Background: The South Korean-built, subcompact Accent replaced the venerable Excel as Hyundai's entry-level offering in the 1996 model year. Hyundai sold its first car (the Excel) in the United States back in 1986. Today, Hyundai operates close to 500 dealerships nationwide. In addition to the subcompact Accent, Hyundai markets the subcompact Elantra, introduced in 1991; mid-size Sonata, introduced in 1989 and the sporty Tiburon which debuted in the 1997 model year. Hyundai's primary marketing niche includes smaller, entry-level, low-priced automobiles targeted at young families and young singles who desire buying new, rather than pre-owned cars.
Trim levels: The front-wheel drive Accent is available as either a two-door hatchback or four-door sedan. Two-door hatchbacks are available in three trim levels for the 1998 model year: Accent L, Accent GS and Accent GSi. The GSi replaces the Accent GT from last year. Sedans are sold exclusively in a GL trim level. We had the opportunity to sample a two-door Accent GS.
New for 1998: The revised 1998 Accent features a new hood, rear decklid, tail lamps, wheel covers, bodyside moldings and halogen headlights for the 1998 model year.
Safety: All Accents come equipped with dual air bags, side-impact protection, five-mile per hour energy absorbing bumpers, collapsible steering column and front and rear crumple zones. A four-channel anti-lock brake system is available with the automatic transmission option. Rear child safety locks are standard in the sedan model.
Price: The least expensive two-door Accent L starts at $9,099 while a top-of-the-line GSi two-door checks in at $10,699. Our test car, a two-door GS included a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $9,899. with air conditioning, mud guards and floor mats, the bottom line totaled $11,443 including a $435 destination charge. The four-door Accent starts at $10,299.
Standard equipment: Like most lower-priced, entry-level offerings, base models feature the least number of standard features, and the list grows the higher one travels up the trim level ladder. All Accents include five-speed manual transmission, rear defogger, halogen headlamps, front door map pockets, intermittent wipers, remote fuel-door release lever and remote outside mirrors.
Optional equipment: Air conditioning, four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive and moonroofs are not available in L editions, but are optional on all other offerings. Power windows are offered only in GSi models. Rear windshield wipers come standard in GS and GSi hatchback models only.
Engine: All Accents are powered by the same engine; a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, single overhead cam, 92-horsepower, multi-port fuel injected unit. All Accents have power rack and pinion steering with the exception of the entry-level "L" edition which includes manual rack-and-pinion steering.
Interior: Headlights activate from the turn signal stalk. Windshield wipers operate from a right-hand side stalk. A hand-operated parking brake is found between the front bucket seats, and there are several storage crannies and map pockets for loose tollway change and other items. Dual beverage holders slide out from the dashboard and when in use, cans do block any dashboard controls. The fuel tank release lever is left of the driver's seat on the floor. Two dials control fan direction and temperature settings while a sliding lever monitors blower speed. The stereo system is positioned above ventilation controls. A digital clock, separate from the radio frequency display is included in all Accents except entry-level L's. The interior gets more soundproofing this season thanks to improved technology and reduced vibrations and idle noise.
Seating comfort: Front head room is adequate. The front bucket seats, however, did not travel as far back as I would have liked, making legroom a bit tight. Cloth seats are standard in all trim levels. When sitting in the rear, one finds adequate leg room but head room is tight for anyone over 6-feet tall. Two riders fit most comfortable in back, three would be a crowd. In GS and GSi hatchbacks, back seat rests include a 60/40 split. A full-folding rear seat is standard fare in L hatchbacks and GL sedans.
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 94.5 inches Overall width: 161.5 inches Overall width: 63.8 inches Overall height: 54.9 inches Front headroom: 38.7 inches Weight: 2,101 pounds
Exterior: The locking fuel door is located on the driver's side, rear quarter panel while the fixed mast radio antenna is kitty corner on the right front fender. Bumpers and body side molding are the exterior color. The hood flows downward towards the front bumper and triangle-shaped headlights. A circular Hyundai logo is at the base of the hood and no front grille is present. The 45-degree angled rear windshield flows down into the squared-off hatchback/low-liftover trunk region. The hatchback opens via a hidden handle once unlocked. Fourteen-inch performance rated tires with aluminum alloy wheels come standard in the GSi hatchback. Thirteen-inch steel-belted radials with deluxe full wheelcovers are included in the GS hatchback and GL sedan. Entry-level L editions feature 13-inch steel-belted radials with styled steel wheels. Exterior colors include Ebony Black, Jungle Green, Cherry Red, Plum Mist, Noble White, Cool Silver, Indigo Cape Blue and Madras Green.
Fuel economy: Accents with manual transmission check in at 28 miles per gallon city and 36 m.p.g. highway, average for the subcompact arena. When linked with an automatic transmission, figures dropped slightly to 27 m.p.g. city and 35 m.p.g. highway. With 6,400 odometer miles, we clocked 31 m.p.g. in combined driving. The tank holds 11.9 gallons of unleaded fuel.
Trunk: The hatchback area, with the back seat folded up, holds 16.1 cubic feet of space. The spare temporary tire is under the flat-floor cargo area.
Final thoughts: Accent's 92-horsepower engine packs more power then the Chevrolet Metro, whose largest powertrain delivers only 79 horsepower. Average handling characteristics were coupled with plenty of play in the steering wheel. Hyundai is South Korea's largest automaker. During the past decade, Hyundai has made a conscious effort, investing time, research and money to improve the quality and image of their car lineup. Despite Asia's current economic downturn, two other South Korean automakers are making inroads into the Chicago area. Kia began selling its Sephia compact sedan and Sportage sport utility earlier this year at 16 Chicago-area dealers. Daewoo is scheduled to open a Hoffman Estates location next spring, selling three different models.