Hyundai's Smallest North American Entry Goes Big on Size, Performance and Value | |
| The third generation Accent is the paternal twin to the Kia Rio. (Photo: Hyundai Canada) |
In about the same time it took you to read the headline for this article, Hyundai has announced its all-new three-door Accent. Give or take a few days, within the period of a month, South Korea's biggest carmaker has made good on their Accent SR Concept, one of the unexpected surprises at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, translating it into a much tamer production ready vehicle. Co-developed with subsidiary brand Kia, the third generation Accent is the paternal twin to the Kia Rio; both vehicles share the same drivetrain and architecture, plus many similar features. While Kia offers a practical five-door hatchback version in addition to a sedan, Hyundai aims to perk up its entry-level vehicle lineup by including a sporty 3-door hatch variant to offset the simple if not ordinary Accent four-door sedan. While it's obvious that the production version of the Accent won't be as slick or drool-inducing as the SR Concept, Hyundai has kept the basic
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| The three-door hatch bucks the trend of most economy cars by keeping its overall height profile low. (Photo: Hyundai Canada) |
design consistent. Due to cost related issues, the 3-door will share its more rounded nose with the sedan, as opposed to the concept's edgier and wider headlamps, while the grille is also different, featuring a colour-keyed single-bar design. Without the roof-top spoiler, body kit and rippling fender flares, the production Accent looks less pumped up, but it's still a stylish vehicle. The three-door hatch bucks the trend of most economy cars by keeping its overall height profile low, unlike the new Toyota Yaris or GMDAT Aveo/Wave/Swift+ triplets. A higher metal to glass ratio and high side beltline make it more car-like in appearance, and should help to lure in buyers who aren't keen on tall-roofed two-box subcompacts.