We're living the plot of five different movies as we drive the Vegas Strip, but not a soul steals a glance at our Electrolyte Green 2012 Hyundai Accent SE Hatchback. Probably couldn't get anyone to notice a Gatorade-hued Phantom, either, as all eyes are fixed on the fountains at the Bellagio.
Outside of this overwrought utopia, though, the redesigned 2012 Accent commands a second look. It's the latest humdrum Hyundai commuter car to be recast as the hero car of its segment. Its class-leading horsepower (138) and fuel economy (30 city/40 highway mpg) have grabbed the headlines, but the transformation runs deeper than the numbers.
The 2012 Hyundai Accent has become a real car. It's not a cheerless subcompact for the worker bee who can't afford anything better. Rather, this five-door hatchback, along with its sedan companion, is the kind of car that inspires said bee to get out and see the country when he's not working.
More Power, More MPG
We're feeling inspired as soon as we floor the throttle on the I-515 freeway on our way out of Vegas. The 2012 Hyundai Accent's new, all-aluminum 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is as smooth and free-revving as we remember from our first ride in the Veloster.
By far the most sophisticated engine ever offered in a small Hyundai, this 1.6-liter features direct injection and variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side. Hyundai has raised compression to 11.0:1 (versus 10:1 on the old iron-block 1.6-liter engine in last year's Accent), and the results look really good on paper: The 2012 Accent is rated at 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 123 pound-feet of torque at 4,850 rpm.
Although the upcoming Chevrolet Sonic will top that torque figure, right now nobody else even comes close. The Ford Fiesta is closest with 120 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque, while the Honda Fit is good for 117 hp and 106 lb-ft. The Mazda 2 has just 100 hp and 98 lb-ft at its disposal. The 2011 Accent was down there in the trenches with 110 hp and 106 lb-ft.
The 2012 Hyundai Accent's torque advantage is obvious merging into traffic. We just don't have to try very hard in our SE hatchback, which has a six-speed automatic driving its front wheels (quite an upgrade from the four-speed auto on the 2010 model). A manual transmission with six forward gears is also available, and our colleague James Riswick reports that it's unexpectedly precise through the gates. Normally, we'll push you to get a manual gearbox if you're shopping subcompacts, but this automatic is smooth with upshifts and quick enough with downshifts that you're not missing much. Hyundai expects 80 percent of Accent buyers to get the automatic.
Company officials tell us the Accent will hit 60 mph "in the 9s," which is likely conservative, as we timed our manual-shift long-term 2009 Fit at 8.9 seconds to 60. Even with an automatic, the Accent feels at least as quick. Moreover, the Hyundai only weighs 2,654 pounds (just 40 pounds more than the Honda) in its heaviest configuration.
All 2012 Accents earn a 30 city/40 highway mpg EPA fuel economy rating, which beats every other car in this class. Only a Fiesta SE with the SFE package (29/40) comes close. The Mazda 2 does no better than 29/35, while the most efficient Fit returns 28/35.
Inspired by the Fiesta
Hyundai chassis engineer David Thilenius tells us he brought two cars along while working out the suspension calibration for the U.S.-spec Accent — the Fit and Fiesta.
"I'm a real fan of the Fiesta," he says. "I think it's a really nice balance, and of the two, the Fiesta is a little better target for a Hyundai-brand vehicle."
Our initial impression of the 2012 Hyundai Accent SE Hatchback is that it offers a good balance, too. The car feels buttoned down yet compliant on the freeway, and it doesn't get unsettled over bumps as easily as the larger Elantra.
We'd rather be in a Mazda 2 on a back road. We'd choose the Accent for the drive home from Vegas.
There aren't many corners to attack along our route, but it's clear Hyundai wasn't trying to make the Accent as overtly sporty as a Mazda 2 or Fit. However, our SE hatchback feels capable enough, and the engineers did a fine job tuning the electric-assist power steering (EPS), as the effort level feels right whether you're on- or off-center.
