Hyundai Accent

spmrebel · November 2005

I heard they might be offering a 4 door GT/SE model. That would be great. I was driving home from work tonight and saw a 2006 Accent in white with alloy rims. It looked really sharp. The size seemed about equivalent to a Toyota Corolla. It had dealer plates on it so I think it came from Hyundai US head quarters which is about 8 miles from where I work. Its funny that I have now seen an 06 Accent but have yet to see an o6 Rio on the road and the Rio has been selling for over a month now. I think Hyundai has a winner with the Accent.

Happy motoring

tatamy19 · November 2005

For an actual sale date of the 06 GLS here in the states along with pricing information. It's very frustrating to see the 06 Rio's here in South Carolina and no Accents.

maxximtl · November 2005

I contacted Hyundai's Customer Service Dept. via email this week. Specifically, I was looking for a release date on the Accent. In typical fashion, they replied that they "could not supply any additional information at this time...and to please continue checking the website." The dealers were no help either. I got the standard 4-6 weeks remark and a request for my contact info. No Thanks.

C'mon now. If the car is supposedly hitting the dealers in less than 4 weeks time, the least Hyundai could do is announce a date....or firm pricing.

I was also surprised at the aparent lack of 2006 Accent's at SEMA. Hyundai did a big roll out on the 2007 3-door, but there were no modded 4 doors in sight. Yet, there were multiple Kia Rio's. What gives? Seems to me Hyundai is dropping the ball big time on the release of this car. They are missing big opportunities to generate excitement for what could be one of the most important cars for Hyundai in a long time.

Having looked at the Rio already, and without even seeing the Accent in person, I have concluded that the Accent is a far better deal. I guess I'll keep waiting to see what materializes in the next month.

307web · November 2005

Most likely they want concentrate on getting rid of current inventory rather than "generating excitement" for a new model. Talking about a replacement vehicle to satisfy the curious, will only make more it more difficult to clear out the current Accent.

backy · November 2005

Exactly. This is no different than behavior by other car companies for new products, e.g. the '06 Civic. Also, I am not surprised that Hyundai concentrated on the '07 3-door at SEMA since that is aimed at the youth market and the 4-door is more conservative, aimed at an older demographic.

jordis · November 2005

I sold my car last month { 2004 Rav4 } which I despise by heart and I would have to wait until Spring to get my Accent 3 doors. There are exceptions to the rules, for instance I am 6'4" with a large dog. Besides I would get in and out the car easier. Nothing is meant for an specific group of people.

backy · November 2005

Actually, companies do target certain demographics with certain products. But as your situation proves, there are always exceptions! I am close to the senior citizen group and I love the looks of the 3-door myself.

maxximtl · November 2005

I don't agree with the previous comments regarding moving current inventory. If you look at Hyundai's website, you will see they aren't even offering any incentives on the 2005's right now. In fact, The Accent is the only 2005 without any incentives....and is the very next car to be replaced in their line-up. If they were that truly worried about moving the old Accents, don't you think Hyundai would offer something to the public to entice them? There are no signs that Hyundai is worried about being left with old stock. The argument doesn't hold water.

From a marketing perspective, Hyundai is a forward looking company. They have to aggressively market their new products in order to take sales away from Toyota and Honda, ect (regardless of demographic.) In that sense, they have to appeal to the broadest catagory of people possible. That is why I feel the lack of a "tuner" version at SEMA was a major disapointment. They have a very lucrative younger market that they can tap into.

307web · November 2005

They are probably selling out the remaining 2005s at a satisfactory pace and don't want sales to grind to a halt by hyping a new model and then forcing massive rebates they wouldn't otherwise need.
I'm sure many people planning to buy a 2005 are oblivious to the coming redesign and would cancel their purchase if they hear about the new design.
Not talking about the 2006 is probably a strategy to protect sales of the remaining 2005s that costs them much less than bigger rebates.

allfiredup · November 2005

It's been my experience that Hyundai (as well as many others including Mazda and Honda) doesn't update their website as quickly as they should. The Sonata information didn't show up on there until the car had been on dealer lots for a few weeks and the Azera has no pricing info, though it was announced a few weeks ago.

