The 2012 Hyundai Accent SE continues Hyundai's streak of great cars with great tech, but the omission of a navigation option keeps this entry-level model from getting top marks.
Antuan Goodwin
Antuan started out in the automotive industry the old-fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. He now has nearly 20 years of expertise and experience behind the wheel of hundreds of cars, including electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen, and traditional combustion vehicles.
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It used to be the cheapest new car in America, but now it's a contender for the top of its class. Let's take a look at the 2012 Hyundai Accent SE.
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Fluidic sculpture
It's far from bland, but the Accent is easily the most tame interpretation of Hyundai's current "fluidic sculpture" design language.
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Hatchback
The Accent is available as a sedan, but we think our five-door SE trim level is the best mix of utility, performance, and tech.
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Handling
We were surprised by how well the Accent handled our favorite back road. It's not what we'd call a performance car, but this little hatch does like to go.
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Rear view
We'd like a bit more rear glass for increased rearward visibility, but as is we didn't have any issues reversing or parking the Accent.
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There's plenty of space in the Accent's hatch to fit an average-size Car Tech editor.
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1.6-liter engine
The Accent's 1.6-liter direct-injected engine claims better power and fuel economy than that of its competitors.
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Manual transmission
The six-speed manual transmission isn't perfect, but we still had a great time rowing through the gears.
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The SE trim level features a unique sport steering calibration that makes it feel more responsive than other Accent models.
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Interior
The Accent's cabin features a good mix of materials that are pleasing to the eye and--where it counts--to the touch. A leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob are examples of good attention to detail.
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Audio system
A 172-watt, six-speaker audio system pumps out audio from the standard single-slot CD player, USB port, and auxiliary input.
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Steering wheel controls
Steering-wheel controls put volume, skip, and speakerphone controls at the driver's fingertips.
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Bluetooth
Bluetooth wireless is standard on the Accent SE and optional at lesser trim levels. Users are able to sync their phone's address book via PBAP and access A2DP Bluetooth audio streaming on supported handsets.
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Voice command
With a phone connected, users can initiate calls via voice command with the touch of a steering-wheel button.
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SiriusXM tuner
SiriusXM satellite radio is standard on the Accent.
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iPod connectivity
With the addition of a $35 cable, iPod users get full access to their iOS device's media and organization tree.
