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Posted on: Aug 18 2007

Hyundai Accent Viva

In its heyday, the Accent was one of the biggest C-segment successes, and with good reason, but its popularity has started to wane. It is still one of the most modern mid-sizers though, with lots of space, a good cabin and the promise of quality service from Hyundai.

The Accent's line-up has been updated with a mild face-lift and the addition of new variants, including various trim levels, three distinct engines and two body styles. The CRDi is the current crowd favourite, but is the rest of the Accent still a match for the best.

Design, Engineering and Interiors: 
The Indian version of the Accent is of the generation still current in Europe, but one face-lift behind. The Indian Accent also has a different grille from the European one, which was deemed too aggressive; this grille is now found on the Viva. Overall, this is a clean, handsome, broad-shouldered design, which makes the car look quite grown-up. There is a nice, formal sobriety to the design, which gives it widespread appeal; the performance versions in particular look good, with the turndown spoiler and alloys. We believe the saloon looks more balanced and handsome than the Viva hatchback, which has a dumpy-looking rear and a too-Korean grille.

The Accent is underpinned by modern but conventional mechanicals, such as MacPherson struts up front, and a relatively simple dual-link set-up at the rear. One good thing is that higher-end versions feature ABS; apart from that, there is little safety equipment, but sadly, that's the norm for the class.

The Accent sells partly on the strength of its cabin, which is the best for the price. It is spacious, airy and has a high-quality feel, which lifts this car from simple family transport to an acceptable option for executives. It is quite wide, with lots of shoulder- and elbowroom, but legroom is not as generous, especially in the rear, and the low hip-point of the rear seats makes the seating position slightly cramped.

Things are better up front, where the driver has a comfortable seat and a clear, logical dashboard and good visibility. Equipment levels are fairly high for the class, and top versions have leather bits and a CD-player.

Performance, Fuel Economy and Handling:  
The Accent offers three engines — the base 1.5, the performance-oriented 1.6 and the CRDi diesel. The last one has done very well, and it deserves the acclaim it has received: it is surprisingly powerful, frugal, and offers technology not found on any car anywhere near this price. This three-cylinder 82bhp common-rail diesel propels the CRDi saloon from 0-60kph in 5.37sec, not much slower than the 1.5, which does the same in 5.23sec. At the same time, it returns an excellent 12.3kpl in the city and 16.7 on the highway, and figures are even better on the lighter, more aerodynamic Viva. The 1.5 is a decent, workaday motor, with adequate power and refinement, and performs acceptably in both urban and highway conditions, although it rarely excels anywhere. It's a relaxed motor, which rewards laid-back driving with good refinement and fuel efficiency figures of 8.1 and 13.8kpl, good enough for the class.

The 1.6 sounds good on paper, with 103bhp and 14.4kgm of torque, but is somewhat disappointing on the road, with excellent mid-range torque but sluggish responses and a coarse engine note. Performance is nothing special, and the 1.6 Accent in nowhere near rivals like the Ikon and Baleno. This isn't helped by a gearshift that though slick, doesn't feel sporty. Fuel economy is good around the city, at 9.8kpl, but on the highway, this drops to 11.5kpl.

Perhaps it's best that the Tornado isn't a screaming performer, because the chassis is not equipped to handle that. Hyundai hasn't quite cracked chassis dynamics yet, and the Accent, though acceptable at moderate speeds, is no sports car. There is little feedback from the large steering wheel, and the light controls don't respond positively if you're really pushing. Plus, there's a typical Oriental lightness at speed, the Accent not feeling too well planted. The car is easy to drive in the city, but the ride gets unsettled as you go faster, and can make the car pitch on undulating surfaces.

Verdict:
The Accent isn’t an exciting car like the Ikon, or a high-prestige one like the Corsa, but it is nevertheless a solid, comfy and good-looking family saloon, with a pleasant cabin, high equipment levels and good practicality. The 1.5 and CRDi engines are good picks, the 1.6 and the Viva hatchback less so. Look at the Accent objectively, taking into account Hyundai’s sterling reputation for service and reliability, and you’ll find a hard-working, user-friendly and good-value saloon that’s hard to really go wrong with. Running costs are fairly low as well — spares for the CRDi won’t be cheap, though. Slashed prices and dropping sales mean resale values will tail off as well. Hyundai introduces new variants with some regularity, like the GLE, which is the best value variant.
Source: autocarindia.com