It's not unique to Hyundai. Mazda just added their '06 models to their site last week even though some have been out for months.

I'm sure the main objective is to move the old before they generate excitement for the new, as several folks have said. But still I'd like to have access to info now.

ooiringo · November 2005

Hyundai is trying very hard to build a strong brand and the best way to do that is through word of mouth. We are immune to companies hyping their own products (Ford, GM, Dodge). We take notice when we are sort of left out. The hype is in the chatter. We wouldn't be talking about the accent if Hyundai hyped the hell out of it. We would be talking about the next best thing we knew nothing about. Hyundai certainly didn't run a huge launch of the new Tucson, and look how successful it's been. Shoot, I just started seeing commercials for it in the last month. Hyundai's strategy is to build hype through mystique. This is what Google does with it's new products and it has been effective.

backy · November 2005

However, Hyundai did do a huge launch/campaign for the Sonata. But then, that is a big volume seller for them and was aimed at changing perceptions about Hyundai, so it was critical to get the word out in a big way. With the Accent, it's not as big a seller but Hyundai may need to pump some marketing dollars into it because of all the new competitors (Yaris, Fit, Versa, even Rio) available now or in the near future.

kiadealerhater · November 2005

A salesman from a local hyundai dealership told me that part of the delay of the 2006 Accent was do to a broken down ship in the pacific. ???????

allfiredup · November 2005

Interesting, I haven't heard that. Hopefully it won't go the way the Tricolor did last December loaded with thousands of BMWs, Saabs and Volvos. Sunk to the bottom of the English Channel and ruined them all.

Hopefully the Accent will get here soon. I'm looking forward to test driving one.

allfiredup · November 2005

I read somewhere in the last few weeks that the sales projection for the Accent is either 60k or 80k per year. If they are selling in those relatively smallish numbers, how much money can they put into advertising? Perhaps current gas prices will do their advertising for them.

You do make a good point about the upcoming competition, though. The market is going to be flooded in the next 6-12 months with subcompacts. Hyundai's advantage will be what it has been for years, though- low price, great warranty. The Fit in particular will be more expensive, I'm sure.

On a related note, I've not seen any advertising for the Kia Rio either.

ooiringo · November 2005

A flood of quality sub-compacts is exactly what I'm hoping for. We buyers want as many choices out there to use as leverage.

On another note - I'm a little confused about the "sub-compact" class. The '06 Accent is damn near the same size as the '05 Civic. Sure the civic is a bit longer (~7in), but the Accent has more passenger room (92.2 to 92.4 cu ft), more leg room (42.8 to 42.4 in), more shoulder room (53.5 to 52.6 in), and just barely less cargo room (12.4 to 12.9 cu ft)

So what makes a civic a compact and an accent a sub-compact?

backy · November 2005

It is confusing. Some people go by exterior length when classifying cars. The Accent, Rio, etc. are shorter than compacts like the Civic and Corolla. But the EPA classifies by interior room, so it considers the Accent to be a compact, and "compacts" like the Elantra to be mid-sized. Maybe we need a new classification system, one that everyone agrees with??

dudest · November 2005

Hi there this is Paul from Hyundai of New Rochelle NY, I just wanted to let you know guys that we just got the brochures for the new 06 Accent with all the color choices and packages (well package). I am sending them out to my customers who requested them prior, so your local dealerships should have them by now as well. It definetely looks like a great replacement. Hope you guys like it as well.

backy · November 2005

Thanks, Paul! Do you have pricing yet and if so, would you mind posting it? And just curious, what is the one package--the power package? Does that mean alloys and/or moonroof are not available? Thanks!

dudest · November 2005

Hi Backy, well so far I can tell you this much, we do not have any official pricing on the vehicle as of yet, I know there was an article @ edmunds I believe and they were giving some preliminarie pricing but nothing that we can personally verify. Definetely safety features standard are 6 airbags, ABS and EBD. Options still are the A/C the automatic transmission and the Premium sport Package(the only package). For now they are only going to be available in GLS 4 doors, no 2 door on the catalog :surprise: This Premium sport Package includes power mirrors/A/C / Power windows/ Illuminated door switches/ power locks/keyless entry and 15 inch alloy wheels. But again I have no idea what this package will run. It does not say anywhere on the brochure that sunroof is an option sorry about that. As far as colors go there is Sand Beige/Nordic White/ Ebony Black/ Charcoal Gray/Wine Red/Ice Blue/Platinum Silver and Dark Sapphire Blue. Interior colors are Beige and Gray. By the way all the exterior colors look very nice and new for the Accent line up. I hope this helps a little. :shades:

backy · November 2005

Thanks for all the info. I was hoping the power package would be available sans alloys, but that appears to not be the case. Looks like a full color palette. Any word on when your first shipments will arrive?

