Hyundai stepped up its game and introduced the Accent’s second generation’s facelifted version in 2003 as a sedan and hatchback with three or five doors.
The five-door version was designed to serve as a mix between a three-box sedan and a station wagon. It was a good option for those who were looking for a small vehicle to fit in tighter parking spots and still offer a large trunk space. Along with the exterior refresh, the Korean carmaker introduced new and upgraded engines to make the car cleaner and more fuel-efficient.

In a time when most of the carmakers started to sharpen-up the lines on their cars, Hyundai softened the Accent’s lines. The headlights were not as angular-looking, and the former clear edges on its sides were changed to a curved area. Hyundai’s designers managed to make the taillights taller in the rear, but they also made the reversing lights smaller.

Inside, there were no visible changes to the interior, except for the instrument panel design, where the carmaker changed the position for the coolant temperature and fuel level gauge.

Like the non-facelifted version, the 2003 Accent featured a split-folding rear bench seatback that increased the trunk capacity from 321 liters to 859 liters.

Under the hood, Hyundai made an important step and installed a newly developed 1.5-liter turbodiesel engine. Other engine choices included the already known 1.3-liter and, as a full-version, the 1.6-liter unit that provided 105 hp. For the latter, the carmaker offered a 4-speed automatic transmission.