The Philippine-made, best-selling Hyundai Accent, with its stylish looks and diesel engine, is a stalwart in the crowded small sedan segment.
The Accent's 1.6-liter diesel engine, with 126hp 260Nm of torque, can help it muster 26.4 kilometers per liter (kpl). The fuel-sipping engine can be paired to a six-speed manual or automatic. A 1.4-liter mill, with 99hp and 132Nm, is also available.
With prices ranging from P790,000 to P1.038 million (with the diesel at P910,000) the Accent faces many competitors. To make the competition stiffer, the rivals aren't only within the small sedan class.
With a 25kpl output (tested by the Automobile Association of the Philippines) from its 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine, the City is also a certified fuel-sipper.
It's a safe sedan, as well, with a rigid body structure with G-Force Control (G-CON) technology, Vehicle stability assist (VSA), hill start assist (HSA), emergency stop signal (ESS), and Isofix child seat anchors come standard for all models.
Aside from having reliability on its side, the sporty Vios GR-S model comes in less than the top-spec diesel Accent.
This Vios wears a GR (Gazoo Racing) emblem, a more aggressively-styled front bumper and grille, and spoiler and black wheels wrapped in low-profile tires. Inside, the Vios GR-S seats are wrapped in a grippy material.
A rather underrated car, the Rio hatchback will offer more cargo space than the Accent, thanks to the Kia's more flexible cabin brought by its boxier shape.
The Rio range is gasoline-powered only, with a 1.4-liter engine with 99hp and 133Nm of torque, and links to a four-speed automatic with manual mode.
As the Accent is available as a sedan only, the Venue subcompact crossover would be the alternative.
To go with its chunky looks, the Venue wears halogen headlights with LED position lights, LED rear lamps with a high-mount stop lamp, 17-inch wheels for the top-trim GLS, and a palette of hip hues.
Used examples of Hyundai's ubiquitous crowd-carrier can be had for more, or less, than the Accent. Older Grand Starex models represent the lower end of the price range, while fresher units are similarly priced to the Accent.
A 2.5-liter diesel engine with 168hp and 441Nm of torque has proven strong enough to carry the van's nine or 10 passengers.
Photos from Hyundai, Toyota, Kia and Ricky Ladia
Also read:
Sedans and the City: The Honda City vs. other subcompact sedan options
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