It’s Hyundai-official as the new Verna, otherwise known as the Accent in other countries including ours, has “broken cover”. From the blacked-out teaser images that surfaced a few days ago, we now have a clearer look at Hyundai’s upcoming sedan. And we must say that it looks pretty darned good.
Upcoming Accent carries Hyundai’s new design language
Photo: Hyundai
Based on the photo above, the Accent retains some heft to its body, but now has a lot of design cues to make it look more streamlined. The greenhouse looks smaller compared to the previous model, and the shoulder, belt-, and character lines really give a lot of sexy angles to the profile. From the side, it really does have more of a fastback look than a traditional design. Add the sizeable alloy wheels and you have yourself a pretty sporty-looking car, too.
We do hope those wheels will be available when it’s released. You just can’t go wrong with two-tone, diamond-cut alloys.
Photo: Hyundai
As striking as the side is, the front is even more. Carrying Hyundai’s new design language, the horizontal LED bar can be found on the Accent as well, neatly breaking the front of what looks to be a clamshell hood, with a big “H” badge at the center. The massive diamond pattern grill takes center stage with the headlight assemblies neatly tucked into its top corners. You’ll also find more of the angular cues on the bumper, and they make the Accent stand out with a more aggressive look.
Not much has been revealed on the rear end, but as we have mentioned in our earlier report, the Accent gets the same treatment with a lightbar on the trunk, and the taillight assemblies mounted on the rear bumper corners, complete with the vertical light strip, just to keep with the brand’s overall design.
Photo: Hyundai
No additional engine options were mentioned with this reveal, either. It’s safe to say that the 1.5-liter MPi and 1.5-liter GDi gasoline engines will come with the Accent. Per reports, the former can be paired with either a 6-speed manual transmission (6MT) or an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) and the latter can be mated to a 6MT or a 7-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT).
This is a pretty exciting time if you’re a fan of Hyundai, and more so if you like the Accent. It’s been a pretty long time since its last update, and given Hyundai’s strong push as of late, we hope to see this model land in the Philippines, too. They’re very crossover-heavy with the addition of a 7-seater and a van since their “relaunch” in PH, so breaking into the sedan segment with an Accent as good-looking as this may be a good move.
The iron is hot. Will Hyundai strike?
