AUTOS : Hyundai Motor America Posts Prices for Subcompact That Replaces the Excel

Hyundai Motor America has posted the price list for its subcompact Accent, which replaces the aging Excel.

The new line comes in five variations: a three-door manual transmission hatchback; a pair of three-door coupes, one with automatic transmission and one with manual; and four-door sedans with automatic and manual transmissions.

Base prices will range from $8,079 for the hatchback to $9,709 for the automatic-equipped four-door.

The Excel hit the U.S. market in 1986 at about $5,000 but fell from grace when nearly three years of high demand boosted Hyundai’s production of the cars well beyond its ability to ensure their quality.

The Accent is expected to arrive at dealer showrooms in February, an unusual month for a car debut but one that Hyundai Motor America executives say is best for them and for their customers. An earlier unveiling was junked when the South Korean car company’s U.S. marketing arm, based in Fountain Valley, demanded improvements to make Accent more salable in this country and decided to wait until the punched-up version was ready and tested.

The strategy seems to be working.

Comparing the Accent to its predecessor, AutoWeek magazine wrote last week that the “only honest response” to shoppers’ questions about the Excel in recent years was that “a good used car was a viable--even preferable--alternative for those squeezed for cash. (But) early indications suggest that those days will be over when the Accent gets here.”

The car “seems to be a solid, modern piece of work that fully belongs in today’s car market,” AutoWeek wrote.