatively speaking), by a 1.6-litre engine, producing 132-horsepower and a rather paltry 119 lb.-ft. of torque. The latter number prevents it from becoming impressive — but it is competitive with others in the segment.
It is also a thrifty little thing, averaging 7.2 litres for every 100 km during the cold weather of the test week.
When the road develops the bends, the Accent acquits itself well. Both steering and brakes provide ample feedback and a sense of security often missing in small, light cars, with a fairly basic suspension design and short wheelbase.
That also holds true for ride quality. Here again the Accent punches above its weight class.
The 2018 Hyundai Accent may compete in the “entrylevel” segment but it is much more than that.