Hyundai India launched its new variant of Accent, Accent Viva on Indian Road. It is one of the most modern mid-size car has 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 Indian version of the Accent is of the European generation. 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. There is a clean, broad-shouldered design, which makes the car look quite grown-up. There is a nice, formal abstinence to the design, which gives it widespread plea; the performance versions in particular look good, with the turndown spoiler and alloys.

 

The Accent is driven 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 on the strength of its cabin, which is the best. It is spacious, airy and has a high-quality feel, which lifts this car from simple family transport. 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. On 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.

 

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 best. 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 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. 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. There is 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.

 

The 1.5 and CRDi engines are good picks, the 1.6 and the Viva hatchback less so.  Running costs are fairly low as well — spares for the CRDi won’t be cheap. 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.

Filed under: Hyundai Cars in India