Hyundai is offering two different wheel-tire combinations on the 2012 Accent. Standard on the GLS sedan and the base GS hatchback are a meek set of P175/70TR14 Hankooks. Predictably, none of the cars at our event have those tires. Instead, we sampled the P195/50R16 Kumho Solus KH25 rubber that comes standard on the SE hatchback (it's optional on the GLS sedan). Accents with the 16-inch tires have higher-effort steering (thanks to a calibration change in the electric power steering system), but the same 14.9:1 steering ratio.
Unusual for this class, all 2012 Hyundai Accents come with four-wheel disc brakes — 10.1-inch ventilated discs in front and 10.3-inch solid discs in back with single-piston sliding calipers all around.
Five Doors Instead of Three
No doubt you've noticed the 2012 Hyundai Accent hatchback has shown up with an extra pair of rear doors, and this change comes by popular demand.
"People didn't like getting in the back of the three-door hatchback," says Brandon Ramirez, the lead U.S. product planner for the Accent. The extra doors, along with a 2.8-inch-longer wheelbase (now 101.2 inches and second only to the Nissan Versa), make it painless for 6-footers to sit in the back of our Accent SE hatch. For comparison, the 2012 Accent sedan has the same wheelbase and the same interior dimensions (save for slightly less rear headroom), but is 10 inches longer overall at 172 even.
The 2012 Accent's front seats are also plenty roomy, and there's no need for a 5-foot, 10-inch driver to max out the seat-track travel. The handsome, leather-wrapped steering wheel doesn't telescope, but the seating position still works for us and visibility is good in all directions. Probably the most striking thing about this cabin is the care Hyundai put into its finishes and grain patterns. Lots of plastic is inevitable in this price range, but the presentation is nicer than in the Fit and Mazda 2.
Although the sedan has a respectably sized 13.7-cubic-foot trunk, the Accent hatchback is the one you want if hauling dogs or bikes. Its 21.2-cubic-foot bay expands to 47.5 cubic feet when you drop the seats. That should be enough for most, but the Honda Fit is still the most versatile hatchback in this class and tops out at 57.3 cubic feet.
How It's Equipped
We've come to assume that all Hyundais will pack in a ridiculous level of feature content, but at this lean end of the market, the company decided it couldn't include everything. So you can't get a factory navigation system (as seen on the Fit), keyless ignition (as on the Fiesta and Versa) or the BlueLink voice control interface (as on the Sync-equipped Fiesta) on any 2012 Accent.
Still, this is a better-equipped car than before, not least because ABS and stability control are now standard across the board. You'll still pay extra for air-conditioning and power windows on the Accent GLS sedan, but these items are standard on both the GS and SE hatchbacks. Auxiliary and USB inputs are also included on the hatchbacks (and optional on the sedan), and Bluetooth (for phone calls, not streaming audio) is standard on our SE hatch.
As is traditional on very small cars, an automatic transmission will cost you dearly. It's a $1,000 upgrade on the SE hatchback and costs even more on the GLS and GS because you have to buy it in combination with other options.
No Longer for Low Rollers
Although the $17,555 price tag on our 2012 Hyundai Accent SE is only $660 above last year's SE hatchback, there's no question this car has moved uptown. Last year, you could get into a bare-bones Accent GL hatchback for $10,735. Now your cheapest way in is a manual-shift GLS sedan for $13,205.
The 2012 Accent is still less expensive than comparably equipped Fits and Fiestas, but it costs more than a Mazda 2. Yes, indeed, a Hyundai costs more than a Mazda.
Yet on the basis of its drivetrain alone, the 2012 Hyundai Accent is worth the extra money. It offers a lot more power (and gears) than we're used to getting in this class, and it backs that up with a well-sorted suspension and a nicely furnished cabin.
