Hyundai Accent Ditches Hatchback for 2018 Redesign
With sales slipping, Hyundai has decided to trim some fat on the fifth-generation Accent. While a hatchback remains available for the rest of the world, the automaker has indicated the U.S. will receive no such option. This will probably put a few value-oriented motorists with a penchant for liftgates off. But, assuming they can stomach a crossover, Hyundai’s subcompact Kona is right around the corner — and there’s little reason to assume they wouldn’t go for it.
Recent history has proven that the average American will shun a ho-hum hatchback and happily spend more on its crossover equivalent. Pigeonholing the Accent as a sedan will keep it from getting in the Kona’s way. However, this also allows it to remain a traditional car and ignore all the trappings of being SUV-adjacent.
Hyundai says the biggest change to its smallest model is added refinement and, judging this book by its cover, that seems to have taken place. The exterior does appear more upscale than previous incarnations and the interior has added features drivers like to see as standard.
Outside options include projector headlamps, LED taillights, a sunroof, and 17-inch alloy wheels. However, big changes are not found under the hood. The Accent keeps its 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder, which is actually down a bit on power. Hyundai estimates 130 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque against 2017’s 137 hp and 123 lb-ft. Don’t expect sprightly performance, but do expect enviable economy.
A six-speed manual transmission remains standard, with an optional six-speed automatic.
Fortunately, things are different in the cabin. While the controls exist in a familiar orientation, just about anything you’d want to fiddle with is more contemporary. At a glance, nothing looks to have changed in a dramatic fashion. But focusing on the individual elements, it becomes immediately clear that a lot has happened. The most evident alteration is Hyundai’s addition of a 5-inch touchscreen with backup camera as standard.
A 7-inch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is optional and Hyundai is also willing to add things like heated front seats, automatic emergency braking, and a hands-free trunk release.
Compared with the previous generation, the 2018 Accent is larger and offers more interior space. It’s wider by 1.2 inches, and overall length has increased by 0.6 inches, with an unaltered roof height. Hyundai also stretched the wheelbase by 0.4 inches in the interests of driving dynamics and interior volume.
Pricing remains a mystery, much like the question of whether a hatchback will eventually return, but we’re expecting it to start in the ballpark of $15,000. It should arrive in dealerships this fall.
[Images: Hyundai]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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The bigger news is they still haven't even unveiled the hatchback for any market, and it's supposed to be a 2018 model. I assume the hatch will still be available in Canada, since the Accent is our dominant subcompact and the hatch seems to make up 75% of sales since we understand the stupidity of subcompact sedans.
The thing LOOKS like a hatch, just make it a hatch already instead of another utterly useless small sedan.