Hyundai Accent value for money

HYUNDAI have put the ‘Accent’ firmly on value for money with the arrival of their £130 million replacement car of that name, which in its former guise sold 1.6 million units...the Korean company’s most successful car.

The all-new Accent is a well-equipped small car for supermini money in a range that offers three and five-door hatchbacks and four-door saloons. We had the three-door for the week.

Roomier, more powerful, neater looking and quieter, the new Accent was totally reengineered from the ground up.

All new is the exterior and interior styling, the chassis and the suspension – MacPherson struts up front and dual-link arrangements at the rear, which help maximise cabin abd boot space.

The car is longer and wider than its predecessor, the wheelbase having been increased by 40mm, overall length by 118mm and width and height by 50mm.

First thing that strikes you about the head on look of the new Accent is the bolder, more aggressive grille. The newly-developed clear headlamps are larger and enhance low and high beam visibility. The rear, too, has been given a sharper look with delta shaped rear combination lamps designed with angles.

Inside is quite roomy although a six-foot colleague found rear room a little challenging on his knees. However, it’s still pretty bland: too much grey and plasticky. The fabric coverings are pleasant enough in a cabin that is light and airy.

The redesigned seats are comfortable with the fully adjustable driver’s seat now benefitting from a new dual height adjustment with lumbar support. The fold-and-forward slide front seat, for access to the rear, does not return to its original setting and irritatingly has to be readjusted every time. The boot size is respectable for the size of car.

Standard equipment, even on our entry model, is impressive and includes central door locking, driver’s airbag, electric front windows, four-speaker stereo/radio cassette, height adjustable driving lights, power steering, rear fog light, remote boot and fuel flap openers, seat belt pretensioners, 60/40 folding split rear seat, body coloured bumpers and side mouldings, immobiliser and 12 months AA membership.

POWER: Hyundai retained their 12-valve fuel-injected 1.3 litre engine but tweaked it to produce 84bhp. It drives well, although not too excitingly, and although quieter than of old, it is still a little noisy in the early gears. However, once into its stride it is quite refined. Top speed is a claimed 108mph with the 0 to 62mph in 12.8 seconds. I averaged 37.5mpg.

Driver enjoyment is enhanced by the sportily, well-balanced power steering but the light gearchange I enjoyed when previewing the Accent last year was notchy this time around. Ride, handling and stability are other areas where improvements have been made. The ride is fairly firm and it is comfortable over most surfaces.

Using a new body structure to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, the engine rides on hydraulic mounts to reduce engine noise by up to 3dB.