The Hyundai Accent is one of the crowned champions of the sub-compact segment in terms of sales. By the time the fifth generation of the Accent arrived on the market a few years back, it had managed to iron out all the issues of the older generation, making it a more capable offering amongst the competition. With no major changes from the 2021 model, the 2022 compact car also retains all the qualities, while refining it a bit more.
The 2022 Hyundai Accent comes with the same three trims and is powered by the 120 hp inline-4 motor mated to the CVT automatic transmission. Even though the 6-speed manual has been discontinued for this model year, the Accent feels adequately fun to drive. The interior looks classy and is spacious too. We also loved the decent list of standard features on offer. With the fierce competition from the Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa, here are 10 things you need to know before getting the 2022 Hyundai Accent.
10 A Lackluster Performer
The 2022 Hyundai Accent comes with the same powertrain that is found in the 2021 and 2020 models. This is a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 motor mated to a CVT automatic transmission with multiple steps and hill start assist system. The 120 hp and 113 lb-ft of torque help the car to be pretty peppy at slow city speeds as well as on the highways.
Even though the car is not going to excite any driving enthusiasts out there, the refined motor coupled with a smooth CVT automatic makes the drive pretty enjoyable. Driving around the streets at slow speeds helps you to understand the impressive low-end torque on offer. Even when you put your foot down during a highway overtake, the car doesn't feel like it's about to hit a wall as the revs climb.
9 Looks Much More Appealing Than The Rivals
The design has always been impressive ever since the arrival of the fifth-generation moniker back in 2017 and with minor updates over the years, the 2022 Accent feels classy. Even though the 2022 Accent doesn't get any updates when compared to the previous year, the hexagonal grille with chrome, LED headlights with LED DRLs, and chrome bezels make the front end look quite handsome.
The same mature styling is taken to the side profile as well, with the top-of-the-line Limited trim coming with the beautiful 17" alloy wheels and heated and powered side mirrors with integrated LED indicators. The multiple creases and body lines and the chrome window lining make the Accent look more expensive than it is. The rear end gets the well-crafted LED taillight, blacked-out bumper cladding, and a coupe-like quarter panel too.
8 Reasonably Fun To Drive
Being an inexpensive subcompact sedan from Hyundai, many prospective buyers would expect it to be a sloppy performer around the corners. However, we found the 2022 Accent to be a capable handler. Take the corner around a winding section of the road, and the car rewards you with sure-footed body control and reasonable fun.
The suspension is tuned to the stiffer side, unlike the Nissan Versa, and that helps the car to have no major understeer or body roll when being pushed to the limits. The car also holds the line pretty well, and we found the acceleration to be more than adequate to exit the corner with good speeds. Even though the steering is devoid of much feel and feedback, it is very precise in operation.
7 Interior Looks Classy
Coming with either black or beige interior color combinations along with silver and gloss-black trims, the 2022 Hyundai Accent does manage to look classy, especially when compared to the bland-looking rivals like the Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa. The interior quality feels quite decent for the price, too.
The dashboard does manage to look upmarket due to the inclusion of a neatly integrated infotainment system and high-quality switchgear and knobs. The leather-wrapped steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, and airy design language are also some of the other highlights of this cabin. In comparison, the Nissan Versa's interior was quite drab and boring, making it feel a bit underwhelming.
6 Cabin Is Adequately Spacious
The cabin of the 2022 Hyundai Accent is more than adequate for five passengers to travel in reasonable comfort. In terms of the seats, the front seats get electric adjustability and heated support if you opt for the Limited trim. They are covered in leatherette as well. The seats were quite plush and doesn't feel like bargain-basement, like the seats found in the Mitsubishi Mirage.
The transmission tunnel is not very intrusive and the seats offered decent bolstering, under-thigh support, and padding. When it comes to the interior space, the front seat passengers wouldn't have any complaints regarding the headroom, legroom, and shoulder room. However, the rear-seat headroom and legroom weren't the best of the lot. The cargo space of 13.7 cu ft could have been better too.
5 Ride Quality Is A Bit Stiff
This is one area in which the 2022 Hyundai Accent falls a bit short. Coming with a stiffly sprung setup for the front and rear, the Accent does transmit most of the irregularities on the road to the cabin when traveling at speeds below 30 mph. Even though it is not uncomfortable by any means, both the Versa and Mirage fared better here.
The ride becomes reasonably composed when doing highway speeds, with no major pitching and bobbing to report. The cross-winds don't pose any problems as well. However, if you expect flat ride quality due to the stiff suspension system, you would be wrong. Nevertheless, it is superior to the rivals of the segment.
4 A Frugal Sub-Compact Sedan
Fuel efficiency is always one of the biggest criteria that need to be fulfilled by any offerings from the subcompact segment. When it comes to the 2022 Accent, we are happy to report that the small inline-4 motor mated to the CVT automatic transmission has managed to churn out impressive fuel efficiency figures, outshining most of the rivals.
The car managed to give out 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, which equates to combined gas mileage of 36 mpg. This is slightly superior to the Nissan Versa and is similar to the Kia Rio. With 11.9-gallons of fuel tank capacity, the Accent offered the best in class tank range of 487 miles on the highways.
3 Infotainment System Gets The Job Done
Coming with three trim configurations, the lowest SE trim comes with a spartan 5" touchscreen infotainment system that lacks many connectivity and entertainment features. However, both the SEL and Limited trims come with the impressive 7" touchscreen infotainment system and this comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard.
All the other features like SiriusXM radio, steering mounted audio controls, Bluetooth, aux, USB ports, Apple Siri eyes-free interface, etc are offered too. When it comes to the user interface, the infotainment turned out to be much superior to the rivals due to it being fast and fluid. The learning curve is minimal, too. The 6-speaker audio system has nothing to complain about either.
2 No Safety Compromises
With such a low base price, the 2022 Accent is expected to do poorly on the safety front. However, this subcompact sedan managed to receive an overall crash safety rating of 4-stars in the NHTSA crash test and a good rating in most of the subsections of the IIHS.
The build quality was satisfactory, and the car also comes with all the basic safety features like ABS, airbags, traction control, stability control, backup camera, tire pressure monitoring system, etc as standard. However, many of the driver-assistance features like automated emergency braking, forward collision warning, etc are optional extras.
1 Great Braking Performance
The braking hardware sees no changes from the outgoing model year and the same 11" front and rear discs coupled with ABS, EBD, and brake assist are offered. This helps the car to do the 60-0 mph braking in just 119 feet, which turned out to be much better than the rivals like the Mirage and the Versa.
The 2022 Accent offered impeccable initial bite, and the front-end dive is very minimal. The low curb weight also helps it in stopping with no hesitation. With no major brake fade and top-notch braking progression as you press harder on the pedal, the Accent can stop on a dime when needed. It doesn't feel twitchy, and the ABS only intrudes when necessary.