The design of the new Hyundai Accent exhibits confidence and sophistication with sculpted body forms and smoothly contoured lines delivering a new interpretation of Hyundai's signature design language.
The car features Hyundai's cascading grille, a visual signature integral to the company's identity. The grille is flanked by wraparound headlights and available LED signature daytime running lights.
Accent's sweeping roof profile and sharp character lines run the length of the car. These character lines meet available slim LED wraparound taillights. Features such as 17-inch alloy wheels and side mirror LED turn signal indicators add to the upscale feel of the car. The car's form is also functional, achieving balance between design and engineering for standout styling with aerodynamic improvements. The underside of the car is also sculpted for aerodynamics, and a new front-lip spoiler, together with a lower ride height, contributes to Accent's efficient design. All of these attributes allow the 2018 Hyundai Accent to slip through the wind with a 0.28 coefficient of drag.
Compared with the last generation, the 2018 Accent is larger and has more interior room. Accent is wider by 1.2 inches, and the overall length has increased by 0.6 inches, yet its height remains unchanged, giving the car a more grounded stance. The wheelbase has also increased by 0.4 inches, pushing the wheels farther to the corners and improving interior roominess.
Modern Interior Design
Accent's interior continues the modern, confident, sophisticated look seen on the exterior. A driver-oriented layout with intuitive controls combines with improved interior roominess, high-quality materials and premium technology features to raise the standard for subcompacts. Premium, soft-touch materials in key points create an inviting and comfortable environment for the driver and passengers.
A wide instrument panel prominently features a standard backup camera system with a 5-inch or optional 7-inch color TFT LCD display. Beneath the screen, the control panel is laid out in a horizontal design with buttons and controls logically grouped by function.
The seat frame is engineered to be lightweight but extremely strong, to help keep occupants safe in collisions. For added comfort and convenience, passengers enjoy available heated front seats, while the standard rear seats fold with a 60/40 split. Hyundai Accent also offers class-above total interior volume. Accent sedan passenger volume has grown to 103.9 cubic feet. With this figure, Accent is actually classified as a compact car, versus a subcompact car, according to the EPA. In fact, Hyundai Accent has more interior and cargo volume than the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris.
Efficient Powertrain
For 2018, the new Accent receives an updated powertrain tuned for better fuel efficiency and drivability. The updated 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder Gasoline Direct Injected (GDI) engine produces 130 horsepower and 119 lb.-ft. of torque. Compared with the previous-generation Accent, the engine's powerband has improved, with increased low-end torque to make drivability easier.
The 1.6-liter Gamma four-cylinder GDI engine is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel efficiency has also been improved by an estimated 7 percent overall. In the engine, components such as low-friction piston rings, a variable fuel pressure module and upgraded software for the engine control module improve overall operation. Further, improvements to the return springs in the braking system have reduced drive friction. The automatic transmission has also been redesigned to reduce the unit's overall weight by 4 pounds and improve operational efficiency.
In addition, Accents with automatic transmissions include the company's Drive Mode Select feature to adjust both powertrain performance and steering calibration, allowing the driver to customize the driving character by selecting two modes-Normal or Sport-by simply touching a button on the center console.
