2011 Hyundai Accent Review and Prices

By Chuck Giametta

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT BUYING ADVICE  

• The 2011 Hyundai Accent is the best car for you if you’re interested in a subcompact that happily sacrifices design sophisticated for a low purchase price, high fuel economy, and a whopper of a warranty.   

• The 2011 Hyundai Accent will basically be a carry-over from the 2010 Accent – and Hyundai hopes it’ll also sustain momentum that made it the top-selling car in its segment. Accent nosed ahead of such subcompact stalwarts as the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris during 2009. A surge in demand during the Cash for Clunkers program helped. Accent also benefited from innovative incentives, particularly the South Korean carmaker’s offer that allowed recession-worried buyers to return their Hyundai if they lost their job within a year.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Hyundai Accent or buy a 2010 Hyundai Accent? Buy a 2010 Hyundai Accent. It’s essentially the same car you’ll see for 2011, and with an all-new replacement very likely for model-year 2012, the 2010 won’t become dated quite as quickly as a 2011 will.  

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT CHANGES

• Styling: No changes more significant than a new color choice or two are planned for the 2011 Hyundai Accent. A product of the jelly-bean school of design, styling hasn’t been an Accent selling point, and won’t be for 2011. Two body styles will return: a two-door hatchback and a four-door sedan. Both feel reassuringly solid but neither is particularly svelte. The hatchback will likely continue in three levels of trim: fuel-sipper Blue, midline GS, and top-line SE. The sedan is built on the same chassis but has a body some 9 inches longer. It will likely continue for 2011 in GLS trim only. Dimensionally, the 2011 Accent will be roughly mid-pack in the subcompact segment, which is a size-class down from the compact category that includes such cars as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra. The Accent sedan accounts for just under half of all Accent sales. Both body styles have adequate front-seat space but squeeze rear passengers for leg room and, in the hatchback, for head clearance. Newer rivals, such as the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa are among the few subcompacts with rear seating that could be described as adult-friendly. The Accent’s basic structure is also used by Hyundai-owned Kia for its subcompact Rio sedan and hatchback. The Kia Rio shares Accent’s mechanical design, too, though its hatchback has four doors versus two for the Accent.    

• Mechanical: The 2011 Hyundai Accent engineering emphasizes low cost and high mileage at the expense of driving excitement. Like every other subcompact, Accent has front-wheel drive that places the weight of the engine over the wheels that also propel the car. This enhances slippery-surface traction and concentrates mechanical components in the front of the car, leaving the balance of the body for passengers and cargo. The 2011 Accent will continue with a 1.8-liter four cylinder as the sole engine. This is a modern four-valve-per-cylinder, dual-overhead-cam design, and its 110 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque is roughly the median among subcompacts. Nonetheless, Accent is pretty slow by any standard, and doesn’t isolate well from mechanical buzzes or road noise. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. A few rivals offer six-speed manuals and five-speed automatics, which typically translates into better fuel-efficiency. Still, Accent is among the most fuel-efficient five-passenger cars on sale in the U.S. Hyundai pays close attention to aerodynamics and reduces powertrain waste through such measures as variable valve timing and a low-demand alternator. It even specifies low-rolling-resistance tires for all models. Getting special treatment is the entry-level Accent hatchback, which has a lowered ride height to further improve aerodynamics and comes only with a manual transmission fitted with fuel-saving gear ratios. It qualifies as part of Hyundai’s “Blue” initiative to equip select models for maximum fuel efficiency. Like most subcompacts, Accents have a torsion-beam rear axle, a prosaic design not known for high standards of ride and handling. Indeed, Accent cringes at fast cornering, its body leaning early, its small, 14-inch tires squealing often. The SE hatchback has what Hyundai terms a “sport tuned” suspension and, in combination with its wider 16-inch tires, better tolerates aggressive driving even if it doesn’t relish it.

