- Doors and Seats
3 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.5i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
76kW, 133Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 5.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
5 Yr, 130000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2000 Hyundai Accent review: Used car guide
Hyundai scored with its Excel replacement. By DAVID MORLEY.
Hyundai's Accent small car of 2000 was a watershed model for the South Korean maker, replacing the iconic Excel model and becoming the flag-bearer for a new Hyundai - one that was no longer prepared to trade on its cheap and cheerful image.
The Accent was designed to compete with the Japanese alternatives on their own terms.
The Accent was better built than any Hyundai, looked less obviously Korean and was better to own and drive. Hyundai was on a winner and buyers, spoilt for choice, agreed.
The choice started with the base-model three-door hatchback in GL and GS trim. GL had a driver's airbag and seatbelt pre-tensioners, but no anti-lock brakes, as standard. The GS included central locking, fog lights and power windows but, again, ABS wasn't standard.
The five-door hatch was a big seller. It had GL trim with the same level of kit as the three-door, so the added $2000 was all extra doors. The GLS five-door just added air-conditioning.
The sedan was less attractive, had the same equipment as the hatches - you paid extra for air-conditioning - and was pitched at older buyers.
The Accent was powered by a modernised version of Hyundai's old faithful 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, although it should have been a 1.8-litre. A five-speed manual was standard. The four-speed automatic was a popular choice even if it did not make the car more driveable.
Performance was adequate but handling was biased towards ride quality at the expense of cornering and grip. Even then, the ride was nothing to rave about. Smaller imperfections in the road surface could be felt and heard.
A facelift in 2003 provided the Accent with a fresher look, longer, less fussy frontal styling with a more grown-up appearance. The tail-lights were more angular and the whole appearance was less complicated.
The 2003 facelift also heralded the return of the five-door hatch, which had been missing from showrooms because of a stock shortage. The big news was the bigger 1.6-litre engine, only marginally more powerful but with a bigger increase in torque.
The Accent also had a lower final drive ratio in the automatics (for overall lower gearing) and the manual 's fourth and fifth gear were also shortened for extra squirt. The downside was increased petrol consumption; the 1.6-litre Accent used about 5 per cent more fuel.
At the same time Hyundai's engineers stiffened up the rear suspension, altered steering assistance at highway speeds and fitted bigger, 14-inch wheels to the car - all small changes but added up to make the Accent a much nicer, more assured car to drive.
Finally, Hyundai also bit the bullet and made air-conditioning standard and added a second front airbag. But anti-lock brakes were still optional. All things considered, the later Accent is the car to buy now, provided you can live with the slight fuel economy penalty.
But in every other regard, it's a better car to drive and better looking too. It's worth a little more as a result, but since we're not talking sheep stations to begin with, that won't bother a lot of buyers.
Need to know
- Check the service record carefully.
- Skipped oil changes make murky oil that will eventually kill the engine.
- Watch for shadows on the paint where decals have been removed. Don't buy an ex-courier car accidentally.
- Same goes for an ex-rental car.
What to pay
Model | Year | New | Now |
GL | 2000 | $18,853 | $9700 |
GL | 2001 | $18,853 | $10,700 |
GL | 2002 | $18,853 | $12,100 |
GL | 2003 | $18,853 | $13,800 |
GLS | 2000 | $20,853 | $10,200 |
GLS | 2001 | $20,853 | $11,300 |
GLS | 2002 | $21,335 | $12,800 |
GLS | 2003 | $21,335 | $14,500 |
Source: Glass's Guide