 Another
typical Korean car. What else could we say ? the previous generation
Accent
is pretty lovely, at least when considering its price tag. Not so the
new
car. Firstly, I don't like the angry face which is somewhat mirroring
Lexus
IS200. Secondly, behind the angry face is a rather modest chassis and
engine
- as the 108hp dohc 1.5-litre is bounded to home market, what most of
us
get is either a sohc 12V version with just 91 horsepower or a 1.3-litre
sohc with 85 hp. The smaller one is more spirited, but offers just 83
lbft
of torque. 1.3 or 1.5, the driver has to work hard on gear shifter in
order
to squeeze out the necessary performance. All because the new car is
larger
and heavier than ever.
Measuring 97 mm longer and 50 mm wider than before, the new Accent has a dimensions to match any European superminis. Therefore the cabin is quite roomy. 4-door version has a large boot. What let us down is the packaging: just like the exterior, the interior looks dull, without any imagination. Plastic looks cheap. Instrument and equipment layout is plain simple, though works well. No fun at all. No classy feeling. Refinement
is also under question. Ride is OK for all but rough roads. Road noise
and wind noise are excessive by class standard. The 1.5-litre engine is
loud and coarse. In terms of handling, Accent is not tuned to match
European
superminis, but in the States it is also likely to be compared with
Toyota
Echo, the saloon version of Yaris, so it could be quite embarrassed.
Moreover,
the Toyota's 105 hp VVTi engine can also make the Accent ashamed.
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| The above report was last updated on 25 Feb 2000. All Rights Reserved. |