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Global Viewpoints
New Accent
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Hyundai chose the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil its new Accent, which replaces a model that saw a total build of 1.6 million units. Hyundai says the new car has been "totally re-engineered from the ground up." It has added space, equipment, and safety compared to the out-going car. Overall length is up by 130 mm (5.1 in) and width by 50 mm (2.0 in). According to Hyundai, the car is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary design move; "stylists avoided bold, experimental solutions in favor of deliberately restrained and conservative lines." A four-door sedan and three and five-door hatchback versions will be produced. Base engine is a 1.3-L producing 55 kW (74 hp). There is also a 1.5-L. Electronic brake force distribution is standard. Lead time for the new car was short, with work starting only in January 1997. Development work was compressed into a 27-month timeframe, Hyundai's fastest project completion period to date, and was supported by a total R&D budget of $200 million, which includes expenditure for prototyping, testing, and the re-tooling of production lines. The bulk of the development work was conducted at the company's small car development center in Ulsan and at the Namyang R&D complex. The annual production target in Korea is 350,000 units, but a "localized" version of the new car is soon to be produced by Hyundai Motor India at its Madras plant.
Stuart Birch
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