Hyundai Accent News

Hyundai has heated up the popular Accent hatchback range with the arrival of the sporty Australian-developed SR variant. Replacing the Accent Elite hatch, the SR -- which debuted at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show -- is powered by  Hyundai's higher-output 1.6-litre D-CVVT GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) Gamma petrol engine, shared with the new Elite sedan and the Veloster and delivering 103kW at 6300rpm and 167Nm at 4850rpm The engine is mated to a six-speed manual as standard for $18,990 or the optional six-speed automatic with sequential manual mode transmission for an extra $2000. Claimed fuel consumption is 6.1-litres/100km for the manual and 6.6L for the auto. The sports-focused suspension has been developed locally to suit Australian requirements, with the unique tune achieved in computer simulations, road driving and high-speed evalution at the Marulan race circuit near Sydney. After assessing 20 front and 17 rear damper builds, the rear ones were changed from twin-tube to high-performance monotube Mando units, spring rates were changed and the front stabiliser bar was trimmed from 23mm to 21mm. "These hardware changes deliver sharper turn-in, quicker response and enhanced body control, all while retaining – in fact, actually improving on – Accent's supple ride," Hyundai product planning manager and lead development driver, Andrew Tuitahi said in a statement. "The Accent SR features a higher output engine and a new suspension set-up which as a pleasant by-product also make it great fun to drive at a keen price." The SR also picks up an array of sporty features, including a rear spoiler, 16-inch machined-face alloy wheels, SR badging and projector-beam headlights with LED positioning lamps, automatic dusk-sensing operation and headlight escort function. It gets a five-star ANCAP rating, with safety kit including six airbags, stability management and control systems, traction control and anti-skid brakes with brake force distribution to counter uneven loading. Hyundai Accent range: Accent Active 4DR $16,990 (man) Accent Active 5DR $16,990 (man) Accent Active 4DR $18,990 (auto) Accent Active 5DR $18,990 (auto) Accent Elite 4DR $20,990 (auto) Accent SR 5DR $18,990 (man) Accent SR 5DR $20,990 (auto) This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

A tidier Elantra is the next newcomer from Hyundai as it accelerates its new-model plans for the next five years. The mid-sized Korean contender only gets a mild update for 2013 but there is much more to come.The upscale Genesis coupe is already confirmed and now comes news from Korea of an update to the Accent later this year, as well as the Accent SR developed in Australia to sit alongside the SR versions of the Veloster A warm hatch with a nice price - that's the bottom line on the Hyundai i30 SR and i30.Hyundai has a long-term goal to move up from its current fourth place in the Australian car business and chief operating officer, John Elsworth, is talking up the prospects. "Our results this year have been incredibly strong. Overall we are placed fourth in the market. We're number two in passenger cars and fourth in SUVs," Elsworth says.Hyundai is still short of models, including a ute to pitch into the red-hot pickup contest, but it's no worse than third in any of the showroom classes where it has a serious contender. "Our approach and goal is for consistent growth, versus peaks and troughs in sales, and having a good mix of sales across models and all buyer types," Elsworth says."Currently our sales mix continues to improve, with 66 per cent of sales going to private and small businesses, and add to that nine per cent dealer demonstrators, which are predominantly sold privately after their holding period. So that's 75 per cent of sales as private and small business."Against that background, Hyundai is bullish about its sales forecast for 2013 against an overall market it expects to hit 1.14 million. With the i30 SR ready now for showrooms, the next arrival is the updated Elantra."It will be here this year. In the third quarter," company spokesman Bill Thomas tells Carsguide. "It's a mid-life Elantra update. There are no sheetmetal changes, but there are new lights front and rear. One of the big improvements is inside., where we've put the central air vents higher, based on customer feedback, and that's give us the opportunity to give the cabin a more premium feel."It's got our new suspension as well. It's very nice." But there is still no chance of a diesel engine choice. "There is a diesel for other countries, but we're staying with petrol power for Australia," Thomas says.Apart from the Genesis, the star for 2014 is a new Sonata. It has a new body, a different interior approach and will - inevitably - get Australian suspension tuning. Hyundai is also expected to add a rear-wheel drive sporty sedan, in the style of the Lexus IS, by 2016. Its codename is RK and it could have styling based on the HCD-14 concept car from this year's Detroit motor show. But no-one is saying anything about RK, or anything beyond the end of this year. "No comment. That's it," Thomas says bluntly.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover

It’s not just the top end of town that’s paying more upfront for the long-term bonus of reduced running costs.

