2020 Hyundai Accent Sees Improvements in Fuel Efficiency

The upcoming Hyundai Accent is receiving an optional Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) according to recently updated EPA ratings.

With the new transmission, the smallest Hyundai’s fuel efficiency is expected to significantly increase. There are also reports that Hyundai could be getting a revised 1.6-liter four-cylinder paired with the Gamma II engine like the Venue SUV’s.

The Hyundai Accent is already popular among consumers in the small car segment because it is cheap, good-looking, not to mention efficient with its six-speed manual transmission on the base model. But everyone’s favorite little sedan is about to become even more efficient coming into the 2020 model year.

Compared with the 2018 and 2019 models, the 2020 Accent will drop the six-speed automatic transmission in favor of a new CVT. This makes the car more fuel-efficient with the highway rating going from 38 to 41 mpg, the city rating going up to 33 mpg, and the combined rating increasing to 36 mpg.

There is also a manual transmission model in store for fans of the Hyundai Accent, making car enthusiasts wonder if it is getting the same 1.6-liter inline-four engine called the Gamma II, which will also be used on the Venue crossover.

The accent’s current engine makes 130 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque for an 8.9-second zero to 60-mph time when paired with the six-speed automatic transmission or 7.5 seconds when paired with the six-speed manual. Venue, meanwhile, makes 121 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque, so if it becomes part of the Accent’s hood, there won’t be much of an improvement in acceleration.

Other than the addition of a CVT, which works out to an increase of 12 percent fuel economy, there aren’t a lot of changes for the 2020 Hyundai Accent. And even if it’s not far from the performance of the 2019 model, it still is the most efficient non-hybrid car in the United States based on EPA ratings.