And even though we'd rather be in a Mazda 2 or Fit on a back road, we'd choose the Hyundai Accent for the drive home from Vegas.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
Add A Comment »
mmj10021 says:
02:48 PM, 02/01/2012
Is anyone out there with the 2012 Accent, premium package having issues with the automatic tranmission shifting a lot when in cruise control? Mine shifts constantly!! It's very annoying and I've taken it to two dealers and they can't fix it....
mmj10021 says:
02:46 PM, 02/01/2012
@ myersbw ~ If you press display on the upper right of the radio the screen blackens out... it would be nice if it would dim more... it also would be nice if turned the radio down when the car noise quieted.
myersbw says:
11:18 AM, 01/28/2012
I've had my loaded 2012 Accent SE for about a month now...love it. It's a well-balanced machine. Sprite and fuel efficient. Only thing I can say is...the power window controls feel a bit on the "thin" side (might be the first to fail in years to come). I'd also wish the audio system display would dim more than it does. That's it...the rest is all good!
Also, Erin's article was good, but the Bluetooth actually will do both calls and music (mp3 mode...no HUD interface) if you direct an iPhone's audio out to bluetooth. I added a cheap ($1.99 US) navigation app (Motion GPS, I believe) to my phone and it will mute/reduce he iTunes music to push the voice directions through the sound system.
My dealership had it right...load it up with every conceivable option and it'll drive right off the lot.
BradM
averan says:
09:43 AM, 08/27/2011
I bought the 2012 Accent SE about a month ago and absolutely love it!!
It beats all other sub/compact hatchbacks on paper as well as in the test drive. I drove a Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Matrix and Kia Forte5 and the Hyundai Accent hatchback was the only one that felt perfectly tuned and 'dialed-in'. The Fiesta was closest in price and specs, but felt like a cheap gimmick in comparison. The Accent feels like a luxury car and rides so smooth. You can hardly tell when it shifts it is so smooth! And it was the only car (apart from the Forte5) that had a perfectly balanced suspension....not too soft, not too hard.
I once owned a 91 Honda Civic Si which I loved. The 2012 Hyundai Accent SE is the modern equivalent and I know I'll have this car for years to come!
This is the first car I've owned that I didn't feel like I had to compromise on anything. It is everything I've ever wanted in a hatchback. =) Plenty of power, manual shift option, super smooth auto transmission, near-hybrid mpg, unique and cool looking design, smooth and continuous action on the brake and gas pedals with a sporty yet supple ride.
I've never loved a car like I love my Accent!
Do your research online and then get your butt in one for a test drive. You will immediately feel the difference compared to other hatches in the <$20k price range! The proof is in the pudding. ;)
digreedoo says:
10:30 PM, 07/23/2011
It is kind of interesting to see all these comments about Honda civic reliability.
As I recall My 1978 honda civic blew 3 engines because it drove the oil pump
from the camshaft using undersized gear that would wear out and strip.
honda had since relocated the oil pump to the crank shaft.
Basically what I am trying to say is that every dog has its day.
As far as nicest car I had driven I would say that 1964 ford cortina would take the
cake, even today. "Nice" is hard to quantify but driving around hairpin bends
that turn onto themselves ,every day to work seems to be a part of that equation.
I drove that car for 8 years, my friend for ten, and his coworker is still driving it
to work. I do have a Hyundai accent 2008 and bought it for $9000.00 brand new
I did not expect much and did not get much more, but it starts at minus 40 and gets me there.
I think for all its worth, companies become complacent as years go by and others slowly close the gap
and then overtake. There are too many car companies on the market and some will have to
loose market share and maybe it might be Hyundai that is the winner, who knows, lets wait and see.
But we live in interesting times and innovations abound, and perhaps these might determine the winner as fuel prices double over next 10 years. Some of these innovatons are by fiat ( intake valve "on" time variation ...increases efficiency by 10%) and SAAB (variable compression ratio ...increases efficiency by 10%) and lets not forget braking energy recovery.
litewerk says:
09:04 PM, 06/29/2011
I'm liking what i see in the pics, the specs and the first drive review. I've felt and told people for several years that Hyundai/Kia are in the process of overtaking Toyota and Honda, and becoming what they once were.