Kids aren’t usually a factor in Car of the Year judging.  But child friendliness rates highly with women buying cars – and with women judging cars.The countdown has been kicked off to decide the Women’s World Car of the Year, and the kid factor is one the judges pay a lot of attention to.“Statistics show that women drive children in cars significantly more often than men – and that means women need to take that into account, both when buying and as judges of cars,” WCOTY president Sandy Myhre said from New Zealand.“Any woman who has grappled constantly with child seats and belts and children considers those things when looking at buying a car.  Men might too but the fact is, women drive children in cars more than men.“Women would not consider that aspect in a Porsche 911 more than a bloke. The point is, it can be considered in these awards - and that is one of the points of difference in these awards.”Myhre points out that significant research into buying habits show that in addition to buying for themselves, women have a major influence in household purchase decisions for big ticket items.Ford Australia, for example, says their research shows that women are behind the majority of purchases of the Territory SUV – either as single women buying one, or in influencing the joint decision with their partner. “A report from Mattingly & Associates in Australia concluded, in part, that businesses that didn't understand this influence would be hard-pressed to stay in business.  That report was aptly called 'When I've Made Up Our Minds',” Myhre says.However, the kid factor is just one of the criteria by which the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be judged.There are four categories in the Women's World Car of the Year – Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Points are allocated to each of ten criteria: driveability, engineering, comfort, child friendliness, style, interior, storage, dashboard efficiency, carbon footprint and colour range.The 20 judges from eleven countries have submitted their own personal short list and more than 300 cars were suggested. These individual choices were then whittled down to form a master list of 32 in terms of popularity. Judges will now allocate points for these cars from a criteria list.The announcement of the winning cars in each category and the supreme winner will be made before the end of March. The supreme award trophy and category certificates will be presented to the car companies concerned at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2012 – the Paris Motor Show – in September. The supreme trophy will this year be made in The Netherlands. Category-winner certificates will be designed at Peartree Studios in Colerne, UK.The first winner of the Women's World Car of the Year was the Jaguar XF in 2010 and the trophy made in South Africa was presented at the Jaguar boutique showroom in Knightsbridge, London. In 2011 there was a dead-heat between the Citroen DS3 and the BMW 5 Series. The two trophies made in India were presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. 

The Accent oiler will hit the showroom floors only in Active spec, with a starting price of $19,490.  The turbodiesel unit - the first in the Accent line-up – is a new 1.6-litre engine with common rail direct injection (CRDi) fuel system, intercooled with variable geometry turbo (VGT). It develops 94kW of power at 4000rpm and 260Nm of torque between 1900-2750rpm.  The engine is mated to either Hyundai’s six-speed manual, or for an extra $2000 the four-speed electronic automatic transmission – which features a lock-up torque converter, overdrive and driver style adaptation programming. Hyundai claims the combination of CRDi and VGT enables the diesel to deliver fuel economy of 4.4L/100km in a combined cycle of driving with the manual transmission sedan and 4.5L/100km for the hatch, with the automatic versions both coming in at 5.6L/100km. Safety equipment for the Active spec level includes six airbags, vehicle stability management, electronic stability control and traction control systems. The four-channel, four-sensor anti-skid braking system also has electronic brakeforce distribution that adjusts brake effort to compensate for uneven loading of cargo or passengers.

The baby Accent, which comes as Hyundai moves away from the price-first policy championed by its baby Getz, joins a growing lineup of cars that get a five-star tick from the ANCAP crash-test program. All of Hyundai's new-generation cars, including the i20, i30, i45, Elantra, ix35 and Santa Fe, can now tout the top ranking from ANCAP. But the latest results - which previously highlighted the shortcomings   in the Chery J1 from China - reflect the safety emphasis that is make a five-star score almost the starting point for major brands. The Lexus CT200h, Peugeot 508, Toyota Rukus and Volvo V60 have all emerged as five-star cars after local tests or results from the parallel EuroNCAP program. The Toyota Corolla has now been upgraded to five stars after the addition of seven airbags and ESP stability control as standard equipment. "ANCAP is pleased to see this bonanza of five-star ratings in the interests of Australian motorists and we will continue to provide as many ratings as possible for consumers to assist their purchase," says   the ANCAP chair, Lauchlan McIntosh. ANCAP is currently finalising its 2011-2012 crash test program after receiving its annual funding from motor clubs and government bodies. McIntosh also praises the work done at Hyundai. "The Accent continues Hyundai's safety focus - it tested well and   includes six airbags, electronic stability control and seat belt reminders for all seats as standard across the range."

