Like its corporate twin, the Kia Rio, the 2006 Hyundai Accent gets its motivation from a 1.6-liter, 16-valve, dual overhead cam four-cylinder engine that features continuously variable valve timing. Horsepower peaks at 110 at 6,000 rpm with torque registering 106 lb.-ft. at 4,500 rpm. A five-speed manual transmission is standard fare, while a four-speed automatic, which adds 37 lbs. to the Accent’s 2,366-lb. curb weight, is optional. Hyundai suggests that Accents with a manual transmission will get as much as 32 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway; the automatic changes those figures to 28 and 36, respectively.

Suspending the front-wheel-drive 2006 Hyundai Accent above pockmarked city streets and smooth freeway pavement is a MacPherson strut system in front and a torsion beam axle in the rear. Front and rear stabilizer bars are standard. A power rack-and-pinion steering system with a tight 33.1-foot turning circle makes quick work of U-turns and cul-de-sacs. Charged with stopping the redesigned Accent is a four-wheel power disc brake setup, featuring vented rotors in front and solid rotors out back. An antilock brake system with electronic brake force distribution is standard. Connecting it all to the road are 14-inch steel wheels and 185/65 Kumho tires. Six-spoke, 15-inch alloys wearing 195/55 Kuhmo Solus HP4 Plus tires are optional.