• Features: Accent will continue with an array of features that qualifies it an attractive value, though Hyundai would make the 2011 model a better proposition if it addressed the availability of a key safety item. An antilock braking system (ABS), which helps maintain control in emergency stops, has been standard only on the SE hatchback. ABS has been optional on the GS hatchback and GLS sedan, and unavailable altogether on the Accent Blue hatchback. Most rivals include ABS as standard on every model. While Hyundai’s at it, giving Accent Blue owners the safety advantage of a clear hatch window via a rear wiper/washer would be a responsible move, too. All Accents have a rear defroster, but on the 2010 model, the rear wiper/washer was limited to GS and SE versions. Otherwise, the 2011 Accent should continue to play well on the showroom floor, with a relatively generous list of comfort and convenience features for the money. All models come with a height-adjustable driver’s seat and a split fold-down rear seatback, and all but the Blue have a tilt steering wheel. Standard on the SE and optional other Accents -- except the Blue -- are remote keyless entry and power windows and locks. Hyundai could juggle some equipment availability for 2011: for example, Blue-model drivers are the only Accent owners who’ve had to pay extra for air conditioning. And they haven’t been able to hear the blues unless they’re playing it themselves; the entry-level Accent hasn’t been available with even a radio as a standard feature or an option. The audio system standard in SE and GLS models and optional on the GS has six speakers and includes both an auxiliary jack and a USB interface for iPods and other digital players. Cruise control and steering-wheel audio controls are standard on the SE and available on the GLS. Exclusive to, and standard on, the SE is a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, metallic-look interior accents, and a power sunroof.  

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT PRICES

• Prices for the 2011 Hyundai Accent won’t be released until shortly before the car goes on sale. But don’t expect 2011 Accent prices to differ greatly from 2010-model prices.

• All those blanks in the entry-level-model’s equipment list should again pay off in a price that qualifies the 2011 Hyundai Accent Blue as one of the lowest-priced new cars available in the U.S. At $10,690, the 2010 Accent Blue vied with the $10,620 Nissan Versa 1.6 Base Sedan as America’s most affordable new car. (Prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Hyundai’s fee for 2010 models was $720.)

• The 2011 Hyundai Accent GS hatchback pricing should not differ greatly from the 2010 model’s, which started at $12,715 with manual transmission and $13,715 with automatic. Same for the 2011 Hyundai Accent GLS sedan: for 2010, it was priced from $14,365 with manual transmission and from $15,365 with automatic.

• Expect the 2011 Hyundai Accent SE hatchback pricing to stay near the 2010 model’s, which started at $16,915 with manual transmission and $17,715 with automatic.

• Part of any Hyundai’s value proposition is a warranty the carmaker bills as America’s best. Coverage includes 5-years/60,000-miles bumper-to-bumper and 10-years/100,000-miles powertrain. In addition, Accent buyers receive 24-hour roadside assistance at no extra charge for 5-years/unlimited mileage; the service includes emergency towing and lockout service. There is no deductible on any of this coverage. However, only the original purchaser gets the full 10/100,000 powertrain coverage. Hyundai’s powertrain warranty for any subsequent owner reverts to 5/60,000 from the date the vehicle was manufactured.

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT FUEL ECONOMY

• EPA mileage estimates for 2011-model-year vehicles had not been released in time for this review, but 2011 Hyundai Accent fuel-economy ratings should match those for 2010 models.

• That means a 2011 Hyundai Accent Blue fuel-economy rating of 28/36 mpg (city/highway) with its mandatory manual transmission.

• Expect the 2011 Hyundai Accent GS and SE hatchbacks and the 2011 Accent GLS sedan to rate 28/34 mpg with manual transmission, 27/36 with automatic.  

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Hyundai Accent should be in showrooms by autumn 2010.  

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE HYUNDAI ACCENT

• The 2011 Hyundai Accent sedan’s design dates to model-year 2006; the hatchback version debuted for model-year 2007. Both will be redesigned for model-year 2012, likely getting an all-new chassis, probably gaining a more advanced powertrain, and certainly receiving all-new styling.

