1999 Hyundai Accent

Having sold over 3 lakh units in India and overseas, the Hyundai Accent has been a choice for many as an entry level sedan. In an attempt to make it more relevant, the company refreshed its looks in 2011. The Accent was launched in 1999 and despite the little tweaks along the way, the overall look and feel has remained the same. The Accent’s success is built on its value for money proposition and its reliable build.

Design

The Accent has been around in the market long enough for people not to notice it any more. With the makeover in 2011 the Accent gets a new chrome finish front grille, body colored waistline moldings, chrome inserts as well as a chrome garnish to the number plates. At the time that the Accent was first launched in India it sure did capture the imagination of the buyers with its build quality and styling but today there is no hiding the Accent’s age. It looks far too simple and boring to warrant a second look based only on its styling.

Interiors

The interiors are basic and the plastic quality is ordinary

Not only does the exterior styling give away the Accent’s age, the moment you set foot inside the Hyundai you immediately notice that this sedan is a generation or two old. Compared to the sedans and hatchbacks today, you can only describe the interior plastics in two ways – from just about acceptable to atrociously bad. The Accent’s interior may have been contemporary at the time of its launch but the dull grey plastics look cheap and uninviting.

The seats are comfortable and would remain so over long distances and the ergonomics for a car of its age aren’t bad. The Accent comes with power steering, power windows, central locking, leather steering wheel and gear knob and tilt adjustable steering. Space is reasonable and at the rear the passengers get good shoulder space and knee room but they do sit low down. The rear seats can accommodate three passengers and the rear bench is 60:40 split folding.

Engine and performance

The engine is reasonably refined and you also get CNG and LPG versions

The 1.5-litre petrol produces 95PS@5500rpm and 124Nm of torque @3500rpm. The single overhead cam engine delivers and ARAI claimed 16.36kmpl. The engine feels reasonably smooth despite being old and the torque spread is usable both in the city and on the highway. Engine refinement is good as well but when pushed to its limit, harshness does creep into the engine. After their successful run with the Santro LPG, Hyundai introduced the Accent with a LPG variant as well. The power ratings on the LPG variant are the same but it does not have the same throttle response and on the highway it feels underpowered. In Delhi and the NCR, the Accent also comes with CNG kit which features an advanced Lambda control system that allows the Accent to meet Euro III norms.

Ride

The ride and handling are both acceptable despite the Accent being engineered over a decade ago

The Accent rides on MacPherson struts at the front with a stabilizer bar and at the rear it uses duel link suspension with antiroll bars. Ride quality was one of the Accent’s strengths and it remains so today but the more modern sedans have moved the game forward dramatically and compared to the competition the Accent falls short in this department as well. Dynamically as well the Accent can’t match the likes of the Ford Fiesta but it does handle better than the Mahindra Verito and it is a neutral handling sedan.

Competition

The Mahindra Verito is essentially the Logan. Styling is definitely not its strength but ride quality and interior space is good. Fuel efficiency is good as well but the handling and plastic quality is poor. The Ford Fiesta Classis has an excellent chassis which delivers sure footed handling and the ride quality is really good as well. Interior space isn’t great but the engines are refined and efficient. The 1.6 petrol is fun to drive. The Chevrolet Aveo has good interior space and ride quality is sorted as well. The Tata Indigo CS is one of the most fuel efficient sedans in India and the XL offers the best leg and knee room in the segment. The build quality and the quality of plastic aren’t great.

Verdict

There is no escaping the fact that the Accent is an old car and that is evident in the way it looks and drives

The Accent is an old design and it doesn’t take long for you to figure that out. The styling looks out of sync with today’s sedans and the interiors too fail to lighten things up. The ride and handling are reasonable and so is the interior space. The petrol engine is good for city use but when you stretch the Accent’s legs on the highway it seems to lack grunt. There is an LPG variant as well which sure is efficient but performance is compromised. The Accent is not the smartest buy but it does give reasonable value for your money.