dudest · November 2005

Usually as a dealership I get at least 2 or 3 week notice on a car arriving from the Port, or at least I get a list of cars for me to choose for my allocation. I have not received either one as of yet, this makes me conclude that the cars won't be here any sooner than 4 to 6 weeks. If anything does change though I will let you guys know. I know most dealerships in my are are pretty much out of 05 Accents. I am the Swap manager here and people are calling me to get the ones that I have left. That means that Hyundai is got to know that supply is very low, which explains the low incentives we have right now. That should be good news because now they have to push that 06 Accent to come in sooner rather than later, but that is just my assumption. :confuse:

allfiredup · November 2005

All sounds great so far, although I'm still disappointed that cruise isn't offered.

Do you know what interior/exterior combinations will be available? Particularly, what exterior colors offer the gray as an interior option? I'm not a fan of beige.

Thanks for all the info! As you can see a few of us econo-geek/enthusiasts are anxious to check it out in person.

dudest · November 2005

allfiredup, as far as I know cruise control can be easily installed on the vehicle. Do mind that Accents come with a lot more equipment outside of the US so therefor most of the hardware is already there. It's too early for me to assure this to you, but I am pretty sure it will be no different on the 06 Accent.

As far as colors: Ice blue and Sand Beige are the only two that will come with Beige interiors only. Charcoal Gray, Sapphire Blue and Silver will come only in gray interior. White, Black and Wine Red(Burgundy) will have a choice of either Beige interior or Gray interior

I hope that helps

inharmsway · November 2005

I went to the local auto show yesterday and the Hyundai rep. told me that cruise would be available. We will see.
Niels

tatamy19 · November 2005

I truly wanted a 2006 Accent but this delay in getting the pricing out and the product to market made me go another route. I bought a 2005 Cobalt today. Black, LS, 5 SPD. Price out the door after the $2,750 rebate and tax was just under 13K.

It almost made me sad as I was truly excited about the new Accent. If Hyundai could have somehow given me a date on when the things would have been available and some firm pricing information I may have held off. The deal on the Cobalt was really good and I wanted a car today not 4 to 6 more weeks (or more) from now.

allfiredup · November 2005

Thanks dudest, that does help. I am a fan of white cars with dark gray or black interior. Unfortunately, most white cars have beige interior (Honda is the worst in this regard, they give you no choice). At least I'll know the Accent will be available in my favorite combo.

Hopefully they will decide to offer the cruise, but it's good to know it can be installed. Do you install cruise at your dealership?

allfiredup · November 2005

Sounds like a pretty good deal. The Cobalt isn't a bad car at all. Actually, with the 5-speed, it has some real kick. I consider them overpriced at sticker, but with usual GM incentives they are a good value (at least the LS models).

Just wondering, did you consider the Kia Rio at all?

ooiringo · November 2005

tatamy19, how could you? you waited this long and broke down mere weeks before the release? Oh well, the cobalt doesn't seem to shabby (especially if you are only going to keep it for 3 years/36,000 mi.) I too have considered other options and one day I even thought about the Aveo. Then I came to my senses. Chevy Aveo? Yikes!

On another note: Allfiredup - why do you want cruise control so badly? In my '65 Mustang I learned how to improvise cruise control - you have to rest your leg just right against the gas pedal and sit back and relax - you'd never know the difference

tatamy19 · November 2005

Just one of those things. My 2002 Malibu was going to need about 3K worth of work and it's only worth 5K. With the incentive on the Cobalt it was simply too good to pass up.

