Getting to know the sporty and practical Hyundai Accent Hatchback

Hyundai competes in the local subcompact hatchback segment with the Accent. Similar to its rivals, it’s small, sporty, and offers practicality for everyday use but what makes it click for most car buyers? Read on as we get to know more about this Korean hatchback and its points that appeals to them and maybe to you as well.

Design-wise, the Accent hatchback has a more sporty exterior when compared to its sedan version. Although the 2 cars have almost similar front and side styling, the hatchback differs hugely in the way its back end is presented. Due to its body type, it comes with a fifth door or hatch at the back and a set of vertical tail lights completing the sporty look.

When it comes to body dimensions, it measures 4,115 mm in length, 1,700 mm in width, and 1,457 mm in height. It rides on a 2,570 mm wheelbase with a ground clearance of 147 mm. When parked side-by-side with the Kia Rio hatchback, it’s 65 mm longer and 20 mm slimmer. It’s also 2 mm taller than the Rio. On the other hand, both cars share the same wheelbase and ground clearance measurements.

The Accent offers 600 L of rear cargo space when the back seats are folded down. With this amount of cargo area, items such as a week’s supply of groceries, sports gear, and camping equipment for 2 people can be loaded in.

Opening the doors reveals 5 fabric-laden seats and an interior that’s lined with soft-touch plastic materials. Adding depth to its interior motif are brushed silver trims along the door armrests, steering wheel, center dash, and gear shift bezel.

In detail, the buttons, switches and the touch screen LCD headunit are within the driver’s easy reach. The headunit comes with radio, CD, and MP3 music capabilities for added enjoyment, especially on long journeys. To those who use their smartphones for music, the entertainment system is also capable of supporting mobile devices via Aux-in or Bluetooth connectivity. On top of those, getting lost along the way won’t be much of a problem as a navigation feature is also standard.

Under the hood of the Accent is a diesel-fueled 1.6L inline 4-cylinder engine that makes 126 hp and 260 Nm of torque. This is then mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. It’s also worth noting that the engine returns a combined fuel economy of 17.9 km/L with a range of 768 km. To put this into perspective, a 1-way trip from Manila to Baguio City is approximately 244 km. If you set off on a journey up to Baguio with a full tank of diesel, you may be able to travel back down to Manila without having to refuel. Of course, this may not apply exactly if you consider factors such as traffic jams, varying road elevations, and your driving style to name a few.

For safety, the Accent provides driver and front passenger airbags, as well as anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) for better control during fast and hard braking. It also comes standard with an anti-theft alarm and engine immobilizer to fend off thieves on unsecured parking areas.

Currently, Hyundai Philippines offers the Accent Hatchback 1.6 L AT with a price tag of P968,000. This competitive selling price, along with its practicality, interior features, and efficient diesel engine are what make it a popular choice for most subcompact hatchback buyers today.