Hyundai Accent

THERE'S more to modern small cars than meets the eye. Break out the tape measure and you'll find that many of them aren't actually that small at all. Take Hyundai's latest Accent for example. Although it wears a Fiesta sized price tag, it's the size of a Focus. What's more, Hyundai have improved the car in order to bring it into direct contention with the big sellers in both the supermini and family hatch classes.

The Accent has taken a trip upmarket: the entry-level version, after all, is now a GSi trim level rather than the old 1.3i economy model, this to make room for the more recently introduced but slightly smaller Getz supermini. For the same reason, the three door body style has also been deleted in favour of a four and five door range. That said, the summit of the Accent range is still hardly nosebleed territory, the £10,995 1.6 CDX slotting into a price gap that sits roughly between what you'd pay for either a plush Ford Fiesta or a larger but more basic Ford Focus.

The Accent is - as it has always been - a very sensible proposition. Despite the latest car's sassier front and rear lights and neater lines, the big draw is still the five-year warranty arrangement and the peerless value for money. Customers now have the choice of three engines. The 1.3-litre engine is familiar fare and the 1.5-litre CRTD common rail diesel has been a steady seller for Hyundai. The 1.6-litre petrol unit that now features in the Accent range is the same powerplant found in the entry-level Coupe version and is good for 103bhp, giving the 1.6 Accent a good deal more verve than any previous version.

This car still isn't the sharpest looking car on the block, nor the most exciting to drive, but the value proposition is now keener than ever and the level of standard equipment and the attractive engines may well tip the balance for some buyers in the Accent's favour. It still won't molest the top of the sales charts but expect the Accent to do well for Hyundai.

Hyundai gives the Accent an on the road price tag starting at £8,695