Hyundai has always excelled at making cars that are easy on the price tag while being loaded with features and equipment, rivaling many of the more expensive competitors. The 2018 Hyundai Accent Hatchback is a perfect example of this philosophy. It’s one of the best all around hatchbacks we’ve driven in a long time. Let’s look a bit deeper into what makes this car such a great choice if you are looking for a reasonably priced modern hatchback with plenty of great features and elegant looks.
CLASSY EXTERIOR DESIGN
Hatchbacks these days appear to be trying too hard with multiple design elements crammed into the minimum amount of space. Thankfully the 2018 Hyundai Accent Hatchback follows its own beat and is fully distinguished from its often compared rival the Honda Civic hatchback. The exterior of the 2018 Accent has a well-rounded, classy look with free-flowing lines that give this car a sense of purpose and considerable road presence despite its diminutive size. From the front, the 2018 Accent appears quite low to the ground, giving a sense of performance. The headlights and the fog lights complement each other nicely while the grille is small and cute befitting of a compact hatchback.
The sides keep it simple and sleek with everything flowing quite smoothly along the sloped roofline. The rear end ties the whole design together with sleek and narrow tail lights, a rear overhang and just enough lines and curves to provide intrigue. Overall, the exterior design of the 2018 Hyundai Accent Hatchback is elegant and refined and a great step forward for Hyundai design.
ROOMY INTERIOR
It is quite easy to understand why space inside a hatchback can be limited. However, the 2018 Hyundai Accent Hatchback manages to provide one of the most spacious interiors in its class. You can tell the designers put in some thought for the interior as is evident with the overall layout, functionality, attention to detail and all the ample storage areas spaced throughout the interior.
The sporty seats are extremely comfy while maintaining a compact design. A simple uncluttered dash controls all the typical features with all the controls exactly where you would expect them to me. Nice large vent, a large touch screen display and plenty of steering wheel mounted controls add to the comfort and convenience factor.
In short, this car is the perfect car for the everyday commute to work or to the supermarket. It can also suffice for a short trip where you do not need to carry a huge amount of cargo. The overall interior design is quite charming and refined while being simple and clutter-free.
PERFORMANCE AND DRIVING
The reason hatchbacks became so popular was due to the spirited engines they carried in a lightweight package, plus the added versatility of a larger cargo area. Recently though, hatchbacks have sadly been veering away from this tradition. That is however not the case with the 2018 Hyundai Accent as this hatchback is equipped with a small but peppy 137hp 1.6L four cylinder engine. While 137hp may not seem like a lot of power, don’t forget the light weight of the Accent makes for responsive and peppy accelerations.
The engine is paired to a front wheel drive and a six speed transmission with your choice of manual or automatic. Overall the engine accelerated very smoothly and was whisper quiet during idle. It does work a bit to achieve accelerations at higher speeds or with a fuller load, but this is to be expected and is a welcomed trade off for the fuel economy provided by a smaller engine.
Another area where the 2018 Hyundai Accent excels is in the handling department. The weight distribution is very even and the car’s design lowers its center of gravity considerably. This gives the car amazing stability when powering down straights and amazing grip and control around corners. If you are someone who loves driving or would want to experience the thrills of driving fast then this the 2018 Accent is a great option that won’t break the bank.
SAFETY IN MIND
Thankfully this is one area where Hyundai didn’t hold back. It comes with what is known as proactive protection and is one of the fastest responding airbag systems in cars today. There are 6 of these airbags to protect the car’s occupants from all sides. The traction control really blew us away as it is mighty impressive to see something so effective in such a well-priced car. We tested the 2018 Accent through corners at higher than required speeds and the traction control sorted everything out for us and provided a reassured feeling while getting us out of the corner in one piece. The brake assist and Electronic Stability Control are also useful features to have and performed as expected throughout our test drive.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 2018 Hyundai Accent might look a bit subdued from the outside but it is one of the most exciting cars we have stepped into recently. The acceleration is spirited and the throttle response is almost immediate. The interior is comfortable and roomy and at a price starting from just $14,599, this car comes loaded with features and performance that more than justify its cost. It outperforms everything else in this price range by a huge margin while being able to stand toe to toe with some of the more expensive hatchbacks out there. We definitely recommend this powerful, yet compact hatchback that makes driving fun again!
