Spy Shots: 2012 Hyundai Accent

With all the new product coming out of Hyundai, the Azera and Accent are beginning to stand out like the proverbial sore thumbs. To rectify the latter, Hyundai has begun testing the next Accent in the Great White North.

Since the upcoming Veloster will fill the hatch-sized space in Hyundai's line-up, there's a good chance that the next Accent will only be available in sedan form when it hits the market in the next two years. In four-door form, the Accent employs the now-standard sweeping roofline of its bigger Sonata sibling, and underneath the camouflage we expect a similar fascia and liberal application of chrome.

Early indications suggest that the i20's platform will be used to underpin the new Accent, with power supplied Hyundai's next generation 1.6-liter inline four, capable of producing around 140 horsepower. If all goes according to plan, we suspect the all-new Accent will make an appearance later this year or early next, with sales beginning in the middle of 2011.