2012 Hyundai Accent: Adding sophistication to eastern roads

In fact it is in this light we notice the new sophisticated look the Accent puts both in and out. By far the most sophisticated engine ever offered in a small Hyundai, this 1.6-liter features direct injection and variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side. Hyundai has raised compression to 11.0:1 (versus […]

In fact it is in this light we notice the new sophisticated look the Accent puts both in and out.

By far the most sophisticated engine ever offered in a small Hyundai, this 1.6-liter features direct injection and variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side. Hyundai has raised compression to 11.0:1 (versus 10:1 on the old iron-block 1.6-liter engine in last year’s Accent), and the results look really good on paper: The 2012 Accent is rated at 138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 123 pound-feet of torque at 4,850 rpm.

The 2012 Hyundai Accent’s torque advantage is obvious merging into traffic. We just don’t have to try very hard in our SE hatchback, which has a six-speed automatic driving its front wheels (quite an upgrade from the four-speed auto on the 2010 model). A manual transmission with six forward gears is also available. Normally, we’ll push you to get a manual gearbox if you’re shopping subcompacts, but we learnt the automatic is smooth with upshifts and quick enough with downshifts that you’re not missing much. Hyundai expects 80 percent of Accent buyers to get the automatic. So far that is what is happening in Uyo, Akwa- Ibom state capital.

Unusual for this class, all 2012 Hyundai Accents come with four-wheel disc brakes — 10.1-inch ventilated discs in front and 10.3-inch solid discs in back with single-piston sliding calipers all around.

Still, this is a better-equipped car than before, not least because ABS and stability control are now standard across the board. You’ll still pay extra for air-conditioning and power windows on the Accent GLS sedan, but these items are standard on both the GS and SE hatchbacks. Auxiliary and USB inputs are also included on the hatchbacks (and optional on the sedan), and Bluetooth (for phone calls, not streaming audio) is standard on our SE hatch.