Hi everyone,
Having just replaced a diesel i30 with a new diesel Accent, I've been asked by Dazzler to let you know what it's like. (I will also shamelessly plug my outgoing i30, which is
currently for sale 
)
Pic of the new car (taken at dusk):
I was strongly considering waiting for the new i30 to come out around June/July this year and upgrade then, but realised I probably wouldn't be able to afford one of those new. My second thought was then perhaps to get a new, current-model i30 (which would likely be marked down when version 2 is released) but that's essentially the same car. I wanted something different.
Then I read about the Accent, and at the time the diesel model wasn't available but forthcoming. In late January, they arrived, and earlier this month I bought one (first new car, yay!). My Accent is a 6-speed manual diesel in hatchback guise. The delay for the diesel was due to demand overseas.
I thought it was curious they went back to the Accent name, after resting it in Australia for over a year. However, the new car is nothing like the old model from 2009 (or indeed, the models before that). I've since found out that the Accent name (and other 'word' names) are used by Hyundai for cars that are aimed at the 'general' market, ie. North America, Asia et al. The 'i' names are for the European market. (In Australia, we're lucky to have a mix of both. Apparently.) As an aside, I also found out that Hyundai does not sell passenger cars in Japan, as of 2009.
For a bit of background, the new Accent is the 4th generation of this car; the first-gen was in fact what we know as the last Excel available in Australia (the bubble-shaped one). In 2000, the car that replaced that was the first to use the Accent name here. Our Accents come from South Korea.
In some regions overseas, the new Accent is called the i25 so it is positioned one slot down from the i30, and you can tell when you get in that it's a smaller car. It's not a great deal smaller but there are are a couple of compromises between the two. The Accent has:
-less rear legroom
-a much smaller rear window
-back seats that don't fold flat to the floor
-shorter wheelbase (by 130mm)
-no soft touch plastics
-tilt-only steering wheel adjustment
-smaller fuel tank (43L vs 53L in i30)
-ride is a touch firmer (but great for a light car)
However, there are some positive differences. The Accent:
-is smaller, and thus easier to park
-handles better (IMO, but again probably due to size difference)
-is even better on fuel - at time of posting I have done 800km and trip computer is reporting 4.1L/100km
-has driver seat height adjustment
-back seat supports are higher and don't seem any less comfortable (unless you're in the middle)
As far as the drive goes, I think I'll need to wear in the Accent a bit more to get an accurate viewpoint but my initial impression is that there's very little difference. The drivetrain in the diesel Accent is indeed the same as that found in the MY11 i30 with the 6-speed manual, although the engine in the Accent is rated 9kW higher (94 vs 85 in the i30). I must admit I thought the Accent would have a little more pep seeing as it's almost 200kg lighter, but again this could be a wear-in thing. As I mentioned earlier, this is my first new car. At worst, it feels the same.
It should be noted that I'm comparing the Accent (hatch) to my i30, a 2007-model SLX diesel 5-speed manual. There are other differences but mostly these come down to trim inclusions.
I did have a look at the sedan, which is longer, but has the same wheelbase as the hatch; however I personally prefer hatches. The sedan has a very deep boot but for me (as with any sedan) is restricted when it comes to cargo space if truly required - I mean, height-wise. I also find small sedans usually look a little odd compared to hatches, but having said that the Accent sedan is quite good-looking for a small car.
So the new Accent comes in three trim levels: Active, Elite and Premium. The differences are similar to the SX, SLX and SR trim levels of i30 (why don't car companies standardise trim level names across models?), so things like climate control, alloy wheels and fog lights only come into the picture from Elite and up. The diesel engine is only offered with the Active model of Accent, I presume so it doesn't cannibalise sales of the base diesel i30. Hyundai seems to have a bit of overlap with their models that they are trying to balance out, as evidenced by the fact they no longer offer the 1.6L i20 in Australia - that same engine, however, can be found in the petrol versions of the Accent. Some people above mentioned a push start feature, but sadly this is only available on the Premium model
and with auto transmission. So diesels don't get push start love here.
The other feature missing from the range is cruise control, even as an option. I have decided to get it installed aftermarket in the near future, but I'm told I'll be paying $1100 for the luxury. The i30 didn't gain cruise control until mid-2008, but I would've thought Hyundai could let people decide. (I'm not sure if this is the same story overseas, though.)
Other things:
I'd describe the sound system as adequate, certainly not spectacular, though there are only 4 speakers in this model after all. The i30 SLX (and the Accent Elite/Premium models) have 6 speakers; I love the sound the i30 puts out. In my Accent all you can adjust is bass level, and it seems to make little difference. It would be good to adjust mids as at higher speeds when you turn the music up, these start to assault the ear. Anyway, a small gripe compared to the rest of the car.
Bluetooth is standard across the range and works quite well; this is the first car I've owned with Bluetooth and it's great to receive a call while you're driving and not have to break the law to answer it. You can stream music through the system but you still must control it via your phone; control through the car is only available if your phone/iPod is connected directly using one of Hyundai's proprietary cables.
My obsessive logging of fuel consumption will continue with my new car but the early signs are that this is even better than the i30. As mentioned above the car is currently reporting 4.1L/100km; yes the majority of my driving is on the highway at cruising speed but this does also include a trip through the hills around Canungra out to Beaudesert and back, and two visits up to and around Brisbane. Also considering the engine is brand new, I am looking forward to seeing the results when it is worn in.
Anyway, that's all I can think of for now, so if anyone's curious about something I haven't mentioned (or keen to buy a nice
used i30 
) let me know here.
