Hyundai unleashes 103kW Accent SR under $20k

HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia has added a third sporty SR variant, this time based on the five-door Accent light hatchback.

The Australia-only model joins the Veloster SR Turbo and recently launched i30 SR in Hyundai’s local performance car stable that was foreshadowed at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.

And the Accent might not be the last to bear the SR treatment in this market, with a sports Elantra also being considered.

Replacing the Elite and Premium hatchbacks in the Accent range, the feisty Accent SR gets a 103kW version of Hyundai’s normally aspirated direct-injected 1.6-litre GDI Gamma petrol engine from the Veloster coupe, boosting power by 13kW over the standard 91kW 1.6-litre engine in other Accents available here.

Torque is up 11Nm, to 167Nm, from the engine that is mated to a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing starts at $18,990 (plus on-road costs) for the manual and $20,990 for the automatic, with the latter priced the same as the Accent Elite Sedan that remains in the range which starts with the base Accent Active in both sedan and hatch guises.

Like the other SR Hyundai models, the Australian-inspired Accent SR gets sports suspension developed by Hyundai Australia in league with Korean counterparts, delivering revised springs, fresh dampers and tuned anti-roll bars.

Hyundai Australia product planning manager and lead development driver Andrew Tuitahi said the hardware changes delivered sharper turn-in, quicker response and enhanced body control, while improving on Accent’s supple ride.

“The Accent SR features a higher output engine and a new suspension set-up which as a pleasant by-product also make it great fun to drive at a keen price,” he said.

Fuel consumption is said to be 6.1 litres per 100km for the SR manual and 6.6L/100km for the automatic on the combined test cycle.

The Accent SR becomes the flagship of the Accent hatchback range, while also becoming the most affordable SR model, about $9000 cheaper than the bigger and more powerful 2.0-litre $27,990 i30 SR that was launched in August.

To set it apart from other Accent models, the SR gets 16-inch machined-face sports alloy wheels, projector-beam headlights with LED positioning lamps, automatic dusk-sensing headlights with escort function, a rear spoiler and cruise control.

Because the new Accent SR replaces two existing models in the Accent hatchback line-up, Hyundai expects it to attract about 20 per cent of Accent buyers.

This is about double the sales penetration of the i30 SR, which accounts for about 10 per cent of i30 sales.

The Accent SR is available in five exterior colours: Sunflower, Crystal White, Phantom Black, Veloster Red and a unique SR-only Sonic Silver metallic.

Metallic paint cost $495 extra.

Hyundai Accent SR pricing:

Model	Price
Hatchback	$18,990
Hatchback (a)	$20,990