Hyundai puts high accent on low look

Hyundai describes its Accent SR Turbo as a concept - but visitors to the Melbourne motor show reckoned it looked every inch a design study of the Korean company's next World Rally Championship car, expected in 2008.

Based on the three-door hatch variant of the new-generation MC Accent range, the SR was displayed as a high-performance small car with wide tracks front and rear, big flares framing outsize alloys, lowered sports suspension, body kit and big tailpipes.

Its bulging wheel-arch flares stretch over chromed 18-inch alloy wheels shod with sticky 225/40R low-profile, high-performance tyres pushed out wide front and rear.

The SR's flared look extends all along the sides of the car with fitted Accent SR-badged deep side-sill skirts.

Their lowering effect is not all illusion, says Hyundai.

The SR squats on lowered sports suspension, struts up front and semi-independent torsion twist-beam rear suspension with coils all round.

A cutout centre section of the rear bumper frames a pair of chrome-tipped tailpipes.

Projector headlights, a matt-black stylised mesh grille, power tilt/slide sunroof and rear roof shade-spoiler complete the look.

Under the bonnet sits a turbocharged 2-litre engine Hyundai calls its "mystery mill" - a four-cylinder unit matched to a five-speed automatic transmission.

It comes with electronic stability control and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Inside, Accent SR's sporty theme carries through with brushed alloy and metallic feature panel finishes, leather seat trim, blue-hued instrumentation and a data screen in the centre dash.