• Basic size and chassis layout will be similar to the outgoing car’s. Ride and handling should improve, but independent rear suspension is unlikely, given cost considerations. Front-wheel drive will be retained.

• Hyundai has ambitious powertrain plans. For example, its flagship Genesis sedan is reportedly in line for a new twin-turbo V-8 and an eight-speed automatic transmission. At the other end of the spectrum, Hyundai is readying a new range of four-cylinder engines with direct fuel injection, a technology that improves combustion. The first of the company’s “Theta II” family of engines is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that will appear in the redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan. Hyundai claims a 10-percent improvement in fuel economy versus other 2.4-liter engines.

• Expect a 1.6-liter version of this direct-injection four-cylinder to power the next-generation Accent. It should provide still-better mileage plus more horsepower and torque. Some reports cite 140 horsepower and more than 40 mpg on the highway. A manual transmission with more than five speeds is a possibility, as is an automatic with more than four. Less likely is the sort of sporty, dual-clutch manual you’ll see taking the place of a conventional automatic transmission in some rival subcompacts.

• Hyundai also has pledged to move aggressively into gas-electric hybrid power. Reports suggest a hybrid version of the Sonata is possible for model-year 2012. Hyundai has confirmed plans to offer a plug-in hybrid for sale in the U.S. by late 2012, though it won’t say whether it’ll be part of a new car line or an existing one. A hybrid model based on the next-generation Accent is possible, but whether it would labeled an Accent model or sold as a unique car with its own bodywork remains to be seen.    

• As for the 2012 Hyundai Accent’s styling, it’ll be more modern-looking, with swoopier sheet metal that follows themes this South Korean automaker has dubbed “Fluidic Sculpture.” Accent’s prime directive, however, will remain a roomy interior, so Hyundai isn’t apt to sacrifice space efficiency in the name of styling. Indeed, spy photos of what could be camouflaged versions of the next-generation Accent show a sedan with a slightly greater proportion of wheelbase to body than today’s Accent, meaning the distance between the front and rear axles (the wheelbase) is stretched and that front and rear sheet-metal overhangs are tidier. The photos also reveal a taller but more graceful roofline. All this spells increased interior volume and a sportier, more contemporary stance on the road. The 2012 Accent hatchback body style is likely as well, but whether it’ll have two doors or four is unknown.       

2011 HYUNDAI ACCENT COMPETITION

• Honda Fit: Trounces Accent for passenger and cargo space because it has what really amounts to a small-wagon body. Roomy rear seating folds into a low, flat load floor or tips back to open a tall, wide chamber. Genuinely sporty handling is on the docket, as well, though noise levels grow tiresome on long drives. Fuel economy is a frugal 27/33 mpg with manual transmission, 28/35 with automatic. Base price range is about $15,700-$19,900, and top-line versions are among the few subcompacts available with a navigation system. Fit was redesigned for model-year 2009 and won’t see major changes before model year 2014 or so.

• Ford Fiesta: All-new for 2011 and a potential game-changer in the class. This will be the first domestic-brand nameplate fully capable of beating the subcompact imports at their own game. The reason: this is essentially Ford’s European-bred Fiesta brought virtually intact to the U.S. It’ll offer four-door sedan and four-door hatchback body styles, both with youthful, futuristic styling inside and out. Rear seating is typically tight, but leather upholstery, sunroof, navigation, and Ford’s Microsoft-developed Sync infotainment system will all be available. Fuel economy in the 30/40-mpg neighborhood is in the cards, as is a base price range around $13,900-$19,900.

• Nissan Versa: Priced like a subcompact but boasts the interior space of a compact. And beneath the skin is engineering by Nissan’s parent company, Renault. The payoff is uncommonly composed road manners, though there’s no escaping the slightly buzzy powertrain. Versa comes as a goofy-looking four-door sedan or a geek-chic four-door hatchback. Fuel economy spans 24/32-28/34 mpg, depending on model, and base prices start at the aforementioned sub-$11,000 mark and scale to the mid-$17,000s. Versa is due a full redesign for model-year 2012.