Autoblog

Dismal little car. That's what you'd hear 20 years ago when the conversation turned to Hyundai. The Excel wasn't as terrible as a Yugo, or even as horrifically unreliable as sneering Peugeots, but it wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms. Back then, even Japanese brands were still targets of xenophobia; who was this Korean company trying to fool?

Hyundai persevered, and now the South Korean industrial giant is making vehicles that garner good recommendations and carry one of the best warranties in the business. Hyundai's Accent could be considered a spiritual successor to the unloved Excel, and it carries on that car's basic formula of delivering a comparable car for less money than the competition. What do you give up to get a car that's not stripped, yet still cheaper?


All photos Copyright ©2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

Due to the popularity of small, fuel-sipping cars, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has smashed up some of the newest offerings. And, as if you needed further proof to get optional side air bags on your next car, the minimally-bagged Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Scion xB and Toyota Yaris all got poor ratings while the Nissan Versa and Honda Fit, both with standard side airbags, and the Yaris with optional side bags, got top ratings in side crash testing

The Accent and Rio both come with standard air bags, but the tests showed significant driver injury was possible. Pity the xB owners who don't even have a choice of side air bags. The IIHS said that during testing, the xB's dummy's head actually struck the crash barrier. That's gotta hurt.

The IIHS also mangled a 2006 MINI Cooper and a Chevy Aveo with standard side bags. The MINI got an acceptable rating, while the Aveo scraped by with a marginal, just above poor.

Despite the Fit's remarkable side crash results, the Honda's front airbag didn't perform properly during the frontal crash. Honda says Fit owners can expect a recall to address the airbag's early-deployment.

For an IIHS summary of all the small cars tested, click here. For an IIHS summary video, go here.

[Source: The New York Times, The Associated Press via wcnc.com]

Hyundai will add a hatchback accent to its lineup for 2007, coming in at just a smidge less expensive than the sedan. The hatch starts at $10,415 (plus destination) for the GS with a standard five speed manual transmission, and the SE, which is tricked out with ABS, more airbags, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and a stiffer suspension, starts out at $14,495. The GLS sedan starts at $12,565. Automatic transmission is $1,000 extra on all models, and the hatch, as well as the sedan, comes standard with front, side-impact and side curtain airbags.

The move may help put Hyundai in the running with the likes of the new Nissan Versa, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, ideally pulling the Accent out of the hole that has its sales down 34.9 through May over the same period in 2005.

[Source: PRNewswire, Automotive News]

Volkswagen's baby GTI, based on the Polo supermini has just gone on sale in the UK. Boasting a force-fed 1.8-liter 20-valve four cylinder and a full compliment of creature comforts and safety features, the top-rung Polo rings up at £14,810 out-the-door (a stout $28,000 USD), but bearing in mind Britain's higher vehicle prices and taxes, the price is competitive. The plain-jane Polo has been on sale in Blightly since February.

With the arrival of a slew of new or revamped subcompacts with Asian bloodlines (Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Aveo, etc.) in American showrooms, can a small VW be far behind? If the Polo GTI is any indication of what's in the offing, we hope the company fast-tracks the whole works.

[Source: MotorTorque at AskAPrice.com]

Both Consumer Guide and Edmunds have published new reviews of the Honda Fit, which went on sale this weekend.

The Consumer Guide report found the tested Sport’s version to be comfortable for the vehicle’s class. Steering was surprisingly agile, though there was some body lean. The 109 horsepower engine definitely required planning on the driver’s part when making a lane change. Driver seating, interestingly enough, is actually higher than the bigger Civic model.

The Edmund review found a surprising amount of room inside despite the exterior’s diminutive dimensions. Part of this is due to the vehicle's fuel tank placement. Their staffers really liked the reclining rear-seat headrests. As for driving, testers liked the manual shifter, though the automatic version seemed to have more ‘zip’ than its self-shift sibling. Testers also found the Fit to be balanced and stable on the road and track (similar to the Consumer Guide report). Their biggest complaint was the 10.8 gallon fuel tank, though the Fit did average 32 miles per gallon.

Full details can be found here (Consumer Guide) and here (Edmunds). Additional Autoblog coverage can also be found here and here.

[Sources: Consumer Guide and Edmunds]