The 2010 Hyundai Sonata is more stylish, more spacious, and better in every aspect than its predecessor. This seems to be the motto for Hyundai nowadays, as it rolls out a continual stream of new and/or revised vehicles that leave any old brand preconceptions in the dust.

However, what about the buyers with tighter budgets, shopping at an entry price point well below the Sonata? Well, as you see above, it looks like they won't need to sacrifice style for value much longer. This photo, posted in a Korean forum, apparently reveals the next-generation Hyundai Accent (Verna), caught buck naked in its homeland. It also resembles the spy shots of the upcoming Elantra (Avante), which I posted in an earlier entry.

As you can see from the photo, the new car shares the Sonata's "fluidic sculpture" design language, which is a good thing seeing how the current Accent is about as generic-looking as cars get. Hyundai doesn't do generic designs anymore, and that now seems to apply to the lower-grade models too. I like such a design philosophy as it gives the brand a distinct appearance, such as BMW, Mercedes and VW.

Information on drivetrain specifications remain scarce at the moment. It would be a pleasant surprise to find Hyundai's self developed six speed transmission and 1.6 Turbo GDI engine under the hoot of the new Accent. With that, it not only got the looks, but the brawn to blow away competitions such as the Vios and Mazda 2 sedan.