Interior & Cargo

Like the performance and the exterior design, the inside, too, reminds me of a more substantial vehicle. All the fabrics, buttons and plastic panels are of good quality. The textured dashboard and design look futuristic and sleek.

Hyundai had a new Ford Fiesta on hand during my test of the Accent, and I compared its high-quality interior with that of the Accent. I'd say the two are nearly on par, with Ford having a few more instances of chintzy materials, especially the flimsy plastic door handles, while the Accent has substantial chromed handles.

The front seats are also quite comfortable with good support. I drove for an hour and sat as the front passenger for about an hour and felt no twinges of discomfort. The rear is also rather large, ferrying adults in relative comfort with 33.3 inches of legroom and 47.2 inches of hip room. Both numbers are behind the spacious Fit at 34.5 and 51.3 inches, respectively, but are favorable to the Ford Fiesta's 31.2 and 49.2 inches, respectively.

At 13.7 cubic feet, the sedan's trunk is good, identically sized to the Yaris sedan and ahead of the Fiesta's 12.8 cubic feet. The hatchback's cargo area leads the class at 21.2 cubic feet, significantly bigger than the four-door versions of the Fiesta (15.4) and Yaris (9.8). The Fit is closest at 20.6 cubic feet, but when you fold the rear seats flat, the Fit wins with its 57.3 cubic feet versus the Accent's 47.5 cubic feet.

    See also:

    All Season Tires
    Hyundai specifies all season tires on some models to provide good performance for use all year round, including snowy and icy road conditions. All season tires are identified by ALL SEASON and/or ...

    One Person Per Belt
    Two people (including children) should never attempt to use a single seat belt. This could increase the severity of injuries in case of an accident. ...

    Folding Rear Seatbacks
    The rear seatbacks may be folded to facilitate carrying long items or to increase the luggage capacity of the vehicle. WARNING: The purpose of the fold-down rear seatbacks is to allow you to carry ...