What makes the Hyundai Accent an ideal city car

The city can be quite stressful at times given especially during rush hour. While the trip could sometimes be a pain in the neck, things can slightly get better if you’re driving the right vehicle. Given the traffic situation in the country, many Filipinos are avid supporters of diesel-powered vehicles. While the majority of the options usually fall under the MPV, SUV, and CUV category, the Hyundai Accent remains to be one of the few passenger cars that’s available with a diesel engine.

In its respective segment, almost all of its competitors including the Volkswagen Santana, Chevrolet Sail, Toyota Vios, and the Honda City are powered by a gasoline engine, this is perhaps why the Hyundai Accent is by far the only one in its segment that can cater to customers who want a diesel engine on an economy car. So aside from the diesel engine, what makes the Accent so special among the rest? And what makes this an ideal city car? Let’s find out together, shall we?

On the outside, it’s not as flashy as some of its competitors but its looks do serve a functional purpose and it looks easy to maintain as well, not to mention, the basic looks should age fairly over time. On the outside, it features well-pronounced character lines along with a large hexagonal grille which is sort of reminiscent of its larger stablemates like the Elantra and Tucson. Instead of alloys though, the Accent gets a set of 15-inch steel with a hub cap.

The utilitarian theme continues inside of the vehicle, instead of soft touch points, almost all of the materials used lean more towards the durable side. It even gets a basic 3.8 LCD display that gives you the usual entertainment setting such as radio, aux, and USB. The cabin is then cooled by a manual climate control system, even rear passengers get extra vents at the back. While the Accent might miss on some of those fancy gizmos, it does come with all the things you'll need for your drive.

For starters, the Hyundai Accent has enough space to carry five passengers. There are also some nifty storage bins where you can store your valuables as well as cup holders which should hold your refreshments throughout the entire trip. Occupants can also plug their mobile device into the radio and listen to some sweet tunes, it was also mentioned that back seat passengers won’t miss out on air conditioning all thanks to the extra vents at the back. Truly, these small features could help passengers save themselves from traffic boredom. 

Indeed, the Hyundai Accent remains to be one of the few passenger cars that is offered with a diesel engine. Specifically, you can opt for the small yet mighty 1.6-liter CRDI diesel motor that is capable of producing 126 hp and 260 Nm of torque, now, that’s quite an extensive amount of torque for a subcompact car. The said mill could either be paired with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Aside from giving you more than enough power to traverse the city roads, either paired with a manual or automatic gearbox, this engine could also return good fuel economy numbers.

While the diesel remains to be the more superior engine, you can still opt for a gasoline motor that puts out less horsepower and torque figures, yet it should still do good in the City. Like the diesel engine, buyers also have the choice of pairing the 1.4-liter gasoline engine with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.

Its variant range starts at under P800,000 for the gasoline variant, but if you’re considering the diesel, then you’re going to have to step up a bit. Specifically, Hyundai Accent 1.6 CRDi MT retails at P910,000 while the 1.6 CRDi AT sits higher at P1,038,000. Remember, you’re paying for its peppy and efficient 1.6-liter diesel engine, if you’re willing to sacrifice all the fancy bells and whistles for this powerplant, then the Hyundai Accent is for you. With all that said, we can certainly affirm that this subcompact sedan is indeed an ideal choice for a city car.

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