Hyundai Australia CEO Edward Lee says the company's plan is no longer centred on entry-level pricing, but values such as safety, driving experience and ride quality. With the exit of the Getz and the introduction of the Accent, the company now has a full five-star safety rating on all of its passenger vehicle fleet. "We're not concerned with leaving the bottom of the market," Lee says. “I think we changed people's perception of the brand a lot already.Five-star safety is our new strategy.” "Australian people think safety is one of the most important things along with driving and ride." Sales and marketing manager Oliver Mann says the Getz name has gone the way of the Excel and doesn't expect to see either model name returned to the brand. Australians bought 153,000 Getz in their model lifetime and only about 400 are left after production ended last year. That's less than half the 1000 they sell each month. The Getz 1.4-litre three-door is listed at $13,990. It's a big hole for Hyundai to fill, but Mann is not concerned. "Even though it was our entry level car, we mainly sold the 1.6-litre five-door model, anyway," Mann says. "We're not planning to fill the entry level price again.” "We're getting out of the bottom end of the market. Getz won't be replaced directly." However, with the introduction of the 1.6-litre, slightly larger Accent, the 1.6-litre i20 models have been deleted and the $15,490 1.4-litre three-door is being sold at $14,990 driveaway. Hyundai also does not have room in its five-star strategy for the four-star i10 as a replacement bargain car. "We looked long and hard at the i10 business case, but it wasn't profitable and didn't fit in with our five-star safety rating strategy," Mann says. Product planning senior manager Roland Rivero says supply of the Indian-made i10 also could not be guaranteed with the factory able to build 450,000 a year and the domestic market taking 400,000. "That would leave Europe and ask to argue over the remainder," he says.

…in the light and small hatch segments as the company looks to make up for lost Getz volume. The hatch was initially discounted when Hyundai announced it would bring in the i20 hatch but marketing director Oliver Mann said at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne yesterday there was scope for the Accent to sit above the i20 and below the i30. “We haven’t decided on spec and pricing yet, but it will be positioned between the two,” Mann said. The Accent is the best looking of the hatches and benefits from Hyundai’s latest “fluidic sculpture” design language. The hatch on show is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine. Overseas models have three engine variants: a 1.4, 1.6 and 1.6 direction injection. “The Accent hatch will work in the mid and upper segment of the light class,” Mann said. Mann is adamant the five-star ANCAP safety rating is a core part of the Hyundai brand. “We’re certainly no longer the “cheap and cheerful” company … in Getz leaving the range we realise we’ve moved on from the low-cost end of the market _ we’ve come a long way and Hyundai is now a modern, premium brand.

The i40 is a great-looking wagon - long, low, sleek and with some Mercedes CLS styling cues.  But Hyundai Australia's marketing boss, Oliver Mann, says getting it down under is still only a chance. "It has to make sense. It has to be the right price and work with the other models,'' he says in Geneva.  It's designed in Europe for Europeans and we have to see if it can work - pricing, specifications, features and so on - in Australia.'' What worries Mann is that the i40 will sit in a small market segment occupied now only by the Mazda6 and Ford Mondeo wagons.  "That's not a big segment and we don't have a customer base to call on,'' he says. "But it's a new concept for Hyundai and it has a lot of appeal.''  The i40 comes with the choice of a 1.7-litre turbo-diesel or 2-litre petrol engine and is made in Korea.  "It's our style leader in terms of quality and finish,'' Mann says. The i40 is in the same boat as the RB model that will replace the Accent.  Mann says this hatch is yet to be decided as an entrant into Australia. "We'll make a decision within one month,'' he says.  "It has been developed for all global markets. To a degree, the i20 replaced the Accent. The RB - possibly to become the i25 - is built on the i20 platform and is a four-door sedan, so it will appeal to a different buyer than the i20, says Mann.  A better bet is the MD model - no name yet but the money's on i35 -that replaces the Elantra. Mann says the sedan is here midyear and will be a strong boost to the affordable family-oriented sector.  On a more concrete note, Hyundai is preparing its unusual three-door Veloster coupe for Australia. It arrives late this year as a 1.6-litre petrol engined four-seater with two side doors on the left side of the car, and one on the right.  It has been specifically engineered for the right-hand drive markets - the left-drive US market gets the two doors on the other side - and will be the successor (in terms of market) to the original Hyundai S-Coupe. It also gives Hyundai the chance to re-enter the coupe market after it quietly withdrew the Tiburon two-door model from the Australian showrooms about 18 months ago.  

After a series of good looking, European-inspired new designs for i-series cars led by the classy i30 in Australia, the Korean brand has selected reverse gear on the styling road.It has just unveiled an updated Accent at home in Korea which returns to the ugly days of Hyundai design. The new nose is overdone and does not work well with the rest of the car.It's called the Hyundai Verna Transform in Korea but could clearly become the next update of the Accent sedan in Australia."We're certainly considering the options from HMC," is the only comment from Hyundai Australia's spokesman, Ben Hershman.Apart from the ugly grille, the update pack is fairly minor with an Eco indicator in a dashboard which picks up the blue-light instrument signature from other Hyundai models.Still, despite the ugly indications from Korea the brand is picking up some much-needed speed in Australia with a best-yet May result of 5178 sales.Hyundai is the only top-10 brand to have actually increased its sales in recent months, and through the first five months of 2009, and jumped to fifth in the passenger-car rankings in May.