We often hear that Honda and Toyota have a superior resale value, but how is that even meaningful when you pay thousands more for a comparable car from the initial purchase. I'm in with the crowd that says get what meets your needs and pay less and finance less. The strong points of one car sway me far more than the resale value of another. For me, if I buy something I really like, I'm not going to be trading it in after only 3 years. My current daily driver is twelve years old and still going strong.
carlos20 says:
01:19 PM, 06/27/2011
What most disturb me about the Hyundai/Kia rise is . its so stupid and simple that not need
any analisis. So simple that Mazda, Subaru, Mitsu or Suzuki have years and years building
greats car, trailing Honda & Toyota but never know that adding some USB, IPOD conections and unrealistics warranties , low few thousands dollars and have thousands of people typing ¨´my next car is a Hyundai, I was a Honda owner, Im amazed with Hyundai ¨´ help to sell cars ?.
Why Mazda, Mitsu or Subaru are unable to make this turnaround ?, even for Toyota & Honda
its will be difficult, Why for Hyundai is so easy ?. Why all cars they built are so pleased recived
by the press ?. Why test anothers cars when you know the results., it like a well writen chapter.
tonkatoytruck says:
07:24 AM, 06/26/2011
Hockey9133,
I hear what you are saying and I agree with you that Honda makes a VERY reliable product. The problem is, you pay a premium for that reliability and that is what has me torn over my next car purchase in the next few months. My priorities are gas mileage, reliability, and cost. The Hyundai Elantra gets marginally better gas mileage than the Honda on paper but lets call it a tie. The Honda is obviously the winner of the reliability comparison, hands down. Once again, the Hyundai comes back to be the obvious winner based on price (a $3600 difference when comparing top trim levels). So, what have I left out? Oh. Ride and features. The Honda Civic has a better ride when encountering holes and bad road but the Elantra is not too far behind. But, when it comes to features, the Elantra walks ALL over the Civic. Starting with a 6 speed trans, heater front and rear seats. back up camera, keyless entry, POWER seats, a beautiful leather interior, and a warranty that really starts to ask the question, "is the price difference worth it?". I take reliability very seriously because I tend to keep my cars for their lifetime. But, I can spend a lot less, get a lot more, and still feel confident for the first ten years that I will not be spending any more on the vehicle than if I had bought the Honda outright. I guess the thing that bothers me most about Honda is that they are cutting corners to maximize profit. They are resting on their hind end and milking their investment for every last dime. Meanwhile, the competition is surpassing them in many respects that magnifies Hondas foot dragging. Just think how nice a Civic could be if it had all the features of the Hyundai and the reliability it already provides. My decision would be a slam dunk and Honda would have no competition. It is already loosing to Ford and Mazda on the popularity front. I still have time to make a decision but I am leaning toward Hyundai. If they are willing to really improve their product and take risks, I am willing to give them a chance for their efforts.
hockey9133 says:
11:08 PM, 06/24/2011
its a good feeling for a honda owner when every single review(and the subsequent comments by readers) of a ford, chevy, hyundai and kia are being compared to hondas in their class. bash honda all you want, they still make great cars that are reliable and smart, without being flashy and gimmicky like most of the crap out there today. the accord has been the best car in its class since the 70s, and only now has everyone else started to make something actually worth looking at. is it because these cars are on-par engineering wise? no. its because these cars are all flashy sheet-metal, cheap prices, and all gadgets that people never really use. look at JD Powers quality ratings, honda is on top. sure ford offers "MyFordTouch" and "Sync", but it lead to their horrible quality ratings this year. and for every1 complaining about honda's use of 5 speed automatics... they get the same, if not better gas mileage than their american counterparts(who have six speed auto-manuals). i give props to hyundai for not making complete piles of shit they made just 2 years ago, but come on, enough with the hype; time will tell if these things fall apart. fyi, i never had to use the warranty for any of the 4 hondas ive had in my life
leftyj114 says:
11:00 AM, 06/23/2011
With all these upgrades they should have changed the name. The name "accent" evokes a real P.O.S. car and this new model is a substantial departure...