[kaushikr]

At the time we seriously started considering the Hyundai Accent GLE as our future car (in last quarter of 2006), we could not find a lot of reviews for it. Agreed that it was not a latest model vehicle to have people discussing it, but to find that folks had little opinion about the car, good or bad, was a little confusing. Finally, we went ahead and bought the car. But, since the Accent sells even today in reasonable numbers, this review is an attempt to help those who are considering this vehicle as their future car. The Accent Executive version selling today has wooden inserts and leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knobs, which are added bonuses.

Likes:

• A good VFM family sedan.
• Comfortable ride quality.
• Smooth gear shift.
• Interior space, quality and the airy feeling they exude.
• Hyundai’s service network.

Dislikes:

• Lack of safety features even as options.
• Confidence uninspiring handling.
• Low rear seat.
• Beige Interiors become dirty easily.
• Cost of service higher than Maruti.


Noted fuel Efficiency:
• 1.5 Petrol : 10-11 (City) / 13 (Highway)

What the magazines say.

Top Gear

The design looks dated and the only endearing bit is the price. Also Available: ECO LPG
Alternative Drives : Ford Ikon, Mahindra Renault Logan, Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire

Autocar

With those nice looks and functional interior, the Accent feels bigger than it is and makes a decent family car. The chassis won’t overwhelm you and neither will the performance from the 1.5 litre engine.
For: Big-car looks, interiors best in class.
Against : Low rear seat, under-whelming driving experience.
Verdict : Competent family car, but not for the enthusiast.

When we were looking to buy a car, the Accent was not even in our initial list. Well, there was not even a list. The only car we were looking at was the Swift. As a first time new car buyer from Maruti stable (M800), my top priorities were cost of ownership, after sales service and image. Also, my usual preference of traveling within the city using a two wheeler was a factor in consideration. The traffic in Bangalore always persuades me to use a two wheeler for quick runabouts. The car was for our highway and weekend use only.

The Swift had it all. It was a ruler among of hatchbacks and there was not even a close competitor to it. Perhaps that would explain our experience with the Maruti dealership. With the usual trepidation of a first time car buyer, we walked into a Maruti showroom. There were a few sales people lounging around, and none of them gave us a second glance. In their defense, it was a lazy and sunny Sunday afternoon! We sat in a car parked at the showroom to check out the features (had driven our friends car, so TD was not necessary). To our surprise, there was not enough space to comfortably accommodate me and my father one behind another (both of us, near 6 footers). The car looked huge from outside, but on the inside, there was very space to show for the external bulk. That was a deal breaker for us. The attitude of the sales people was just another nail on the coffin.

It was time to go back to the drawing board and create a list.

If one needs space in a car, where further to look than the Tata's. A visit to their showroom revealed to us that the Indigo fit in our budget. The sales people were little more forthcoming than at Maruti, but could not arrange a TD of Indigo. We checked out a showroom display piece and the interiors were not upto our expectations. Also the reviews about the Tata quality niggles could not be ignored. Dropped the idea of a Tata.

Our relatively modest budget, ensured that we did not have a lot of choice. Instead of choosing something that did not fit our requirements, we decided to hold off. A while later, when discussing this stalemate with a friend, hge suggested the Accent. I gave him an incredulous look.

I cannot afford it.
Why don't you see if you like it. There is someone I know at a Hyundai showroom.
Well, no harm in trying..


In few days, the sales person brought a car for the test drive.
My first impressions, car looks elegant, beige interiors looks different, airy and premium really (my existing car was a 13 yr old M800). The seat seems to be a bit low. Visibility is good. There is loads of space. Took it for a short spin. My main concern was the size of the car. Is it practical for Bangalore traffic? Tried a tight U turn and was successful.

This might actually work.

The cost of the car was above our stretched budget (as expected). We politely informed the SP the same after thanking him. After listening to us and our budget, he asked us to extend it a bit and he managed to include some discounts. Plus, he added remote locking, a Pioneer MP3 CD player HU, sun film, carpets and seat cover. Basically, everything that we had kept aside some money for and offered us a package. The Verna which was being touted as a replacement for Accent was around the corner and this probably worked in our favour.

We took it.

