Hyundai recently announced a new fuel-efficient trim called “Blue” for the Elantra that boasts an EPA-rated 35 mpg in highway driving. Now the Blue concept has extended to the Accent with the full line seeing an incremental fuel economy improvement and the thrifty Blue three-door hatchback boasting a 36 mpg highway EPA rating. In addition to the reduction in fuel consumption, the Blue Accent line will be priced starting at $10,000.

All 2010 Accents will receive enhancements such as lower-friction engine components, aerodynamic improvements, lower-rolling-resistance tires, and a “smart” alternator management system. The Blue line adds a revised manual transmission gear ratio and lowered ride height for enhanced fuel efficiency. The significant work to make these improvements for a 1 mpg gain highlights the difficulties in raising fuel economy on existing models.

The Accent will be available in the base Blue line, GS hatchback, GLS sedan, and SE hatchback. The Blue line EPA-rated fuel economy is 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway. The other trims have an EPA rating of 28/34 for the manual transmission and 27/36 for the automatic.

Additional model highlights for 2010 include available air conditioning on the Blue line, standard iPod and other audio auxiliary ports, standard steering wheel controls on the SE (optional on the GLS), available ABS on the GS, and standard cruise control and sunroof on the SE.

All Accents continue to come equipped with six standard air bags, but ABS is optional and available only on the higher trims. Stability control is not available. Competitors such as the Toyota Yaris have standard stability control for the 2010 model year; ESC is available on the Honda Fit Sport models equipped with the optional navigation system.

The enhanced fuel economy will help the Accent better compete against other vehicles in its class.

—Liza Barth