2012 Hyundai Accent

The New York Auto Show is fast becoming a busy event with automakers left and right introducing their new 2012 model line up of vehicles.

In the middle of all the chaos, Korean automaker Hyundai presented the all-new 2012 Accent, a car that promises to take the popularity of its predecessors to a whole new level. Thanks in large part to the car’s new and upscale "Fluidic Sculpture" design, the new Accent sure looks like it doesn’t belong in the subcompact market anymore.

At the very least, it’s changing the game in the market. “The 2012 Hyundai Accent reinvigorates the subcompact segment, similar to what the game-changing Sonata and Elantra have done in their categories,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Product and Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor America.

On top of the Accent’s new design, Hyundai made no bones about the car’s performance and capabilities, promoting the car as a class-leader across the board.

“The Accent’s class-leading standard fuel economy is another showcase of Hyundai’s dedication to improving fuel efficiency with advancements to traditional gasoline powered vehicles and is the fourth nameplate in Hyundai’s lineup delivering 40 mpg on the highway,” O’Brien said.

While it’s easy to promote the car given the drastic changes done to it, we’ll reserve all our judgments until we get to experience the new Accent first-hand. But for now, we do have to give props to Hyundai for a design well-done. Who knew that their "Fluidic Sculpture" language would translate well to the Accent too?

Details on the Hyundai Accent after the jump.

Exterior and Interior

It came a little later than we anticipated, but the 2012 Accent has finally arrived to join Hyundai’s new sporting line. Featuring the same "Fluidic Sculpture" design that has made this generation’s line of Hyundai vehicles popular, the 2012 Accent’s overall is all loads of dynamic. The new Accent makes use of Hyundai’s signature hexagonal front grille and detailed swept-back headlights, giving it a compact athletic face to go along with the impressive powertrain. To provide some variety, the five-door SE variant of the Accent was given a sporty roof-mounted spoiler and vertical taillights.

The Accent is available in a number of exterior colors, including Century White, Ironman Silver, Cyclone Gray, Ultra Black, Boston Red, Mocha Bronze, Marathon Blue, Clearwater Blue, and Electrolyte Green. These colors complement the gray or beige two-tone interior that the Accent comes in.

For the 2012 model, Hyundai decided to drop the three-door model, opting instead to have three different trim levels for which customers can choose from: the four-door GLS model, the five-door GS model, and the top-of-the-line SE model.

The four-door Accent GLS model has plenty of standard features added to it. They include: Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS), front, side and head curtain airbags, Vehicle Stability Management, ABS, EBD, and brake assist with four-wheel disc brakes, front seatbelt pretensioner, active front head restraints, adjustable head restraints for all seating positions, a tachometer, cabin air filter, power door locks, four speakers, tilt steering wheel, driver seat armrest, front door map pockets, front passenger seatback pocket, 60/40 split folding rear seatback, dual vanity mirrors, map, dome and cargo lights, a six-way adjustable driver seat including height adjustment, front two-speed intermittent wiper, tinted glass, a rear defroster with timer, air conditioning, an AM/FM/Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with tweeters, iPod/USB auxiliary input jacks, and a roof-mounted antenna.

The GLS A/T version can also be given a premium package, one that includes remote keyless entry with panic, a steering wheel mounted audio controls, cruise control, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, premium cloth seats, chrome inside door handle, piano black accents, sunglasses holder, sliding armrest storage box, front fog lights, body-color handles, and a set of 16" alloy wheels with 195/50R16 tires.

Meanwhile, the five-door GS model is decked to the brim with its own set of features, including ABS, EBD, and brake assist with four-wheel disc brakes, Vehicle Stability Management, front, side and head curtain airbags, front seatbelt pretensioner, active front head restraints, adjustable head restraints for all seating positions, a tachometer, air conditioning, driver seat armrest, power windows, mirrors & door locks with remote keyless entry with panic system, cloth door insert, tilt steering wheel, front door map pockets, front passenger seatback pocket, 60/40 split rear seatback, dual vanity mirrors, map, dome and cargo lights, six-way adjustable driver seat with height adjustment, front two-speed intermittent wiper, tinted glass, bodycolor mirrors and door handles, rear defroster with timer, roof-mounted antenna, rear wiper, an • AM/FM/Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with 6 speakers, iPod/USB auxiliary input jacks, and roof antenna, and a set of 14" steel wheels wrapped in 175/70R14 low rolling resistance tires.

The five-door SE model comes with the same standard equipment from the GS model with some notable additions, including cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, premium cloth seats, chrome inside door handles, Piano black accents, a sliding armrest storage box, front fog lights, a rear spoiler, and a set of 16" alloy wheels with 195/50R16 tires.

Performance

The 2012 Accent comes with an all-aluminum 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder engine that delivers 138 horsepower and 123 lb/ft of torque, the best of its class in both departments. The Accent makes use of GDI, which allows for better fuel economy, increased power, and reduced emissions all by controlling the injection of fuel into the engine.

The Accent comes with the application of Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT) on both the intake and exhaust camshafts while also featuring an Alternator Management System, an offset crankshaft design, variable induction system, and electronic throttle control.

Pricing

Pricing for the 2012 Accent begins with the GLS four-door fetching a sticker of $12,445 whereas the GS five-door comes in at $14,595.

Competition

To give you a better understanding of just how far ahead of its class the Hyundai Accent is over its rivals, check out the table below and you’ll immediately notice that this new Korean sub-compact has the leg up in just about every important category.

	2012 Accent	2011 Honda Fit	2011 Ford Fiesta	2011 Toyota Yaris	2011 Nissan Versa	2011 Chevrolet Aveo	2011 Mazda2
Engine	1.6-liter I4	1.5-liter I4	1.6-liter I4	1.5-liter I4	1.6-liter I4	1.6-liter I4	1.5-liter I4
HP @ RPM	138 @ 6,300	117 @ 6,600	120 @ 6,350	106 @ 6,000	107 @ 6,000	108 @ 6,400	100 @ 6,000
Specific output (HP/Liter)	86	78	75	71	67	68	67
Torque @ RPM	123 @ 4,850	106 @ 4,800	112 @ 5,000	103 @ 4,200	111 @ 4,600	105 @ 4,000	98 @ 4,000
Transmission	6MT or 6AT	5MT or 5AT	5MT or 6AT	5MT or 4AT	5MT or 4AT	5MT or 4AT	5MT or 4AT
MPG (M/T) (C/H)	30/40	27/33	28/37	29/36	26/34	27/35	29/35
MPG (A/T) (C/H)	30/40	28/35	29/38	29/35	25/33	25/34	27/33