Look out Los Angeles—the all-new 2018 Hyundai Accent made its U.S. debut at the 2017 Orange County International Auto Show in Anaheim, California.
Granted, the Accent has already made its international debut earlier this year in Toronto. No matter, Hyundai’s fifth generation subcompact sedan will arrive at dealerships this fall. But, if you are looking for a hotter hatchback version, you can forget about it since that body style has been dropped.
This year’s model packs a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that offers 130 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque according to Hyundai.
The thrifty four-banger is mated to a standard 6-speed manual or an optional 6-speed automatic transmission with both normal and sport mode buttons—woo-hoo!
Looks wise the small sedan gets a new cascading grille that is flanked by wraparound headlights and a sporty new front-lip spoiler. [Insert “sizzle” sound effect here.]
Premium upgrades include projector headlights with LED DRLs, fog lights, power sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, and LED taillights. Hyundai touts the Accent’s “sweeping roof profile and sharp character lines run the length of the car” and meet its slim LED wraparound taillights.
54.5 percent of the latest Accent is comprised of Advanced High Strength Steel—up 13 percentage points from the fourth-generation, we are told. In addition, Accent’s torsional rigidity improved by 32 percent. Nice.
For 2018, the Accent is larger and has more interior room than the previous model. Hyundai claims that the Accent is wider by 1.2 inches, and the overall length has increased by 0.6 inches, yet its height remains the same. It now measures 68.1 x 172.6 x 57.1 inches (L x W x H) and its wheelbase increased by 0.4 inches and measures in at 101.6 inches.
Inside, the rearview camera is standard with a 5-inch color touchscreen or a 7-inch display audio system upgrade that’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay friendly. Accent sedan passenger volume is up to 103.9 cubic feet and Hyundai claims it has “more interior and cargo volume than the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris.”
Standard safety goodies include a six-airbag system, electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, traction control, and ABS. Pricing hasn’t been announced at this time, but Hyundai states that the 2018 Accent will be available in November.
