Say Goodbye! The Last New 2022 Hyundai Accent Sold in July
The humble Hyundai Accent entered the 2022 model year as one of the best-value sedans on the market. Unfortunately, it was also the last year of the smallest Hyundai model, so there were scant few left when 2023 rolled around. Yet here we are, over seven months into the new year, and someone snagged a brand-new 2022 Hyundai Accent anyway.
Where was the last 2022 Hyundai Accent sold?
The final 2022 Accent sold in late July, after posting zero sales in June. A phone call confirmed that the last new Hyundai Accent came from Shoreline Hyundai in Saybrook, CT with an asking price of $18,005. If the buyer knows that they have the final publicly-available Hyundai Accent, they might be interested in keeping it around. After all, this four-cylinder ecobox has big potential as a future collector’s item.
The car in question here is an SE, which means it came with a host of high-level kit. Its featured include a backup camera, air conditioning, 16-inch steel wheels, and even carpeted floor mats. This lucky driver even earned automatic headlights, a remote trunk release, bucket seats, and cruise control. Jealous, much?
All jokes aside, I’m the kind of car nerd that would at least find some intrigue in knowing I’d purchased the last available model. Even of something as mundane as the Accent.
The 2022 Hyundai Accent was a top-tier subcompact sedan
As much as I’d love to dunk on the 2022 Accent, the truth is this little sedan punched above its weight. Ranked highest in its segment for initial quality by J.D. Power, the littlest Hyundai offered a comfortable ride, the right tech, and style that its competitors always seem to miss.
Upper-trim models even came with Hyundai’s SmartSense safety package, which included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. Not bad for a sub-$20,000 compact.
The loss of the entry-level Hyundai is a legitimate shame
Cheap, functional, and efficient, the Hyundai Accent is the quintessential commuter car. It’s unfortunate to see such a high-quality, sub-$20,000 car enter the shadow realm. Fortunately, though, there are plenty of pre-owned options still out there.
The 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty made the Accent an ideal first car for young and inexperienced drivers. Hyundai probably doesn’t see it that way. But from a consumer perspective, the Accent is the type of car that deserved better treatment from its parent company.
Of course, Hyundai is pushing upmarket. That’s where the profit is, after all. But cheap, efficient cars seem to be dying by the day, making it harder and harder for those in lower tax brackets to afford quality transportation.
And while I agree that car dependency is a problem, the reality is that, in most of the country, being without a car is a bigger hurdle to upward mobility than almost any other factor.
Will the Hyundai Accent ever return?
With Hyundai’s focus on higher-end vehicles, it’s hard to see the Accent making a comeback. However, if cheap EVs like the $35,000 Volvo EX30 are a success, perhaps Hyundai will bring back an electric Accent as its entry-level model sometime in the future. But I’m not holding my breath.
