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HYUNDAI Excel Sedan Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 3
First production year: 1989
Engines: Gasoline
HYUNDAI Excel 4 Doors photo gallery

Hyundai introduced the last generation of the Excel on the market in 1998 in three body shapes, hatchback with three and five doors and a four-door sedan.

The Korean carmaker went through some tough times and desperately tried to increase its sales. It even changed its car nameplates depending on the market, and that's why the Excel was sold as Accent or Pony in different countries.

While it didn't excel in the design department, the 1998 Excel Sedan was a good example of the biodesign era. Its oval, slim headlights, and the slot that acted as a grille were the first signs of a carmaker that didn't really know how to put body parts on a car and look good. For the four-door version, Hyundai's designers completely redesigned the back of the car, and they integrated the trunk well in the sedan shape.

Inside, there was a big improvement in material quality over its predecessor. The cloth seats with velour and plastic door panels were better fitted and didn't rattle all the time. There was just a shy try to enhance the cabin by using light-gray colors and pastel color pattern on the seats. In the back, there was room for three shorter passengers, especially kids.

Like its hatchback siblings, the sedan featured two engine choices carried over from Mitsubishi: a 1.3-liter and a 1.5-liter.

full description and technical specifications
HYUNDAI Excel 4 Doors photo gallery

The second and last generation of the Hyundai Excel was also known as Accent on several markets, and it came in a few body shapes.

The Excel/Accent sedan was the four-door version, and it aimed to compete against the fifth generation of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. While it couldn't defeat the top-sellers models, it could gain enough momentum to open a door for the Accent lineup.

Hyundai was on the verge to upscale its models. It didn't want to be the poor man car, and it definitely tried to play into the same league with the other Japanese carmakers. The rounded edges, curved door panels, and corner-mounted taillights didn't show any original ideas, but the car's overall look was decent for its time.

Inside, the Excel dropped the older, straight lines on the dashboard and adopted curves for the instrument cluster and door panels. The cranked windows were still used on most of the cars on the market, but the powered ones were on the options list. The air-conditioning unit was available at extra cost. The interior room was good for four, average-sized adults. Strangely though, the room in the front was not suitable for taller people, not to mention the rear-seat legroom.

Under the hood, Hyundai installed Mitsubishi-sourced engines of 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter. Later on, on specific markets, a 1.8-liter made its way inside the engine bay.

full description and technical specifications
HYUNDAI Excel 4 Doors photo gallery

The second generation of the Hyundai Excel was introduced in 1989, just for years after its predecessor.

Hyundai started to improve its products and learned the hard way how to make better cars. While the first generation of the Excel was considered a lemon, the second generation was drastically improved in every way.

While for the first Excel, Hyundai employed the Italdesign Studio to draw the lines, for the second generation, it chose to follow their design. The smoother lines of the exterior broke the pattern imagined by Giorgetto Giugiaro for the first generation. The slimmer and wider headlights followed the new design era. The sedan version offered a separate trunk area, with a short and straight deck lid.

The dashboard still kept some traces of the older version, but there were no harsh lines anymore. Even if the instrument cluster was drawn with three clear lines, their connection with smoother corners revealed a new design trend for the Korean carmaker. While the car was good for families, there was limited room in the back due to the short wheelbase. But it offered an AC-unit on most trim levels.

The drivetrain benefited from the development of new gearboxes, both automatic and manual. The four-pot engine provided 72 hp with a carburetor or 84 with an electronic fuel injection system. The former was available on selected markets.

full description and technical specifications