LOOKS

In the looks department, I do not expect anyone to go ‘Wow’ over the car. It has the look that does not excite or offend anyone. But the fact that the design does not look out of place today, after this many years, is a testament to its clean design. The smiling front grille with horizontal slats is flanked by traditional looking clear headlamps. It has become widely accepted that we love chrome on our cars and the front grill is lined by chrome. The side profile is also rather ordinary, while the rear design is clean. The clear tail lamps add a bit of sparkle to the otherwise bland rear. The high mount tail lamp is a nice touch to the design. The car looked well proportioned compared to an Indigo. In terms of presence, the Accent blends in with the crowd, particularly the silver colour we purchased. Off late, the Berry Red and the Dark Grey Metallic have caught my attention though.

Smiling front grill with chrome lining.


Well proportioned front.


And rear


Clear lens headlamps.

[kaushikr]

The doors don’t shut with that European thud but are not flimsy either. Beige interiors are standard, and as are the tilt-adjustable steering and day/night mirrors. The colours are well co-ordinated to give the interiors an airy feeling. The fabric inserts on the doors help to break the chunky plastic feeling. The glass area is generous and only adds to the cabin’s bright ambience. Overall upholstery adds to the cars up-market feel but tends to accumulate dirt easily. On bright sunny days, reflection of the beige dashboard on the windshield is quite bothersome.

The driving position and all round visibility are good. The front seats are comfortable and wide, the undertigh support could be better though. Addition of a front armrest will definitely increase the comfort factor. The rear seat is a little low and getting in and out is difficult for the elderly. There is literally no undertigh support on the rear seats.

The steering is quite skinny to hold without a cover on it. The odometer and trip counter looks dated, but design is clean. There is only one trip meter present, and compared to cars like Swift, the lack of a digital trip meter only reminds me of the fact that the design of the car is old. The indicator stalks are not very plasticky and fall into hands easily. The stock wheel fills the wheel wells nicely, which was an eye sore with the Tata car we considered. The dead pedal is a boon in the highways and driving cars without one makes me wonder why the simple feature has been missed.

There are some nice touches too. The air-con controls are reasonably good to use and the intermittent wiper settings with multiple adjustments are nice to have. A center roof lamp makes life easier for my mother searching for her mobile in her handbag. The power window switches feel of good quality and well placed. Compared to Tata Indigo which had the switches on the centre, the ones here on the driver’s door armrest were definitely better. A lamp at the boot was a useful touch and the cupholder has a nice and smooth slideout action which brought a smile to my face the first few times. The low fuel indicator is a nice touch too but I personally do not depend on it.

Some places for improvements exist. For example, the ash tray in the rear seat which comes out easily, the rubber mat below the handbrake which moves about its place.

The doors auto-lock once the ignition is turned on and unlock once its turned off. This feature might be helpful, but has been a bit of bother. For e.g. while stopping at a long signal and turning off the ignition means that the doors unlock and has to be manually locked again. Also, say, if the drivers door is open, with ignition off and then ignition turned on (car not started, just the ignition for lets say the stereo), then the door is closed, the door stays locked. This has led to a couple of situations where the key has been locked inside.

Storage space is good in some areas and average in others. The main glove box is not very deep and can hold the cars papers and the additional headlamps, plus some CD’s. The front door pockets have bottle holders which can fit a litre bottles and there is place to hold a half a litre bottle for the rear passengers behind the handbrake. Apart from this, the front door pockets can hold some maps and other documents.


Steering Wheel. Little skinny to hold.



Door Pockets holding one liter bottle and some space for more papers.


Power Window Switches that impressed me.


Intermittent Wiper settings. Wow, there are so many options!



Cup holder with the nice smooth action when popping out.


Rubbery bit below the handbrake and in front of it keep coming out.


Dead Pedal and well spaced out pedals.



Lamp for the boot, nice and useful.



Beige Interiors shows when it gets dirty.


Clean but dated looking instrument console.


Fabric Inserts on Doors help hide the plastic bulk .


Center Console

[kaushikr]

Ride :
The 1.5L SOHC engine with 3 valves is rated to produce 94 bhp at 5500 rpm. The figure looks impressive, but I find that the engine is not too rev happy: it does not encourage you to rev it harder. Keep the foot down and it will rev though. There is also the bit about handling on the higher revs, but will talk about that next.

