Baby diesels are fun, frugal and go a long way and Hyundai’s Accent fits the bill. Sometimes. NEIL DOWLING reports

DIESEL small cars bring tears of joy to their penny-pinching, green-tinged owners but in reality any expected savings don’t stack up.
Spatially-challenged Europeans opt for baby diesel cars for parking and fuel cost reasons but Australians have no real need for these oily midgets.
Ignoring the cost of fuel and the extra price you’ll pay for a diesel car, I’d admit these cars are fun to drive and I love the huge distances between refills.
There’s also a solid range of diesel small cars that whet the appetite. But it’s not the car that’s the issue – it’s the fuel.
Hyundai presents its Accent oiler as an affordable and comfortable family small car that works an absolute treat in Paris or London. Here, at the very least, it gets a big E for Effort.
VALUE: Hyundai flags the Accent Active diesel manual as Australia’s most affordable diesel passenger car. It’s $19,590, a $2600 premium over its petrol sister. The lauded Dowling Index (I just made that up) shows that it takes nine years and eight months for the diesel to make up that $2600 – despite its better fuel economy – and after that will save only $270 a year in fuel costs (I didn’t make that up). You plan to own the Accent for 10 years? That aside, the car has a strong list of features and is particularly high on safety. The five-year warranty is brilliant.
DESIGN: Styling is neat, practical and has strong overtones of its designer scribbling from a Belge sidewalk cafe table drawing inspiration from the passing Euro cars. It’s surprisingly roomy, has a great dashboard layout – US researchers and publicists Wards just included it in the world’s 10 best car interiors – and trim and fabrics never feel low rent. The driving position is perfect – but rear vision is poor – and seats are comfortable and blessed with long cushions for better thigh support.
TECHNOLOGY: Nothing really stands out here but the engine is admired for its impressive 260Nm of torque at a low 1900rpm – better than its three main rivals. It gets four-wheel discs, while some competitors use drums at the rear, and electric-assist steering instead of the traditional engine-powered hydraulic assist that draws down fuel consumption. Obviously it’s a price issue but the diesel would look less like a fleet car if it had alloy wheels.
SAFETY: Like its sister models, the diesel version of the Accent has a five-star crash rating, six airbags, electronic stability control (Hyundai calls it Vehicle Stability Management), traction control and ABS brakes. It could do with front and-or rear park assist or better, a camera.
DRIVING: So conceptually I don’t think small diesels are as economical to own and run as a petrol-fuelled equivalent. But they are endearing critters. That long range is enticing. Go country and the Accent can run to 1100km between fill ups and even 800km is possible in the city. Diesels are different than petrols to drive, particularly in engine response, but the Accent’s high torque at low revs means it can be lugged along in a high gear making for less manual gear shifts. Bonus. Pick the sweet spot in the torque band (it’s about 2400rpm) and the Accent can quite swiftly exit out of corners. Miss that spot and the engine gasps. The suspension is good, not great because of some low-speed bump, while the steering is overly light. But it works really well in the confines of the city and suburbs.
VERDICT: Admirable but you’d be far in front with the petrol model. The Accent is one of my favourite little cars but as a diesel, it doesn’t cut it.
HYUNDAI ACCENT ACTIVE DIESEL
STARS 3
Price: $19,590
Warranty: 5 years/unlimited km
Resale: 56 per cent
Service interval: 15,000km/12 months
Safety rating: Five star
Spare: Full-size
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel 94kW/260Nm
Transmission: 6-speed manual; FWD
Body: 4.1m (L); 1.7m (w); 1.4m (h)
Weight: 1207kg
Thirst: 4.5 1/100km; 121g/km Co2
Three Others to consider.

CITROEN C3 SEDUCTION
Star: 3
PRICE: $24,990
ENGINE: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 68kW/230Nm
TRANS: 5-spd manual, front drive
BODY: 5-door hatch
THIRST: 3.6L/100km, CO2 93g/km
“French macaroon is distilled essence of the definition of a car. Its simplicity makes it a winner but average build quality, chug-a-lug engine and poor resale chaff its potential”ql

FORD FIESTA ECONETIC
Star: 3.5
PRICE: $24,990
ENGINE: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 66kW/200Nm
TRANS: 5-spd manual, front drive
BODY: 5-door hatch
THIRST: 3.7L/100km, CO2 98g/km
“Efficient and enjoyable Fiesta sipper is worth more than the scant attention paid by Australian motorists. They lose”ql
VOLKSWAGEN POLO 1.6TDI
Star: 3.5
PRICE: $21,490
ENGINE: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 66kW/230Nm
TRANS: 5-spd manual, front drive
BODY: 5-door hatch
THIRST: 4.7L/100km, CO2 124g/km
“Hard to beat. Logical, affordable, simple and yet with more features than rivals, it only skips a beat with its thirstier engine. But like 4.7 L/100km is a problem?”ql