For 2012, Hyndai is introducing an all-new Hyundai Accent that successfully melds the company’s new “Fluidic Sculpture” design language on a smaller car.
Of course, there’s a lot more to the new Accent than good looks. There’s a new direct injection 138 horsepower 1.6 liter four, along with your choice of either a six speed manual or six speed automoatic. The EPA economy rating is 30/40 miles per gallon.
It is Hyundai’s first vehicle to receive the all-new 1.6-liter GDI “Gamma” engine, paired with proprietary six-speed automatic or manual transmissions, and by the way, the Accent will be the first subcompact car to use Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI).
And if the figure of 138 horsepower on the engine of the new Accent is accurate, the new Accent will by far be the fastest in the subcompact market.
Fuel efficiency has improved by 18 percent for the manual transmission models and automatic transmission models are up by 11 percent.
Standard equipment is considerable, including anti lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake distribution, VSM, ESC and TCS, along with six standard airbags, actie front head restraints and four wheel disc brakes. The new Accent also will have what Hyundai’s calling ” class-above total interior volume–a subcompact car with the roominess of a compact.”
Three trim lines will be available, including four-door GLS, well equipped five-door GS and five-door SE.
Mike O’Brien, vice president, Product and Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor America said, “Accent’s class-leading standard fuel economy is another showcase of Hyundai’s dedication to improving fuel efficiency with advancements to traditional gasoline powered vehicles and is the fourth nameplate in Hyundai’s lineup delivering 40 mpg on the highway.”
Styling of the Accent will be unmistakable as a Hyundai.
A news release said,”The vehicle’s exterior lines are intended to be futuristic, dynamic, and sleek. In a segment typically associated with staid designs, Accent stands out from the crowd. While the styling provides an attractive form, it’s also functional, featuring a slippery 0.30 coefficient of drag for Accent sedan and .31 for Accent five-door. Hyundai’s signature hexagonal front grille and detailed swept-back headlights give Accent a compact athletic face. Five-door SE models include a sporty roof-mounted spoiler and vertical taillights. For an assertive stance, 16-inch alloy wheels are available on GLS and standard on SE.”
While other companies are offering basic models costing no more than $12,000 to $13,000, Hyundai is betting that it will be more successful with better equipped, slightly more expensive models because market trends show that people want well-equipped, not stripped compacts and subcompacts. Accordingly, the price leader entry level Accent three-door has been discontinued for the 2012 model year.
Key standard equipment for the four door GLS, for instance, includes six-speed manual transmission, (six speed automatic with shiftronic and hillstart assist control is available as an option),Power Steering, 14-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers, 175/70R14 low rolling resistance tires & TPMS, front, side and head curtain air bags, Vehicle Stability Management, ESC with TCS, ABS, EBD, and brake assist with four-wheel disc brakes.
Othere standard equpment includes power door lock, four speakers, tilt steering wheel, driver seat armrest,front door map pocket, front passenger seatback pocket, 60/40 split folding rear seatback, dual vanity mirrors, map, dome and cargo lights, six-way adjustable driver seat including height adjustment, front two-speed intermittent wiper, tinted glass, rear defroster with timer, and roof-mounted antenna.
If you get a four door GLS with an automatic, standard equipment includes the six speed automatic, air conditioning, satellite radio with MP3 audio system with tweeters, iPod®/USB auxiliary input jacks, power windows & mirrors, and cloth door inserts.
Prices are as follows:
Model Transmission MSRP
Accent GLS 6-Speed M/T $12,445
Accent GLS 6-Speed A/T with SHIFTRONIC® $15,195
Accent GS 6-Speed M/T $14,595
Accent GS 6-Speed A/T with SHIFTRONIC® $15,795
Accent SE 6-Speed M/T $15,795
Accent SE 6-Speed A/T with SHIFTRONIC® $16,795
Freight charges for the 2012 model year Accent are $760.
The 2012 Accent can be seen in showrooms now, and from what we are told, they’re selling like hotcakes. Not a surprise, right? After all this IS a Hyundai we’re talking about.
2012 Hyundai Veloster
The term “pocket rocket” looks as though it’s made to order for Hyundai’s new 2012 Veloster Coupe.
It looks like nothing on the road, and it’s opening up a new marketing niche for the company: affordable, upscale premium high mileage coupes.
Style-wise, Hyundai says, the Veloster features “Fluidic Sculpture” character lines, muscular wheel arches, bodycolor door handles and mirrors, and wraparound headlights and taillights. Veloster comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels and offers two types of 18-inch wheels. The top-of-the-line 18-inch wheel comes with painted inserts, a segment first.”
