In Canada, the Hyundai Accent sits at the very top of the bottom. By that, we mean this smallest offering from Hyundai dominates the subcompact segment. It has been on top for the past nine years, and currently snags about 20 percent of market share. The arrival of the all-new fifth-generation 2018 Hyundai Accent is good news for those pragmatic Canucks who embrace the affordable, and tough news for the competition.
Hyundai has sweat the details with the 2018 Accent.
The 2018 Accent moves up and out in all directions. Its sharp styling and angular grill are inspired by big brother Elantra, and a 10 mm wheelbase stretch along with slightly wider track afford a bit more cabin space. Its new Superstructure platform brags a 32 percent increase in stiffness thanks to increased use of high-strength steel.
The new Accent lands in Canada early in 2018, and initially will be only available as a four-door sedan. But hatchback fans needn’t fret. Despite the fact that the 5-Door hatch will not be sold in the US, Hyundai Canada was having none of that – it’s an important part of the Accent portfolio here as the take rate for the hatchback over the sedan is around 65 percent. Look for the Accent 5-Door a few months behind the sedan.
The 2018 Accent comes in four trim levels. The entry-level L (5-Door only) with six-speed manual and 5-inch colour touchscreen rolls on 15-inch steel wheels, has good old-fashioned crank-your-own windows and no air conditioning. The LE gets air, steering-wheel audio controls, powered and heated outside mirrors, power windows, and Bluetooth handsfree. Moving up to the GL volume model: 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, 15-inch alloys, dual USB charge ports and automatic headlights.
At this Montreal event we drove only the top-spec GLS sedan that layers on such big-car goodies as heated steering wheel, power sunroof, autonomous emergency braking, 17-inch alloys, extra exterior chrome, proximity key with push-button start, and projection headlights with LED DRLs. Also included is the Smart Trunk that opens automatically if you stand behind it for three seconds with the key fob in your pocket.
And pricing? None yet, but Chad Heard, Senior Manager of Public Relations, says, “We expect it to be a little bit higher than the previous model, what with all the extra features, but it will be very competitive. We don’t want to lose our number-one spot.”
The current 2017 Accent ranges between $13,999 and $18,099.
Oh, and the location for this launch has resonance. The city of Montreal accounts for a full 30 percent of all Accents sold in Canada. In contrast, Toronto snags only eight percent.
Hyundai has sweat the details with the 2018 Accent to expunge any initial impressions of cheapness. Your first contact is the exterior door pull – it operates with weighty precision and sets off no hollow metallic ring in the door. Similarly, the door swings shut with a solid thunk.
This 2018 Accent certainly feels all grown up inside, getting a clean dash design that shows all the hallmarks of more expensive offerings from Hyundai – good-quality plastics, clear gauges, and logical ergonomics. It’s a big leap ahead of the outgoing model, one that wore its bargain-price missive on its sleeve. Standard on all 2018 Accents is a back-up camera, something that wasn’t available on the old car.
The fabric seats feel comfortable and supportive, and the driving position is good. The back seats will be tight if front seat occupants are long of leg, but hey, this is a subcompact car.
Drivetrain is all familiar stuff, carrying forward with a 1.6L naturally aspirated direct-injection four mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed auto with two drive modes – normal and sport. The engine has been massaged for more flexibility and better fuel economy (about seven percent), and looking at the output numbers, its 130 hp and 119 lb-ft are down a bit from last year.
Nonetheless, during our drive that included city slogging, highway cruising, and some scenic secondary roads, the four-pot seemed more than up for the task. And it’s a smooth one, peacefully humming along when cruising, and not too thrashy when foot meets firewall. The well-calibrated six-speed auto pairs nicely with the engine, working unobtrusively, avoiding any unpleasant jerking or ratio “hunting”. There were no manual transmission cars at this launch.
Not surprisingly, the Accent’s new-found maturity finds its way into the road dynamics. It’s a far cry from the outgoing 2017 model that had a brittle and sometimes noisy ride along with steering feel that trailed its major competitors. The 2018’s helm is much more accurate and direct, the cabin is considerably more hushed, and the ride finds more isolation and compliance. Certain rough surfaces sent some untoward crashing through the structure, but overall this wee Hyundai comports itself like a much bigger car. It’s interesting to note Hyundai Canada had the heated steering wheel developed just for our market – not available stateside. Thanks, eh.
There were no hatchback models here to drive, but there was one silver GLS 5-Door that we got to crawl over. The top-trim hatch gets a racy two-tone interior, and while the car’s tapering rear profile will likely impede the loading of large square items, Hyundai says the hatch’s 616 L of load space (with the standard 60/40 rear seats upright) beats all direct competition, even the Honda Fit.
Historically, the two top reasons cited for purchasing an Accent have been Hyundai’s impressive warranty package and the price. Obviously, both those factors will remain in play, and now that the 2018 Accent has arguably set the benchmark for refinement and available content in this admittedly shrinking segment, betting against the Accent holding on to its sales lead would be a mistake.
