The Hyundai Accent, aka Hyundai Verna in South Korea, is a subcompact automobile produced by Hyundai. The first generation sold in Australia and some markets went by the name of its predecessor, the Hyundai Excel. In 2000, Hyundai rebranded it Verna in South Korea. However, in other markets, the vehicle retained its Accent name. Beijing Hyundai, a joint venture with Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, produced the Chinese version of the car. In Mexico, Chrysler marketed it under the name Dodge Attitude.
There were five generations to the Accent. For many markets including Australia, the first generation of the Accent (Codename X3) was also the last generation of the Excel (Codename X3). You can read about this generation in a separate article here.
Second Generation (LC; 1999-2005)
Hyundai produced the second generation of the Accent in three body styles – 4-door sedan, 3-door hatchback, and 5-door hatchback. The vehicle went by several names including Hyundai Accent Executive (India), Hyundai Verna, Hyundai Brio, Hyundai Avega, and Hyundai Accent Admire.
Engines
The vehicle came with five engine choices, namely:
- 1.3L 12-valve SOHC Alpha I4, 61 kW. In the 2003-2005 model years, an upgrade increased its power rating to 69 kW, while models with air-conditioning that were outfitted with this engine continued to produce 61 kW.
- 1.5L 12-valve SOHC Alpha I4, 69 kW and 132 Nm
- 1.5L 16-valve DOHC Alpha I4, 76 kW and 133 Nm
- 1.6L 16-valve DOHC Alpha I4, 79 kW and 144 Nm
- 1.5 L CRDi (RA 325) I3, 61 kW and 186 Nm
The engines teamed up with either 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual gearbox.
Safety
The ANCAP tested the 2003 three-door hatchback Accent model and gave it a score of 9.19 out of a possible 16 points for frontal impact and 9.76 points out of a possible 16 in a side-impact crash test. Comparatively, the pre-2003 model scored 10.76 for frontal-offset impact and 10.96 in the side impact test.
Third Generation (MC; 2005-2011)
Also called the Hyundai Accent Era and the Hyundai Super Pony, the third generation of the Accent came in as 4-door sedans and 3-door hatchbacks.
Engines
Three engine choices were available:
- 1.4L Alpha I4 petrol engine - 72 kW and 127 Nm
- 1.6L Alpha I4 petrol engine - 82 kW and 145 Nm
- 1.5L D I4 turbocharged diesel engine - 81 kW and 235 Nm
The engines had two transmission choices which were 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission.
Since Hyundai has no official outlet or representation in Mexico, the Accent was marketed as the Dodge under Chrysler's Mexican division.
Safety
In 2006, the IIHS gave the Accent a rating of Acceptable in frontal crash test and a rating of Poor in the side impact test without the optional side airbags. With side airbags, the vehicle still did not perform well, as there would still be likely injuries to the internal organs, ribs and pelvis. Likewise, the ANCAP tested the 2006 model in June 2007 and gave it a score of 3 stars in Occupational Protection and 2 stars in Pedestrian Protection.
Fourth Generation (RB; 2010-2018)
The Accent, aka Fluidic Verna in India and Grand Avega in Indonesia, had two body styles when released - 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback. In Australia, the fourth generation entered the market in August 2011 in three grades, which were the Active, Elite and Premium trim levels. In 2014, an SR grade replaced the Elite and Premium grades. The SR introduced the Gamma 1.6L GDi engine to the model.
As part of an upgrade in 2017, Hyundai simplified the Accent to only one grade called Sport, which combined the 1.6L engine of the SR, cruise control, premium interior materials, and didn't deviate too much from the price range of the Active.
The fifth generation has no right-hand-drive variant and will soon cease in the Australian market with the Hyundai Venue slated to replace it.
Engines
All models of the vehicle sold in Australia were equipped with 1.6L MPi engines paired to a 5-speed manual gearbox or 4-speed automatic transmission. A 1.6L engine was later added to the Active grade but dropped shortly afterwards.
Safety
IIHS tested the 2012 Accent and rated it Good in the frontal offset test and Acceptable in the side impact test. It also car got a rating of Good in both the rear crash protection and roof-strength tests. Likewise, it received the following results from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Commission:
- Overall rating - 4 stars
- frontal crash - 4 stars
- side crash - 4 stars
- rollover - 4 stars
Fifth Generation (HC; 2017 - Present)
The fifth generation, aka Hyundai Verna in China and the Hyundai Solaris in Russia, comes as 4-door sedans, 5-door hatchbacks (Mexico and Canada), and 5-door station wagons (China). It premiered in China in 2016 and went on sale in 2017.
Engines
All hatchback trims sold in North America come with the 1.6L inline-four petrol engine of the previous generation but downrated to 97 kW. The base trim (SE for American markets) features a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a 6-speed automatic transmission as optional. The 6-speed automatic transmission is the standard on the Limited and SEl models.
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