The company adds, “Veloster’s unique design takes inspiration from a high-performance sport bike. Veloster has distinctive black A-pillars that give the glass a motorcycle helmet visor appearance. In the front is an aggressive form of Hyundai’s signature hexagonal front grille, hood scoop detailing, and unique Hyundai-signature LED position lights. Optional packages add a chrome grille surround, piano black highlights, fog lights, and a massive panoramic sunroof.”
There are plenty of unusual features and aspects to the Veloster, and they will likely give it a big leg up on the competition. First, it’s got an unusual glass hatch unlike what you see on other cars, and it also has a athird passenger door to make it easier to enter and leave the car. Combined with the dual centered chrome exhaust tips and the dark rear fascia, the Veloster has a particular cool look from the rear.
As for that third passenger door, “In the past, some coupes have used smaller rear-hinged access doors,” a Hyundai news release says. “ These coupes have always been compromised by having to open the driver-side door before the rear door could be opened, proving to be inconvenient for both the driver and passenger, and extremely difficult to operate in tight parking lot situations. Hyundai’s fresh take here implements a conventionally hinged door on the passenger side of the Veloster, providing safe and ready access to the surprisingly spacious rear seats. The passenger-side rear door handle is hidden to maintain the coupe design.”
The powerplant for the Veloster is an all-new Gamma 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is the smallest Hyundai engine to use Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI). GDI technology helps deliver estimated highway fuel economy of up to 40 mpg, lower emissions and higher reliability.
The Veloster also has Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system, Pandora internet radio with seven-inch touch-screen display, and Hyundai’s first dual-clutch transmission hooked up to the engine.
Standard features include: multi-function seven-inch touch-screen display, the aforementioned Pandora® internet radio capability, Gracenote® display technology with voice recognition, Virtual CD downloading, AVI and mpeg video playback via USB,Video game console connectivity with 115-volt power outlet, Bluetooth® hands-free phone system with voice recognition, and standard Blue Link telematics platform.
There’s also Blue Link Assurance, provides a free introductory period of complementary core safety services including Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) and Assistance, SOS Emergency Assistance, and Enhanced Roadside Assistance.
Blue Link Essentials provides Voice Text Messaging, Remote Door Unlock / Lock, Remote Horn & Lights, Panic Notification, Remote Vehicle Start, Alarm Notification, Quick Tips, Location Sharing, Automated Diagnostic Trouble Code Notification, Maintenance Alert, Monthly Vehicle Report, Recall Advisor, Web Vehicle Diagnostics, Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, Vehicle Immobilization, Valet Alert, Geofence, Speed Alert, and Curfew function.
Blue Link Guidance provides Turn-by-Turn Navigation, POI Search by advanced voice recognition system, POI Web Search & Download, Daily Route Guidance with Traffic Condition, Traffic, Gas Station Locations & Gas Prices, Eco-Coach, Restaurant Ratings, and Weather Information.
Veloster is the sixth vehicle in Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative (seven new models in 24 months), on the heels of the all-new Tucson, Sonata, Equus, Elantra and the just released all-new Accent.
Prices are expected to begin around $18,000.
2012 Hyundai Equus
If super luxury is your thing, the Equus may have your game.
The Equus is Hyundai’s all-new effort at cracking the hallowed ground of cars like Mercedes’ S Class, the Audi A8 and the like. And if road test reports have any truth to them, the Equus is giving them a run for the money.
Powered by an all-new 5.0 liter, 429 horsepower V-8 for 2012, rated at 17/25 miles per gallon, the Equus has a lengthy standard equipment list, as you might well imagine. This incoludes, aloing with the usual stuff, satin chrome finishes on the exterior and a free iPad that has the owner’s manual already uploaded for you. Oh yes,, it’s also got an eight speed automatic transmission–quickly becoming the price of entry into the vaunted super luxury sedan class. Prices start at around $61,000–thousands less than you’d pay for either the Mercedes S Class or the Audi A8.
Automobile Journal has been told that an Equus will arrive at our doorstep sometime in October. Stay tuned!
2012 Hyundai Elantra
Automobile Journal has a high opinion of the Elantra, and we consider it one of the top three picks for anyone looking for a well-equipped compact car. They are comfortable, well-built, quiet, luxurious for their size and—beautiful.
And to show that Hyundai intends to keep it on top, a few changes already have been announced. Driving enthusiasts will find that the steering has been recalibrated to give it some more road feel, there is a new ActiveECO system for those of us who want to drive more economically, and there are a few more colors to choose from.
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