Hyundai Motor has recently released a new 2012 model for Accent and Genesis. Following are test driving experience full story from Scrippnews.com. Driving through a Nevada desert in the scorching midday sun with the air conditioner running full blast, the satellite radio beaming 156 channels and a bottle of crystal clear spring water cooling in the cup holder, one‘s mind can naturally turn to the concept of progress.
That shimmering blue oasis floating in the distance is not a mirage, it’s Lake Mead, built in the days before government was considered the problem. The smooth stretch of highway upon which the 2012 Hyundai Accent is cruising is a more recent government stimulus project, completed during our lingering financial rough patch.
With an attitude of gratitude, one can easily itemize the benefits of living in the modern world. The settlers from back east crossed this burning moonscape on wooden wheels. And 2,000 years before that, native Americans were painting petroglyphs on radiant red rocks. How anything can survive today‘s 104-degree heat is amazing.
Yet, here we are, motoring effortlessly through the road vapors en route to the next watering hole.
We made the trip to Lake Mead and through the aptly named Valley of Fire State Park in two stages. In the first stage from the Las Vegas Strip, we drove the new 2012 Accent, an entry-level model designed to give Honda fits. In the second stage, we drove the luxurious Genesis, a challenger to the BMW 5-Series that recently emerged from a mid-model redesign.
Both cars are examples of remarkable progress on Hyundai’s part.
Let‘s start at the entry level.
The new, fourth-generation Accent comes at a critical time for the aggressive South Korean automaker. Hyundai recorded another record sales month in May and, for the first time, had the best-selling model for the month with the new Sonata midsize sedan.
The company is also enjoying a major boost from the new, U.S.-built Elantra compact that surpasses the benchmark Honda Civic in several key specifications.
Like the Elantra, the lower-level Accent is a fuel-efficient model that also boasts 40 highway mpg while outpowering every competitor in its class. With the 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, Accent’s 138 horses are 18 better than the Ford Fiesta, the closest competitor in horsepower. The Accent four-door‘s engine carries 17.4 pounds per horse, a much better ratio than Honda Fit’s 21.3.
In terms of fuel efficiency, the new Accent engine‘s EPA figures represent a 6 percent improvement over the previous power plant, which managed 34 mpg on the highway.
Hyundai is offering the hatchback in what it calls four-door or five-door formats. The four-door’s profile is that of the classic compact sedan, while the five-door is essentially a wagon that offers interior capacity comparable to that of the Nissan Juke.
Sold in three trim levels, Accent‘s prices range from $12,445 for the GLS four-door with manual transmission to $16,795 for the SE five-door. The midlevel GS five-door with automatic goes for $15,795.
With the six-speed automatic, the GLS handled the rolling terrain around Lake Mead with remarkable aplomb. I had expected considerable gear hunting from the transmission, but the 138 horses coming from the gasoline direct-injection engine proved sufficient to keep the torque flowing smoothly to the front wheels.
While thinking of progress, let’s note how dramatically entry-level cars have improved since their heyday in the 1970s. Long forgotten is the tinny “econobox” with the fragile plastic dash and the stripped-down interior. The Accent is equipped with features that were once considered luxuries, such as six air bags for safety, power disc brakes with antilock and electronic brake-force distribution, an elegant interior with aluminum accents on the doors and dash and excellent textures on the roof pillars and interior provided by a blend of fibrous tissue and volcanic rock.
If you‘re looking for a dramatically higher level of luxury and performance and you have the cash or credit, step up to the Genesis, an audacious model that contends with the best of the upscale import sedans.
With luxury sales expected to rebound from the recession, growing 40 percent in the U.S. by 2016, Hyundai is trying to grow at the top end of the market as well as the low end.
Hyundai’s research shows that mid-luxury buyers are becoming more value conscious while traditional brand and prestige attributes have trended downward. Thus, Genesis has shown 23 straight months of sales growth, achieving a record market share in May.
The midyear redesign may not be noticeable to many, but the primary changes are a new grille, revised chrome accent trim, updated rocker panel and a darker finish on the roof arch.
While most buyers will opt for the 333-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 at $34,200 or the 385 horsepower, 4.6-liter V8 at $44,500, some enthusiasts will climb all the way up to the high-performance 5.0 R-Spec with a 429 horsepower TAU V8 that sends the sedan from 0 to 60 mph in about 5 seconds. The R-Spec taps your wallet to the tune of $46,500 but is considerably more affordable than comparably equipped luxury models.
Soaring over the newly paved highway crossing the Lake Mead Recreation Area, the R-Spec proved a truly thrilling ride. The sedan held the curves with real conviction at speeds that would have challenged most other cars. The sport suspension and 19-inch tires were tuned precisely for this kind of performance.
Because the R-Spec accelerated so effortlessly, it proved necessary to keep a close eye on the speedometer, even though the desert roadway appeared virtually unoccupied. Park rangers are authorized to stop speeders, we were told. That‘s when government becomes the problem.
WHAT’S NEW: Remodeled, fourth-generation Accent.
PLUSES: Fuel economy, value, comfort, safety.
MINUSES: Generic styling.
BOTTOM LINE: Much more for your money in the small-car market.
AUTOS TODAYwith AUTO-SPECS
(아주경제 송지영 기자)
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com