TOFINO, B.C.- I got an early indication of Hyundai's improved quality when we ran a first-generation Accent in the now-departed Firestone Firehawk showroom-stock racing series shortly after its 1995 introduction.
Every new Hyundai since has been better, in geometrical progression.
The second-generation Accent was a segment sales leader for much of its life, relying on such traditional Hyundai attributes as low price, value-for-money and long warranty - the cubic-metre-of-car-for-the-buck criterion has always resonated with Canadian consumers.
But the quickest way to sum up a day-long drive in a pair of third-generation 2006 Accents is to say that we (that is, Wheels' techno-guru Gerry Malloy and myself) kept comparing them to cars like Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. These are cars that are a full class more expensive than Accent, rather than cars Accent actually competes with, such as Toyota Echo (recently reborn as Yaris), Chevrolet's also-Korean-built Ave, and Accent's corporate sibling, the Kia Rio.
Hyundai says the new Accent's design is "European-influenced." Never mind that most European small cars these days look like Hondas; if you squint in just the right way you might see a hint of Citroen C3 in Accent's arched roofline.
The all-new platform supports a car that is bigger in all significant dimensions: length (by 45.7 mm), width (25.4 mm), wheelbase (58.4 mm) and height (76.2 mm).
Hyundai claims the largest interior package in the segment; certainly, four moderately-sized adults won't feel unduly cramped in this car.
As it always does, a higher-than-usual seating position (some 50 mm higher than before) helps, because your knees don't end up under your chin.
It also makes boarding and disembarking easier.
Power is provided by a new 1.6-litre four-cylinder twin-cam 16-valve engine, now with CVVT, Hyundai's continuously variable valve timing system.
The 110 horsepower at 6000 rpm is a six per cent increase, and leads the competitive set.
Yet the peak 106 lb.-ft. of torque is the same as before, but comes in at 4500 rpm, a thousand revs later - not what you'd want. That number also appears to trail all rivals except the new Toyota Yaris - even Accent's sister ship, the Kia Rio, boasts 107 lb.-ft. from the same engine.
A minor difference to be sure, but still, you'd rather be on the right side of that mark.
Transmission choices are the usual five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive, of course.
Fuel economy is up and emissions are down, both good things.
Oddly, the automatic yields a better Transport Canada highway fuel economy number than the manual, presumably a function of overall gearing and maybe the autobox's lock-up torque converter on fourth gear.
Suspension is MacStrut with an anti-sway bar up front, a torsion beam at the rear. Steering is r.p.m.-sensitive variable-assist power rack and pinion - not long ago, this feature was restricted to expensive luxury cars.
Brakes are disc/drum on the base GL model, disc/disc with ABS and Electronic Brake Force distribution on the up-level GLS.
Too bad ABS isn't available on the entry-level car, not even as an option. At least that's better than corporate sibling Kia Rio which doesn't offer it at all.
The new Accent also proves that Hyundai is learning a thing or two about the hardest aspect of car development: refinement.
The biggest specific area of improvement is interior trim quality. Hyundai Auto Canada's corporate strategic planning manager Michael Hill might have been stretching it a bit - okay, a lot - comparing Accent's interior to an Audi. But for sure, the design, material quality, fit-and-finish and maybe most important, the colour matching, are much better than before.
We'll find out at this month's AJAC Car of the Year Test Fest if Accent's interior really is best in class - in my mind, it would have to be an early favourite.
I was very impressed with the seat fabric, a woven cloth that felt and looked good and held the promise of durability.
The tilt steering wheel in its highest position seemed to be as low as anyone would ever want it - a common flaw in Asian cars.
But at least a tilt wheel is standard equipment.
Likewise a pivoting armrest for the driver, a very useful feature copied from SUVs, which however will make the front seat passenger cranky that he doesn't get one.
Plus a centre rear armrest with integrated cup holders, a split-folding rear seat-back, and an AM/FM-CD/MP3-compatible six-speaker sound system.
Dual front airbags are standard in the base GL; opt for the GLS trim level in the Accent and you get four more: two front-seat-mounted side bags plus front-to-rear side curtains.
The engine gets a little noisy when pressed, but progress is reasonably rapid, the five-speed manual transmission car I tried bordered on sprightly.
Both transmissions shift okay. The automatic can take a second or two to react to a throttle-induced demand for more urge, but the shift itself is quick and positive.
The five-speed feels a touch gravelly, a trade-off in shift quality in favour of low effort.
Handling is severely limited by the all-season tires. The wet weather we encountered (on Vancouver Island? Imagine that) made this even more of an issue.
I guess it's time for us journalists to declare all-out war on these abominations, which just about every car maker uses, to equally disastrous ends. The tires are the only part of your car that actually touches the ground, people.
Why would you cheap out there? And why do you let your car company get away with them? All-season tires are properly called "no-season" tires, because they suck 24/7/52.
Accent's steering feels fine given the tire limitation.
But perhaps the biggest surprise in the mechanical department is ride quality. Dampers - the hardest component for the engineers to figure out - seem to be well-calibrated, and the car handles bumps large, intermediate and small with an aplomb that belies the car's price. And at cruising speeds, Accent is also remarkably quiet.
Accent GL starts at $13,995, the same as the outgoing model, impressive given the added size and equipment.
The GL with Comfort package ($15,295) adds air, power windows, locks and heated mirrors, plus keyless entry with alarm system - and again, is the same as last year's GL Comfort model.
The GLS gets all that plus those well-worth-it ABS four-wheel disc brakes, the four extra airbags, alloy wheels and a few additional goodies for just $16,995.
I know Canadian car shoppers often turn on their heels for a $200 difference in car price, but it seem to me that the "walk" from GL to GLS is so small it's hard to imagine anyone not going that route.
Regardless, if you're shopping entry level, Accent has to be on your list.
Price: Base/highest: $13, 995 (GL manual)/ $17, 945 (GLS automatic) Engine: 1.6 L V4 Fuel consumption: 5-speed manual, city/highway: 7.4L / 6.2L / 100 km; 4-speed auto, 8.3L / 5.9L /100km (regular) Power/torque: 110 hp at 6000 rpm and 106 lb.-ft. at 4500 rpm Competition: Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Aveo, Kia Rio Pros: Excellent ride quality; overall refinement; low noise level Cons: Lousy all-season tires; less-than-great (manual) shift quality What's interesting: Moves to the head of the class Jim Kenzie, a freelance writer, prepared this report based on travel provided by the auto maker.
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