Now that I think of it, there aren't too many not-decent things about the

It has ample cargo volume with 351 liters (12.8 cu-ft.) behind the rear seats. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

Accent. It has ample cargo volume with 351 liters (12.8 cu-ft.) behind the rear seats, visibility is commendable from most angles, gas mileage is great... gosh I'm stumped. It's by no means a "perfect" vehicle, as no vehicle priced under $15,000 could be, but it just has so many strong points that it's hard to nit-pick the bad ones.

Up until this point, I've never really thought about the name "Accent." To me, rather than just "accenting" a complete wardrobe this car "accentuates" life. It makes its driver feel good, not only because it achieves a ULEV rating while only sipping away at fuel, or because it has a great five year bumper-to-bumper warranty, but it's a car that I find really makes an emotional connection with its driver.

And as I have experienced with the new Tucson, Sonata, Azera and now

It's one small car with a whole lot of goodness to give. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

Accent, this is the direction Hyundai is taking with all of its cars. Instead of it being a brand people look to because its overall pricing is lower than the competition, or because its cars offer more features for the money than the rest, it's becoming a brand that people want to buy into because of the emotional connection that can be had with its cars.

On this subject Kelleher remarked, "I think, in a lot of ways, our consumers over the last five years, in a lot of cases, have been people who not so much wanted to buy our vehicles, but almost had to because they were the right price or the right vehicle. We want to change that, to get people to be emotional with our cars and want to buy a Hyundai, or want to buy an Accent."

The 2006 Hyundai Accent fits such a description. It's one small car with a whole lot of goodness to give.