The power delivery is not very linear and for my style of driving, the low end grunt was always lacking. Keep the car above 3000/3500 rpm and it begins to pull eagerly. The third gear is well suited for city driving and can be used from low crawling speeds to well into the 70’s (actually it can pull to 90 kmph, but about 70 kmph is what is possible for a short burst in the city). The downside of this is that the same third gear is reluctant when used for some spirited overtaking on the highways. On a two laned highway, I have rarely overtaken using the third gear alone.

Say you’re following a truck at about 60 kmph, third gear. There is a quick opportunity to overtake and tuck back into the left lane. You move into the right lane, step on the accelerator and wait. Nothing happens. Really. The problem gets compounded if the vehicle ahead of you starts accelerating when you decide to overtake. Slot it into the second, rev her up and then overtake.

This has been an issue also because usually I would be cruising in the fourth or fifth gear when a slower moving vehicle looms in front of me.

Apart from the quick overtaking maneuvers, the cars engine performs well on the highways. It can comfortably cruise at 120 all day and we have pushed the car to almost 160 when the tyres and the car were new. Any speed above 130 and the car gives an auto feedback via the steering . Well, the steering vibrates at higher speeds. We noticed this earlier when putting her through her paces and it was happening at 150 kmph odd, but now it appears earlier. It is not the cars power that is its Achilles heel though. Reading other Accent reviews in the forum, it is clear that people have done higher speeds with this car, but I refrain from this (reasons follow).

The gearbox on the Accent is very smooth and almost like knife through butter. The throws are long but the shift action is precise. The smooth shift with short throws would have been a killer combination. In comparison, the Swift has short notchy shifts. There are no drivetrain vibrations passed on via the gear stick. The leather wrapped gearknob on the newer Accents should definitely be better. The gear lever falls into hand easily and is good to hold. The clutch lever has a light amount of play on it, but is otherwise easy to use.

The insulation from engine sound is reasonable at cruising speed and at idle, but is not whisper quiet. Once the engine is revved, the coarse noise of engine complaining is audible. The ride quality in Accent is good and its well cushioned for daily runs. The ride is also good on a flat highways and one does not require to slow down for broken road patches either. However, at high speeds, and when the road surface is undulating, the rear keeps bobs up and down. Rear passengers complain of bounciness and ask you to slow down. Due to this factor alone, I restrict my speed to 100 – 110 on an uneven Indian highway. The rear passengers also complain during quick turn maneuvers, e.g. when trying to avoid series of potholes on a broken highway.

Handling:
Handling is good enough for a family sedan. Grip levels are decent, and the chassis behaviour once used to becomes predictable. The handling is fairly neutral and the low seating, mentally helps in confidence. High speed stability is decent until 120/130 kph. One should know her limits and be on the safer side. While taking corners enthusiastically the understeer becomes very noticeable and should to be corrected. Above 130, there is a feel of disconnect from the road. The front passenger will definitely know the speed of the car without even bothering to look at the speedo as the footwell space vibrates annoyingly at those speeds. I have learnt to be careful with sudden direction changes at high speed. Accent is best driven sedately on the highways.

The hydraulic power steering is very light and city friendly. It weighs up with increased speed, but does not provide any feedback. At highway speeds above 120/130, there is a noticeable vibration in the steering transmitted by the tyres. Another reason to stick below the 130 limit is the steering behavior and one has to be very careful with the hand movements at speeds above that. For me the M800’s steering is the most direct with good feedback.

The braking department in Accent could do with improvement too and the car nosedives under hard braking. It is preferable to plan stops in advance and avoid panic braking. The wheels lock quite easily and pumping the brakes is a must, if one plans to do spirited driving in the Accent. One of my main grouses with the vehicle that there is no ABS, even as an option. I specifically asked the dealer about the ABS add on as the DOHC engine has ABS as optional, but it could not be added in the GLE.

If it looks like I have only complaints about the handling department, let me be clear. The Accent is good to drive at 120 kmph and perhaps at 130. Try to drive faster than that, then, it is upto your skills to navigate your way out of any unexpected situations. The car will not be of much help there.


Service
Hyundai Service has been impeccable so far. In Bangalore, my experience is that Advaith was better compared to Trident (Domlur). Both of them were professional during usual service, but Trident returned the car dirty after a service and it has spoiled the otherwise good service experience.

