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Around the Block: 2006 Hyundai Accent GLS: Incredible Invisible Subcompact24.10.2006  While the Accent isn’t the fastest thing on the freeway, it would make a great getaway car, never drawing a stare.
TESTED: 2006 Hyundai Accent GLS WHAT IS IT? Subcompact sedan HOW MUCH? Base sedan $12,995. (2007 GS hatchback coupe is $10,995.) As tested, $14,870 with $850 automatic transmission; $1,500 premium-sport package (air-conditioning, power windows and locks, power heated mirrors, remote locking, 15-inch alloy wheels), $65 carpeted floor mats. WHAT DRIVES IT? 1.6-liter in-line 4; four-speed automatic; front-wheel drive. IS IT SAFE? All Accents have six air bags, including head-protection curtains. Antilock brakes were standard for 2006, but Hyundai offers them for ’07 only in option packages that cost at least $950 extra. HOW THIRSTY?E.P.A. rating is 28 m.p.g. in town, 36 on the highway, with automatic. ALTERNATIVES:Chevrolet Aveo sedan $13,365; Honda Fit $15,245; Kia Rio sedan $11,350; Toyota Yaris sedan $13,270. IN a suddenly red-hot economy car class packed with clever new models, will anyone notice the much improved but aesthetically invisible Hyundai Accent? Taller, longer, wider and roomier than the car it replaces, the latest Accent is vitally important to Hyundai, whose perch in the entry-level market is under assault by Honda, Nissan and Toyota. The Accent, which made its debut in 1995, is suddenly the seasoned veteran in the class, with its Korean cousin, the mechanically similar Kia Rio. I recently spent a week with an Accent GLS as well as the Fit and Yaris. You can say this about the little Hyundai: While it isn’t the fastest thing on the freeway, it would make a great getaway car. It slipped through traffic without notice, never drawing a stare, prompting a comment or raising an eyebrow. The only thing more stealthy may be Wonder Woman’s invisible jet. After going incognito in the Accent, driving the modestly funky Yaris and Fit made me feel like a paparazzi-worthy celebrity in a lime-green Lamborghini. What it lacks in attraction, the Accent makes up for in addendum. Gone are the days when economy cars had option sheets listing items like power steering, CD players and wheels larger than those on a grocery cart. Today’s small-car shopper wants frugality with some frills, and even a $13,000 Accent comes with tilt steering wheel, six-speaker stereo with CD player and a split-folding rear seat. Strangely, cruise control isn’t offered, even as an option. Six air bags are fitted. For an additional $1,500, the premium sport package adds air-conditioning, power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry and 15-inch alloy wheels. (Carpeted floor mats seem to be considered neither premium nor sporty, since they are a $65 stand-alone option.) Thankfully, to push the Accent’s 2,400 pounds down the road, the gas pedal doesn’t need to make a permanent dent in those swanky mats. The 110-horsepower engine, coupled with a smooth-shifting four-speed automatic, endows the Accent with adequate pep. On the highway, engine noise was unobtrusive until you pushed hard and the stable ride would not have been out of place in a car from a class above. On the streets of Manhattan, potholes as wide as an elephant’s foot barely ruffled the car’s tidy manners. The crisp in-town handling was a pleasant surprise — and the 2007 Accent SE two-door hatchback improves on that, with stiffer springs and a special, sportier steering setup. Less pleasant are the fuel economy estimates, which are handily outdone by the Yaris and the Fit. The Accent has a simple and attractive two-tone dashboard; you can master the layout in less time than it takes to read this sentence. There is enough room for four adults — with five on board, everyone had better be close friends. There is also 12.4 cubic feet of trunk space, which should be enough now that Hyundais no longer carry loads of negative baggage. The company has put a reputation for shoddy quality behind it, and has been leaping up the ranks in measures like the Initial Quality Survey by J. D. Power & Associates. For additional piece of mind, there is a powertrain warranty of 10 years or 100,000 miles. The Accent might not have a hip new name or memorable style, but it holds its ground in the face of new competition. For those who value a good deal more than a pretty face, this honest little car is worth a look. NICK KURCZEWSKI
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