A car company must always be applauded for attempting to create something with a bit of pizzazz. Hyundai Automotive Distributors Australia (HADA) recently recognised the popularity of their Excel successor, the Accent, and gave the official go-ahead to local specialist businesses to develop a package that would appeal to younger, performance-oriented drivers. We're talking a full 'sik look', interior revamp, suspension overhaul and - last, but not least - a high-power intercooled turbocharger kit. It's called the Accent Mach 2T.
Let's begin with the near-50 percent more powerful engine. Rather than split the 1.5-litre DOHC 16-valve engine open to fit turbo-friendly low compression pistons, the kit has been engineered around the factory 10.0:1 compression ratio. This amount of static compression means low boost (8 psi) and effective intercooling are essential measures to avoid detonation. The upshot, however, is the car remains very responsive and torquey even when it's off-boost. It's fantastically flexible.
David Alexander of Sydney's Silverwater Auto sources the parts used in the kit. The exhaust manifold is cast iron (David holds the pattern), the turbo is a Garrett GT25 roller-bearing unit, Performance Metalcraft welds up the front-mount air-to-air intercooler, and the custom-moulded intercooler plumbing has a 2-inch internal diameter. A Bosch blow-off valve is tucked away inside the airbox - David says he configured the valve in a closed-loop arrangement to give a factory style end product. Breathing is enhanced through a modified - though still factory look - airbox and a 2-inch exhaust system from the turbo back. With a twin-cam Excel cat converter (2ΒΌ-inch ID) and a chambered 2-inch rear muffler, the Accent emits 88dB at the tailpipe - comfortably a couple of decibels within the law.
When it came to the engine management side of things, a 2 Bar MAP sensor replaced the OE MAP sensor and larger capacity injectors were deemed essential. The fuel and direct-fire ignition ensemble is orchestrated by a re-mapped Kefico (Bosch designed) ECU. At the time of writing, the mapping was only around 80 percent complete - light load stuff still needed seeing to.
So that the rest of the car is able to tolerate such a dramatic increase in torque, a much heavier duty pressure plate is teamed with an organic clutch plate. The result is no slip but still a "nice pedal."
With each piece of high performance hardware in place, it's predicted that some 115 flywheel kilowatts will be extracted from the 1.5-litre four. Thirty-nine thousand Watts more than the standard engine. This should equate to 0-100 km/h times of around mid 7 seconds - enough to frighten a new Impreza WRX!
The all-important factor, however, is bang for buck. Silverwater Auto suggests the kit would have a one-off retail price of around $7800, but - if HADA rubber-stamps official backing - you can expect to grab a turbocharged Accent direct through Hyundai for a considerable saving over that price.
Hyundai is also evaluating the promo vehicle's suspension set-up, which was designed by Ultimate Suspension in Minto, NSW. Dubbed 'Hyundai Premium Sports Suspension', the kit lowers the body 2 inches and gives the facility to adjust damping rate. A front strut bar and firmer bushes complete the upgrade. Giving a purposeful look to go with the lowered stance are 16 x 7 ALT Seven rims combined with 205/40 Falken ZE502 rubber. The promo vehicle is also equipped with drilled discs and Endless pads.
An important area in the hot hatch segment are looks - and the Accent 2T promo vehicle has plenty of stuff to gawk at. The 'Sick Division' Accent Razor body kit sees the basic 2-door body hung with front and rear bumper lips, side skirts, an off-the-C-pillar rear wing (complete with Mach 2T markings), and a black mesh grille with colour-coded surround. A Turbo sticker is added beneath the original Accent sticker.
Take the basic Accent GS interior and fill it with plenty of colour and sound - that's the approach undertaken in the Mach 2T. Driver feel is improved with black and grey Momo Corse front seats, colour-coded Momo alloy pedals and gear knob. Race-style chequer plate covers the front floor and a Momo carbon fibre scuff panel is there to give you a visual buzz when getting in and out.
The sound system heads up with a remote-controlled Clarion VRX 610P TV/CD/tuner with a flip-out 6.5-inch screen. Under the driver's seat is a Clarion 4 x 50WRMS amplifier, while there're also Clarion front splits, high-power 2-way rears and a 12-inch 500W SRW3041 subwoofer. The subwoofer enclosure is a 1.25 cubic foot sealed box - which leaves plenty of useable space in the remainder of the Accent's cargo area.
It should be said that this promo car is a little "over the top" to create attention at car shows. If HADA does approve the turbo kit, you can expect the overall package - though probably not the power output - to be a little tamer. At this stage, Hyundai are gauging public reaction and are yet to put the car through tests (emissions and ADR). So, if we all get out there and support the project, it'll help the chances of it coming into full fruition.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a truly affordable fast turbo car on the market?
Contact:
Silverwater Auto
+61 2 9748 1300
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