My next car will likely be an STI in less then 3 years. Now if Hyundai comes up with something to compete with the STI....

allfiredup · November 2005

I want cruise because I tend to use it a lot. My leg get tired holding the pedal at the same position for hours on end. When I'm cruising on a long, flat highway I like to get up to about 80 and let the cruise do the rest.

ooiringo · November 2005

I definitely agree cruise is helpful - I was just givin' you the business. Also, keeping it steady at the peak MPH for performance (which always happens to be about 10 over the speed limit, right) is good for gas the mileage.

I live in Seattle, which is a major Hyundai port, so I wonder if we'll get them on the road first.

snakey · November 2005

Anyone know anything new about the arrival date of the new Accent? I desperately want to go drive one and grill my salesman on available options until his ears bleed and he passes out. Or I could just grab a phamplet and take a test drive. Either way! I must get my greasy mits on the steering wheel of a new Accent, pronto!

allfiredup · November 2005

You aren't the only one eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Accent. I've finally driven a Rio and liked it very much, particulary the engine/manual transmission which will be identical in the Accent. The pics of the Accent make it appear classier than the Rio and I am anxious to see for myself.

I've heard some time in November, but it's almost over now. Who knows?

biomechanical · November 2005

Even though I will be in the market for a larger vehicle next year, I can't help but be a bit enamored by the new Accent hatchback. It reminds me a lot of my beloved 98 Civic DX hatchback, but with all the extra features that would have made that car perfect. If my Civic had been equipped with a tachometer (I owned a 5-speed), power accessories, A/C, a sunroof (!), extra airbags and a better stereo as standard equipment, I'd probably still have it!

ooiringo · November 2005

I went to the Seattle car show a few weeks ago and filled out a Hyundai sweepstakes form (I won a cooler duffle bag). Well, a salesman called me on Wednesday and I told him I wanted the '06 Accent. He told me it probably wouldn't be out until after Jan 1, then he tried to sell me something else. I asked him why and he said that during the Seattle car show they had the private dealer show and Hyundai told the dealers that it wouldn't be out until after the first. I again asked him why and he said Hyundai wouldn't give a definitive answer. Then he tried to sell me something else.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were coming sooner than Jan 1 and he just wanted to sell me something now, hoping I was over anxious. But you never know with those salesmen.

snakey · November 2005

I recently went to a Kia dealership and test drove a Sedan (LX? Dunno, had power options and such). I thought that the automatic was as good as you might expect for a car in this price range (not too much gear hunting, abrupt down shifts) it wasn't fantastic but it didn't disapoint me either.

I drive a 98 Nissan Sentra STD (read: no options) at the moment and it was markedly quieter.

The acceleration was pretty snappy, though I think a 5 speed would make it more fun the AT did a good job getting on the freeway.

Steering was a bit light, that was disapointing. The power steering made it almost too easy to steer at higher speeds, could be dangerous if you haven't been driving long. On a side note, it was great in the lot, turned no problem (blessed is power steering).

I think the ride was a little stiff for me but Hyundai based Kias are almost always less floaty than their Hyundai counterparts so I expected that.

SOOOO; I am looking forward to trying an Accent (which I hear has more NVH insulation and TRIPLE door seals) soon, looking forwards to a smoother ride, possible a better gear ratio in the AT (maybe?), a quieter drive and better styling.

For the price they are asking for a fully loaded Rio, I would just as well wait 2 months or a month or a week, whenever...and get me a Hyundai instead.

Here's to everyone else who is eagerly awating, belated happy thanksgiving and early merry Christmas. Or have a Kwazy Kwanzy.

hpgal · November 2005

Speaking as one of 'those salesmen' - I don't know where that Seattle salesman got his info, but we've had 06 accents on the lot here for a couple of weeks

danf1 · November 2005

Where are you located? In Pittsburgh we haven't seen one yet.

backy · November 2005

Great! These are the new 4-door GLS models, right? Can you please share some info with us? For example, what is the base MSRP? Destination charge? Price for options (A/C, automatic, Premium Sport Package, mats)? Thanks!

ooiringo · November 2005

I finally got a brochure from one of the dealerships today so it seems that Seattle is way behind. 2 of 3 dealerships I contacted said they didn't have brochures in. It'd be great hpgal if you could give us some more info

iluvmysephia1 · November 2005

are you thinking of getting an '06 Accent? They look really good and from what I've read they are cheaper than Kia's '06 Rio by $1,000-$1,500 or so. They have an appealing look to their front end.

