Hyundai introduced the last generation of the Excel on the market in 1998 in three body shapes, hatchback with three and five doors and a four-door sedan.
The Korean carmaker went through some tough times and desperately tried to increase its sales. It even changed its car nameplates depending on the market, and that’s why the Excel was sold as Accent or Pony in different countries.

While it didn’t excel in the design department, the 1998 Excel Sedan was a good example of the biodesign era. Its oval, slim headlights, and the slot that acted as a grille were the first signs of a carmaker that didn’t really know how to put body parts on a car and look good. For the four-door version, Hyundai’s designers completely redesigned the back of the car, and they integrated the trunk well in the sedan shape.

Inside, there was a big improvement in material quality over its predecessor. The cloth seats with velour and plastic door panels were better fitted and didn’t rattle all the time. There was just a shy try to enhance the cabin by using light-gray colors and pastel color pattern on the seats. In the back, there was room for three shorter passengers, especially kids.

Like its hatchback siblings, the sedan featured two engine choices carried over from Mitsubishi: a 1.3-liter and a 1.5-liter.