[kaushikr]

1) The engine bay is big and has loads of space in it. There is also quite a bit of space between the front bumper and radiator. When questiond, the SP told me that this is to prevent damage to radiator in case of minor head-on accidents. Is it true?




2) The headunit was upgraded to Alpine CDA-105 with integrated ipod control. The music system has a mind of its own while connecting to ipod. Sometimes plug in and the HU recognizes the ipod and other times just it. Once connected the system is easy to use to browse through the ipod for playlists, albums and everything else.

3) Rear parking sensors (with graphical distance display) were added as we have few new drivers in the house and the sensors definitely help.



4) The stock headlights are insufficient for the car and recently we upgraded it to Philips Rallye 90/100. Yet to go on a long drive with the upgraded headlights, so will reserve comments on them.

5) The Front disc break pads were changed at 27,000 kms and an Airco service performed at 25,000 kms.

6) One of the solenoids of the remote central locking doors and the door handle broke (passenger side front) and had to be replaced.

6) Now, the tyres are showing signs of wear and are due for replacement. Planning for 195/60 R14 with 14 rims soon which should improve the handling and breaking department. If there is anything else which can be done to improve the handling of the car, the inputs are most welcome.

7) Would love to add fog lamps to the car, but the OEM ones are priced close to 7,500. Are there any reliable alternatives?

My Take:

1) Car is a reliable family sedan, but not for spirited driving.
2) The suspension is tuned for comfort and chassis is such that the car cannot be thrown around.
3) To bump up the power without taking care of handling is a recipe for disaster!
4) Even today, the car sells in reasonable number and it says a lot about the package the car offers (Pricing -> Hyundai's Service -> Marketing) even though there are quite a few alternatives.
5) The spares are expensive compared to Maruti Swift, though one might argue that the cars are in different segments.

This car does some things well, most things acceptably and very little things wrong. Perhaps this explains why Hyundai gained most in the recent Toyota recall fiasco of the US.

[prajwalkashyap]

That was a nice refreshing review of a rather dated-still-contemporary car in India. A friend of mine was looking to buy a pre-owned Accent CRDI. Would you know of any handling differences between the petrol and the diesel versions?

Prajwal

[kaushikr]

Thank you Prajwal!

One difference which has been mentioned is that suspension is stiffer in the CRDi to compensate for the added weight of the diesel engine. Have not heard of anything apart from that.

[akshay4587]

@KaushikR,My car has an excellent low end,i hardly rev more than 2K RPM in City.
Instead of 195\60\R14,i would recommend 185\65\R14.
Also,I purchased OEM fog lamps,brand Lumax from Open market for 2K.

[kaushikr]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

@KaushikR,My car has an excellent low end,i hardly rev more than 2K RPM in City.
Instead of 195\60\R14,i would recommend 185\65\R14.
Also,I purchased OEM fog lamps,brand Lumax from Open market for 2K.

thanks for the tip about fog lamps. Will scout for them here.

True, 185\65\R14 is widely recommended, but are the grip levels similar compared to 195\60\R14, mainly when breaking?

The low end is more of an issue only on the highway, as in the 3rd gear performance on highway which has been highlighted.
The car is not driven often inside city and I have had no reasons to complain about the low-end for in-city driving!

[Ride_4_Fortune]

A very well written review @kaushikr. Even with the dated design, this car still outsells some of the modern rivals. This car is one of my favourites !

A colleague of mine bought this car and he is very happy with it. This car no doubt a good family sedan.

[thedreamcatcher]

Nice review on the old workhorse. I am also a big fan of the Accent and find it a pleasure to drive, with adequate power in the city and on highways

There is not too much to complain about the car, but yes, I feel the shocks should have been better as it rolls a lot in the corners, which takes away any bit of confidence.

