2011 Hyundai Accent Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Hyundai Accent overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Accent, and includes Hyundai Accent safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Hyundai makes a few minor tweaks to the Accent lineup for 2011. The sport-tuned SE Coupe (Hatchback) has a lower sticker price, thanks to the removal of the standard power sunroof (it's gone — not even an option anymore) saving $850 off the bottom line. The entry-level GS Coupe (Hatchback) receives a 172-watt AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio system with six speakers and iPod/USB and MP3 auxiliary inputs as standard equipment. And there are also two new exterior colors: Clearwater Blue and Boston Red.

The 2011 Hyundai Accent is available in three-door hatchback (or “Coupe,” as Hyundai insists on calling it) and four-door sedan body styles. The Accent Coupes come in basic Blue, mid-grade GS, and sporty SE trim levels, while the Accent Sedan is only sold in GLS trim.

At the bottom of the lineup sits the Accent Blue, a stripped-down model marketed as a fuel economy leader but which is actually just a cheap little car with nothing on it. The most exciting features here are cloth seats, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and an interior air filter. A stereo with an auxiliary audio input jack and iPod/USB compatibility is optional, along with Bluetooth, floor mats, and air conditioning. Hope you can operate a clutch pedal, because the Accent Blue comes strictly with a stick.

You’re likely better served by the Accent GS Coupe or the Accent GLS Sedan, which can be painted in more colors and is available with an automatic transmission. Plastic wheel covers dress up the exterior, and these models also come with air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, overhead storage, variable intermittent wipers, a rear window wiper and washer, and a six-speaker stereo with a CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, iPod compatibility, and an auxiliary audio input jack. Add the Premium Package and these models are equipped with antilock brakes, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated side mirrors, power windows, Bluetooth, and floor mats. On the GLS Sedan, cruise control is also included in the Premium Package.

The Accent SE Coupe includes most of these standard and optional features, and adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, metallic interior trim, and a rear spoiler. Bluetooth and floor mats are the only options on this model.

The only engine available for the 2011 Hyundai Accent is a 110-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, and a four-speed automatic transmission is optional. Fuel economy ratings are 26 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway for the Accent Blue. Get a different Accent with a manual gearbox and you should achieve 28-city/34-highway. Models with the automatic transmission are rated at 27-city/36-highway.

The 2011 Accent includes six standard airbags, and not much else in the way of safety features. Antilock brakes are optional on the GS and GLS, and standard on the SE. Traction and stability control is not available.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has modified the way that it performs crash tests, and has not tested the 2011 Accent against the new standards. The only rating that carries over from last year is the 4-Star rollover resistance rating.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) does rate the Accent for crashworthiness, and it’s clear Hyundai needs to do better. Acceptable ratings are assigned to the Accent for frontal- and rear-impact crash protection, and for roof crush strength. The IIHS says the Accent’s ability to protect against injury in side-impact crashes is Poor.

Reliability predictions are also unimpressive. J.D. Power and Associates predicts that dependability will be average, and Consumer Reports does not rate the 2011 Accent in this regard.

Now in its sixth year on the market, it’s clear that the Hyundai Accent is in need of a complete redesign. Side-impact crash protection needs improvement, and Hyundai needs to take steps to boost reliability predictions. We think there are better alternatives in the subcompact class.

By Michael Harley and Christian Wardlaw