Hyundai's Smallest North American Entry Goes Big on Size, Performance and Value
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
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.
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| The third generation Accent is the paternal twin to the Kia Rio. (Photo: Hyundai Canada) |
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
 |
| The three-door hatch bucks the trend of most economy cars by keeping its overall height profile low. (Photo: Hyundai Canada) |
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.