Hyundai has snipped its popular light car range from three to two.

Gone are the separate Active hatch and sedan and SR hatch tiers, which has been replaced with a solo Accent Sport line-up that effectively replaces the SR-spec model.

The South Korean brand has raised the point of entry for it cheapest offering with the new range kicking off from $15,490 before on-road costs, which is a rise of $500 compared to the previous base Active model.

Available in either a hatch or sedan body, the Accent Sport is powered by the 103kW/167Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the superseded SR variant, while the smaller 1.4-litre engine has been jettisoned.

Each body type has the option of either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, with power delivered to the front wheels.

The addition of the direct injection engine as standard places the Accent Sport in an interesting position, as it outguns its rivals like the 80kW Yaris and 81kW Mazda2 and VW Polo while featuring a similar price point.

However, standard equipment for the Accent Sport remains fairly modest with the highlights including 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, 5.0-inch touchscreen which is compatible with AppleCarPlay, Bluetooth and six airbags.

2017 Hyundai Accent Sport prices*

Hatch/sedan manual - $15,490

Hatch/sedan auto - $17,490

*All prices exclude on-road costs

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