Every time I got out of the Accent DLS in a pair of wrinkled Khakis and a rumpled white T-shirt, I felt like a bit of a fake. There isn’t a rule that says if you are driving a spanking-new dark-steelgray mid-size diesel saloon, you must also wear a pair of neatly ironed gray trousers, white-and-blue pinstripes, and a tie – but in the Hyundai Accent DLS, you might as well do that, if only to avoid accusing looks from other DLS drivers. Yes, the power-dressing, Tissot-wearing business executive, who wants to look the part, without spending too much on Bharat Petroleum’s finest, is the sole reason for this car’s existence...
Sliding into the new Hyundai for the first time, I couldn’t help noticing that this was definitely not youraverage budget-box diesel. The car felt fairly well appointed – if a bit plasticky. The trim felt good, the controls fell to hand easily, the pedals felt right, and the facia appeared friendly and unpretentious. (Oh sure, the car positively reeked of that typical ‘newcar- plastic’ smell initially, but that faded after a few days of use – or maybe I got so used to it that I didn’t notice it anymore!) Driving the car for the first time, I encountered a ferocious outburst engineered by the Mumbai rain-gods, before I had driven a hundred meters. With rain coming down in spades, I felt completely at ease in the yet-unfamiliar Hyundai. With the very effective aircon switched on, there was barely a hint of any ‘diesel-clatter’. The DLS comes with the 4-cylinder normally-aspirated 1527 cc ‘TuD 5’ engine, that kicks out 57 bhp at 5000 rpm, and produces a maximum of 10 kgm of torque at a relatively low 2250 revs (the DLS’ tacho is redlined at 5000 rpm, and marked up to 6000). Also used in the diesel version of the Maruti Zen, this is a tried-and-tested powerplant from Peugeot, and has done duty on the not-so-successful Peugeot 309 earlier. Oh, for those who are wondering, the DLS feels completely different from the 309.
This car belongs to another generation, another class. It is vastly more refined, quiet, and civilized. But yes, the one thing you cannot do, is play boyracer. The car simply does not boast of the kind of numbers which would have you flaunting the DLS keys at boy-racer speedfests. But then I said at the very outset that this car is for the pinstripe-wearing executive, who has laid all his boy-racer aspirations to rest, a long time ago. If relaxed cruising is your scene, the DLS is right up your street. Wind up the power windows, switch the aircon on, twirl the effortless steering wheel, revel in the well-damped feel of the car, and leave the outside world…well…outside. I mean, I could give you acceleration and top-speed figures, but what is the point? Oh, all right, we’ll talk figures, if only to avoid those scowls and angry glares.
This was a relatively new car, with barely 1400 kms on the clocks, so I was not prepared to push it very hard – visions of blown engines make for a light right foot – but the DLS still managed to touch a speedo-indicated 142 km/hr. And although that is a respectable figure for a 57-bhp diesel three-box, it had me wondering why Hyundai has given this car a speedo that is marked up to 200 km/hr! During acceleration tests, the DLS took 8.09 seconds to reach 60 km/hr from a standing start, and took all of 21.65 seconds to hit the ton. Not impressed? Well, better figures can be obtained – if pushed mercilessly, we are sure that the Hyundai would approach a speedo-indicated 150 km/hr, and you could probably shave off a couple of tenths from the acceleration figures if you are prepared to fry the clutch in the bargain. But again, the DLS’ engine sounds like it is in danger of imminent meltdown if you drive the car in extreme hot-shoe mode for extended periods of time, so you decide if you want to risk your dosh – just don’t say I didn’t warn you! For all-or-nothing driving, the power-assisted steering can felt a bit vague at times and the brakes could have been a tad sharper, but then the car always stayed planted at triple-digit speeds on rain-slicked Mumbai roads, and never threatened to get out of shape. The brakes (discs at the front, drums at the rear) could have afforded slightly more ‘feel’, but never lacked power, and were always up to the task of hauling the car down from excessive speed, without any fade or loss of bite. During very hard cornering on my banzai runs on a particularly deserted stretch in Navi Mumbai, the tail did not step out even once - the car understeers at the limit. At ten-tenths driving, the Accent DLS stays calm, composed.
This car is at its best doing the daily in-city commute. Use the Hyundai’s 5-speed gearbox judiciously, and slicing through city traffic can be a cinch. In frenetic city use, with the aircon blowing at full blast, I got 13.8 km/ltr., which is quite good. On longer, more relaxed runs, and with the a/c switched off, I got as much as as 19.8 kms/ltr, which is amazing for a car of this size and heft, and we did check twice, just to make sure we got the right figures!
The Hyundai Accent DLS is a good, solid buy that is relatively cheap to run. The suspension dispenses with the worst that our roads have to offer (watch out for ground-clearance though, when fully laden– speed bumps can scrape the bottom of the car if you are not careful), the seats are comfortable, the aircon is very effective, boot space is generous, and most important, NVH is not a problem. However, with the a/c switched on, and four adults sitting in the car, the 4-pot engine can seem a bit wheezy at times, and tackling steep inclines can be a problem. There is hope though. If you are prepared to loosen that tie, switch the a/c off, and make the stubby little gearshift really work for a living, the car will hold its own in almost any situation.
The DLS is no different from its petrol-engine sibling in the looks department, and we have always liked the way the Accent looks, period. It doesn’t have people walking into lamp posts, but then the DLS is no Tiburon. There is one problem area though – the wheels. The 13-inchers that the Accent comes with, look a bit small for the car. Larger wheels will do wonders for the DLS’ appearance. The aftermarket will happily sell you bigger/wider alloys for the Accent, but you’ve got to be prepared to shell out plenty for a really good set. It would be so much nicer if Hyundai could give us bigger wheels as standard issue. Hyundai, please? To buy or not? Well, you certainly WON’T be running with the VTEC boys, but you’ll be spending a lot less on fuel. Economy, or performance - what do you want? Take a test drive, and decide for y’self...