Hyundai Accent road test review

South Korean brand's updated entry-level hatch offers great value with a no-frills experience

November 24 2015

Toby Hagon

Hyundai's new entry-level Accent 1.4L offers a solid option for those on a budget. Photo: Supplied
Hyundai's new entry-level Accent 1.4L offers a solid option for those on a budget. Photo: Supplied
Hyundai's new entry-level Accent 1.4L offers a solid option for those on a budget. Photo: Supplied
Hyundai's new entry-level Accent 1.4L offers a solid option for those on a budget. Photo: Supplied
Hyundai's new entry-level Accent 1.4L offers a solid option for those on a budget. Photo: Supplied
Hyundai's new entry-level Accent 1.4L offers a solid option for those on a budget. Photo: Supplied

Drive rating	5.5/10 Scoring breakdown
Owner rating	0/10 See all reviews
Price	$16,990
Body type	hatchback
Safety	Rating: Rating: 5 out of 5 stars Ancap rated
Engine size	1.4L,4 cylinder
Performance	Power: 74kW Torque: 133Nm
Fuel economy	6.2 L/100 Km
Pros	Spacious for its price CVT works well with modest engine Five-year warranty
Cons	Jittery ride Average grip from small tyres Performance dulled noticeably by hills
See Hyundai Accent 2015 full specs

Scoring breakdown

How is this calculated? Hide scoring breakdown

Value	7/10
Performance	3/10
Economy	4/10
Safety	6/10
Handling	5/10
Comfort	6/10
Connectivity	4/10
Space	7/10
Servicing costs	8/10
Resale value	3/10
Overall rating	5.5/10
See Hyundai Accent 2015 full specs

Hyundai has made massive leaps in recent years to shift away from the $13,990 drive-away screamers that helped put the brand on the Aussie new-car map in the 1990s and early 2000s. These days Hyundai sells plenty of $50,000-plus large SUVs, some more affordable mid-sized cars and smaller SUVs, and even the sporty Veloster coupe.

But the entry end of the market is still important to Hyundai, which is why there was, understandably, some internal panic at the prospect of losing the brand's most affordable model, the i20. For more than a year Hyundai Australia mulled the new gen i20 and the smaller i10. But with both set to be produced only in Turkey, the cost equation didn't add up, especially when compared with the outgoing Indian-made i20.

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South Korean brand's updated entry-level hatch offers great value with a no-frills experience.

So the brand went on the hunt for a replacement, something that ended up already being in local dealerships – sort of. The Accent was the stepping stone between the i20 and i30/Elantra, but it has now had its price chopped and the i20's 1.4-litre engine fitted to the new Active model. It's a simple move, but one Hyundai hopes will fill what would have been a big sales void.

What do you get?

Unsurprisingly there's a lack of frills in the basic Accent. Sure, you get air-conditioning, power windows (with auto up-down only for the driver's window) and six airbags (dual front, front-side and side curtain) as well as the stability control system required by law. Impressively, there are seatbelt reminders for all occupants.

But there's no cruise control, the monochrome touchscreen is a puny 5.0 inches, and the wheels are small 14-inch units with plastic covers instead of the fancier alloy treatment. But, hey, at least there's a full-size spare tyre, something of a rarity in the showroom of 2015 – even more so at the bottom of the market.

Despite some rivals fitting a reversing camera standard, it's not available in the Accent (although dealers or auto electricians can easily fit an aftermarket one).

While a six-speed manual kicks the range off, it's the vastly more popular CVT (continuously variable transmission) auto that is the focus of the brand's marketing push. The official price tag for that CVT model says 16,990 plus on-road and dealer costs. But, as always at this end of the market, there are deals to be had and in the case of the Accent auto it's currently $15,990 drive-away, making it one of the most affordable five-door four-cylinders on the market.

If you want more gear, there's an SR model with the familiar 1.6-litre engine (formerly the only Accent's offering) that picks up daytime running lights, auto headlights, a luggage net, front centre arm rest with storage, a rear spoiler and 16-inch alloys.

All come with the great five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

What's inside?

Space is the key sales pitch with the Accent. Sure, it's a city hatchback, but compared with similarly priced options it has generous boot space and rear leg and headroom to keep adults content. Life in the rear is far from luxurious, though, with knee room imposed on once the front seats are slid towards the rear of their travel. There are no rear air vents, either.

Up front things are more generous although you don't have to look far to see evidence of cost cutting. It starts with the urethane steering wheel that feels cheap, and flows through to some of the harder plastics and finishes.

At least the aesthetics are reasonable, though, with a golf ball-like dimple to the top of the dash and a modern pattern to the seat material that feels like it will resist wear over time.

There's generally a lack of colour, though, with grey the dominant hue; the instrument cluster is plain white with a monochrome white trip computer, while the central display screen is bright blue (and too bright at night for country roads, even when dimmed to its lowest level).

Storage is also OK, with cupholders and binnacles between the front seats, although there's no cover to keep valuables out of sight; for that you'll have to use the modest glovebox.

Or the boot, which is deep and accommodating, albeit with a large lip to load items over. There's a cover to conceal what's in the boot as well as a 60/40 split-fold rear seat for additional loading flexibility.

Under the bonnet

The biggest change with this tweak to the Accent is under the bonnet, with the familiar 1.6 replaced in the Active models by a 1.4-litre. It's the same basic engine from the i20 that recently disappeared from the range, and drops power from 103kW to just 74kW.

On paper, then, it's not a great story – 26 per cent less power in a car that's only 30kg lighter.

In reality, though, the power deficit is not as noticeable, mainly because when you opt for the automatic transmission – most small car buyers do, and it's the focus of Hyundai's marketing for the Accent – it comes with a CVT auto that does a great job of delving into what little grunt the four-cylinder has to offer.

Without fixed gear ratios the engine responds briskly to throttle inputs; only occasionally does it hesitate when re-applying the accelerator. And whereas smaller engines linked to an auto can often be busy darting between two or three gears to try to keep things rowing along, the Accent's CVT is smoother and less obtrusive in the way it chases power.

It's far from perfect; a decent hill slows progress and will have the engine hovering enthusiastically around 4000-5000rpm, at which point it's fairly noisy.

Fuel use, too, is borderline acceptable, claimed at 6.2 litres per 100km (0.4L/100km less than the auto version of the 1.6). In predominantly suburban driving we averaged 8.9L/100km.

On the road

There's nothing particularly exciting with the way the Accent goes about its business on the road. Suspension has respectable compliance at higher speeds but can jiggle about on second-rate city surfaces. And there's notable road noise approaching freeway speeds, too.

The tyres are small and quite thin – just 175mm across and 14 inches in diameter – and don't offer much in the way of grip. Push too hard in a bend and they'll begin to squeal in protest as they reach their limits of adhesion.

Steering accuracy, too, is nothing special, especially on initial inputs off-centre, with some initial play before it begins to change direction. It all feels pretty floppy if you up the tempo too much.

Think of the Accent as more of a gentle and reliable around-town companion. It's clearly more about getting to the destination rather than enjoying the drive.

Verdict

It's basic motoring that's starting to show its age. Yet despite the drop in power from previous Accents, the CVT mated to the 'new' 1.4-litre engine does a decent job around town, with performance that's perky enough. The driving equation is still towards the back end of the budget car market, though, something at least partially offset by tempting drive-away deals.