The Accent’s interior is much simpler than the Fiesta, lacking the SYNC integration and offering fewer buttons and more intuitive controls. Hyundai insists that the interior is a “premium” offering due to its “piano black” trim smattered around the cockpit, and we honestly can’t help but shrug our shoulders. We doubt any consumer will really care at this price point, but materials are light years away from the low rent crap in the previous car, and everything appears well put together.

Where the car really comes close to “premium” status is on the road. Everything is quiet, with wind and engine noises carefully insulated from the cabin, while the ride is smooth and well composed. Hyundai fitted monotube shocks to the 2012 Accent, which are more expensive than the typical twin-tube design, but the extra money shows when the Accent hops over expansion joints or cracked pavement with virtually no fuss, whereas other competitors would let you know that you just hit a bad stretch of road. The Accent’s steering does lack the heft that makes the Fiesta feel like a “driver’s car”, though you’re never in doubt regarding what the front tires are doing. Given that the Accent uses an electric power steering system, remedying this matter would only take a few software changes.