Spyshots: 2011 Hyundai Accent

Hyundai is currently in the middle of an offensive that sees the company launching improved new models in an effort to strengthen its position on multiple segments of the market.

The Korean automotive producer’s latest still-under-development weapon is the entry-level sedan in its range, the Accent.

The vehicle, which is scheduled to hit showroom floors during the first half of next year, will be offered both as a sedan and as a hatchback.

To say that the vehicle shown in this set of spyshots is wearing heavy camouflage would be an understatement. However, we can see that the new vehicle will follow the same design pathway as the Sonata and the new Elantra.

Hyundai has already held an official presentation for the 2011 Accent at the Beijing Motor Show, back in April, so we suppose that the car we see in the adjacent pictures is a different version, destined for certain markets.

The car that was previously introduced uses two Gamma petrol powerplants. The entry-level unit is a 1.4 liter that develops 106 hp and a maximum torque of 100 lb-ft (135 Nm). The unit can be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox or to a four-speed automatic transmission. The other engine is a 1.6 liter unit producing 121 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque (155 Nm). The 1.6 liter powerplant only comes with the six-speed automatic gearbox.

Various media reports indicate that Hyundai is also working on a hybrid version of the vehicle, but the project is said to be in the early development stages.