Designers at Hyundai's California styling studio contributed to its appearance. As with other recently revised Hyundai products--like the sporty Tiburon and the mid-size Sonata-Accent integrates forceful and edgy styling devices into its shapely profile.

The overall form consists of a low-slung wedge marked by a steeply raked windshield and a tall wrap of window glass, with a fast slope to the front hood and a brief back deck. Hard-edged lines on the hood sweep inward from thin windshield pillars to a bold horizontal grille, featuring egg-crate segmentation and flanked by clear-lens headlamps. A body-colored bumper underscores the prow design, and fog lamps drill into the low front air dam, directly below the headlamps.

More sharp lines stretch from the headlamps to the blunt tail, forming shoulders pitched above the relatively flat door panels. Otherwise, Accent's slab sides are interrupted only by modest flared rings around wheel openings. At the rear, oversized delta-shaped tail lights resemble forms common on current European touring sedans.