Cute and Sassy

The 2012 Hyundai Accent

by Rochelle Brown

Do you ever hop out of bed and you just know it’s going to be a great day?  That’s the same feeling I had when I first saw the 2012 Hyundai Accent.  At first glance, it was small, cute and sassy!

The body styling was most interesting.  The smooth chiseled lines down the side gave the impression of motion even when it’s sitting still.  The16-inch alloy wheels and the sexy slanted lights gave it the look of a sports car.  Also, I love light.  The Accent was wrapped in an abundance of  large bright windows.

I could hardly wait to slide into the driver’s seat.  Surprise!  Despite the exterior, which appears to be small, the interior was another story.  Lots of unexpected space.  As a matter of fact, the Accent was voted Best-in-Class for front and rear shoulder room.  It is very comfortable.  The driver’s seat offers plenty of comfort with room for even the longest legs. Talking about bells and whistles, there is a 172 watt, six speaker audio system complete with Sirius XM Satellite Radio and Ipod/USB Auxiliary inputs.  The steering wheel is so well equipped that you never have to take your eyes off the road to use all the features.  Also, on the steering wheel is cruise control and Bluetooth phone capability.

After checking out the controls, I was off!   It didn’t handle like I expected a small car to feel.  The ride was very smooth. Turning was effortless and breaking was efficient and reliable.  I decided to drop by my sister’s house and give her a look, but before she could get outside the neighbors were drawn to the car like magnets. “What is it?”   I love the color.” (It was bright blue.) “It’s so cute”!  These were all comments from neighbors.  At that point, I knew it was a winner.  Who doesn’t want to ride around in a car everybody notices and asks about?

During the weekend, some girlfriends and I decided to go to a concert in a nearby city.  I invited two of them to ride with me.  Believe it or not, everyone was very comfortable.  There was great space in the back seat as well as in the front.  We stayed overnight. So, and were glad to find that the trunk easily handled out three bags and the souvenirs we brought back.  The ride on the highway was even better than the ride while zipping through local streets to do errands.  There was hardly any noise and the pick up speed needed to pass cars and huge trucks was right there when I needed it.

Best of all, I felt safe driving the Hyundai Accent.  Before I hit the road, I read about the safety features.

The Accent has six airbags including front side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, anti-lock braking, active front headrest which instantly move up and down to protect the driver and front seat passenger from whiplash injuries.  The ultimate safety feature for me was the Brake Assist.   If for some reason the driver doesn’t brake fast enough in a near collision situation, the Break Assist kicks in and brakes for them.

What a car?  And guess what?  The Accent now comes in a hatchback model as well for those who need even more space.

Overall, I loved the Accent and you will, too.  It sells for about $15,000 and  is a great value for the money. 

My only concern is that I feel a need to look great every time I leave my house.  Why?  Because the Accent will always be the center of attention wherever you go.   So, you have to look good.

For more information on the Hyundai Accent click on: www.hyundaiusa.com

Rochelle Brown is a member of the Texas Autowriters Association and has won Emmys and other awards as a broadcast journalist.