But I have enjoyed good mileage, convenient cubby holes and good door pockets with a convenient bottle holder, spacious boot, with 60/40 split convenience, good 1.5 ltr engine with adequate power for the city and highways. I am not the kind to expect cars in this segment or bit higher to have race spec settings, as I know cars in these segments are meant for family use, and for city driving, normal road driving, Indian driving it is very decent and good. For spirited driving I will add something new to my garage soon, that is meant for this purpose ;-)

Very airy cabin, powerful AC, though feature wise it is a bit rustic, it serves almost all basic purposes. Yes, forgot to mention lockable glove box as well. For every other convenience, I have added after market stuff like good stereo, central adjustable arm rest with storage, vanity mirrors, Case Logic organisers, GPS, Jabra Bluetooth Car Kit, Clock, temp, compass gauge, rear retractable screen, rear seat folding trays and so on

[nfsfreak]

@Kaushikr, Nice written review.
Its a nice city car with good highway manners (for sedate drivers like me )
I also recommend 185\65\R14 instead of 195. (my Accent running on 185/65/R13).
This should improve braking & handling with little compromised FE.
Better ask Nikhil in following link.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html

[kaushikr]

Originally Posted by Ride_4_Fortune

A very well written review @kaushikr. Even with the dated design, this car still outsells some of the modern rivals. This car is one of my favourites !

A colleague of mine bought this car and he is very happy with it. This car no doubt a good family sedan.

@Ride_4_Fortune Thank you. The fact that Accent outsells its modern rivals surprises me, considering the number of options available for a 6 lakh rupee sedan these days. IMHO, considering Etios, DZire CS and Manza CS, its days are numbered. But we can never tell.

Originally Posted by thedreamcatcher

Nice review on the old workhorse. I am also a big fan of the Accent and find it a pleasure to drive, with adequate power in the city and on highways

There is not too much to complain about the car, but yes, I feel the shocks should have been better as it rolls a lot in the corners, which takes away any bit of confidence.

But I have enjoyed good mileage, convenient cubby holes and good door pockets with a convenient bottle holder, spacious boot, with 60/40 split convenience, good 1.5 ltr engine with adequate power for the city and highways. I am not the kind to expect cars in this segment or bit higher to have race spec settings, as I know cars in these segments are meant for family use, and for city driving, normal road driving, Indian driving it is very decent and good. For spirited driving I will add something new to my garage soon, that is meant for this purpose ;-)

Very airy cabin, powerful AC, though feature wise it is a bit rustic, it serves almost all basic purposes. Yes, forgot to mention lockable glove box as well. For every other convenience, I have added after market stuff like good stereo, central adjustable arm rest with storage, vanity mirrors, Case Logic organisers, GPS, Jabra Bluetooth Car Kit, Clock, temp, compass gauge, rear retractable screen, rear seat folding trays and so on

@thedreamcatcher Thanks. You're right in saying that its too much to expect race spec settings on a Hyundai. I have to probably recalibrate my expectations . Looking forward to greet your new drive.

Also, I would be interested in the following additions you have made to your car
1) aftermarket clock, cost and availability
2) rear retractable screen, cost and availability
3) rear seat folding trays, cost, availability and are they rattle free
3) central adjustable arm rest, cost, availability and practicality

If pictures of these additions can be posted, it will be of great help.

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

@Kaushikr, Nice written review.
Its a nice city car with good highway manners (for sedate drivers like me )
I also recommend 185\65\R14 instead of 195. (my Accent running on 185/65/R13).
This should improve braking & handling with little compromised FE.
Better ask Nikhil in following link.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html

@nfsfreak, Thanks!
The car is well mannered for sedate driving. The tyre upgrade experiences of fellow members have gotten me thinking. Will check the link before deciding.

[kaushikr]

Added Fog Lamps to the car last weekend. Quote from Hyundai Service Station was approx Rs. 4500,
Each Lamp = 1000 * 2 = 2000
Switch = 800
Wiring kit = around 700
Rest was fitting charges.

Found that a little expensive for my taste and hence decided to get the job done outside. Was not able to find a good quality fog lamp switch elsewhere , so bought the OEM switch with Hyundai after sales.

The quality of job done was just about acceptable. Total cost was about Rs 2500.

Still on a lookout for a new set of shoes!

[akshay4587]

@Kaushik,i would recommend 185\65\R14 tyres.
195 would be a slight overkill.
185\65\R14 provides a best combo of ride and handling.

[kaushikr]

Thanks for the suggestion akshay, will factor it in.
The last I checked the tire dealer did not have stock. As there is quite a bit of tread left in the existing ones, am not in too much of a hurry.

Btw, checked the pictures of your Accent. The car looks cool!