I thought you were gonna look into a little bigger car for your next one. I am thinking of downsizing into a '06 Kia Rio 4-door or Rio5. With Pocatello, Idaho's(elev.4,477 feet up in the Rockies) snow, though, it would probably behoove me to just hold onto my '01 Sportage 4x4. We got hit with snowdrifts of 2-3 feet and icy cold winds following the snow. Today it snowed another inch or so to top off the ice! :surprise:

Pocatello has about 50,400 people and there were over 200 accidents the last couple days. The Sportage 4x4 has held me to the road admirably. The '06 Rio's are FWD and no AWD option but would probably do very well in the snow, too. I just can't believe how nicely the Sportsman cuts over the ice.

backy · November 2005

Yes, the '06 Accent (even the '07 3-door) is on my shopping list. I really like the styling, inside and out; the nifty features in the interior like fold-down rear armrest, 3 rear headrests, lighted vanity mirrors, 8-way adjustable driver's seat with armrest, and lots of storage with 8 (count 'em!) cupholders. Also I like the safety features such as standard ABS and side curtains. The major downsides are that crash safety is unknown until the tests are out (and its cousin the Rio didn't do great on the NHTSA tests), the rear is a little tighter than, say, an Elantra (but workable), and fuel economy is not quite as good as the very best in the class (e.g. Fit, Yaris, and Versa). Also there's no cruise control or moonroof, but I can live without those. OTOH, I am thinking I could get an Elantra GLS with ABS and moonroof for about the same price as an Accent early next year, IF the rebates shake out as I expect them to. A lot of "ifs" here.

You may think I am looking at larger cars because, well, I am. One option I have is to buy a small car for myself, to replace the '01 Elantra that I will give to my oldest son next year. The other option is to get a new car, e.g. Sonata or similar, for my wife and then I would drive her '04 Elantra GT for a few years until it's time to give it to my 2nd son for college. I might very well go that route, e.g. with the Sonata, if the IIHS crash tests on the Sonata are stellar, there continue to be great rebates on the Sonata, and the crash tests and rebates on the Accent or other cars in its class aren't that great. It will be fun over the next few months deciding what to do.

tatamy19 · November 2005

tatamy19 · November 2005

The Hyundai website and the Accent website both still have the 2005 information listed. Here in South Carolina and up in Pennsylvania not a single dealership has any information on the 2006 Accents other then the brochures. No pricing or sale date is available yet. Very, very frustrating.

inharmsway · November 2005

Backy or others. Any thoughts on when and if the new generation Hyundai engines developed with Daimler/Crysler and Mitsubishi will show up in the new Accent?
Niels

backy · November 2005

Frankly, I expected to see them on the new '06 Accent (and Rio) and am surprised they got only an old engine with a CVVT header. At least, that is my understanding of what the '06 Accent and Rio have.

iluvmysephia1 · November 2005

I think that is exactly what the '06 Kia Rio sedan/Kia Rio5 and the '06 Hyundai Accent have installed. An older style 4-cyl.with CVVT headers. Which should be more than fine, IMHO.

The new-world order motors jointly developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi are probably a few months away still, although, I must admit, I haven't read an update lately of just where the said carmakers are with those new "world" 4-cyl.motors. We'll hear something very soon on them, probably before X-mas.

ooiringo · December 2005

Seems like we are all a little short on news for the GLS. hpgals claims of the GLS in stock are suspect, at best, and she hasn't been back to give us more info. I suspect they have '06 hatchbacks in stock, not the GLS. So, what's your favorite color for the GLS? I think the silver is really sharp and I also like that blue. I don't mind white, but my fiancee thinks all white cars look cheap and plastic-like. So I think we're going to go for silver.

backy · December 2005

Silver is defintely my favorite also, main reason being it doesn't show scratches and dirt like darker colors and yet has an upscale look. But I might go for the light blue if it isn't too cheap-looking (the paint spot on the brochure looks kind of cheap, but it might look different in person). And it has the beige interior, which I prefer over grey.

Hyundai Accent

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