When reviewing the cheapest new car in America, the Nissan Versa sedan, I noticed how much "economy" cars have changed in the past several years. Nowadays, driving such a car isn’t the equivalent of cramming yourself into a shoebox or struggling to commute amid accommodations that feel as flimsy as one.

Shop wisely, and you can find a small car that offers a lot of bang for the buck. Even better news for those on a budget but who still consider themselves automotive appreciators: It’s possible to find such a car that offers a degree of fun.

The Hyundai Accent is just that.

Like its slightly larger brother the Elantra, it’s amazing what a difference a model year can make. Like that other subcompact, Hyundai has totally revamped its most base car, and the Accent now feels — and looks — like a whole new vehicle.

The last generation of this model appeared outdated even when new. But behold: In its new form, it now pops. With its "fluidic" design, the 2012-model Accent fits in handsomely in family photos underneath the Elantra and Sonata.

And like those bigger siblings, the Accent’s good qualities are more than skin-deep. (If you’re still wary about whether Hyundai can compete with the established Japanese brands, take any of these for a spin.)

Like the Versa and Ford Fiesta, the Accent comes in the form of a hatchback or sedan, like the kind I drove over a week. Unlike the Nissan, the Accent actually provides a modicum of driving pleasure.

The Accent is far from an asphalt-burner, as one would expect from a car whose base price is just under $15,000. But its all-new 138-horsepower, direct-injection 1.6-liter four-cylinder provided more oomph than I expected, and even when linked to an optional six-speed automatic transmission like mine, felt zippy enough. That pony count, by the way, is 18 more than the Fiesta and 29 better than the Versa.

Inside, there is no belying that this car is at the low-end of the automotive spectrum. Whereas the Elantra can be had with options such as navigation and even front and rear heated seats, the Accent is largely frill-free, though still not as spartan as the Versa. Plastics are hard and buttons are rather plain. Only those enamored of glowing blue illumination will be immensely impressed here.

Yet it all works, and well. Except for a nav system and possibly a telescoping steering wheel, I didn’t feel like I was missing a whole lot. When equipped with the premium package ($1,300), it even includes a Bluetooth hands-free phone system and 16-inch alloy wheels.

All said and done, my test version came in at an estimated $17,255, which is within $100 of the Versa I recently tested whose only redeeming traits were fuel economy and roominess.

For what it is, the Accent’s ride is good. Everywhere I took it, including on multiple freeways, the car felt composed and relatively energetic with crisp shifts. And at a diminutive 172 inches long (162 for the hatchback) the Accent is a snap to park.

Another bright spot for this Hyundai, like I’ve seen with other vehicles from the manufacturer, is its fuel economy. The Accent got blessed by the EPA with that most magical of numbers: 40. Keep in mind, that 40 mpg number is for highway driving, and the EPA’s estimates are notoriously optimistic. Yet in mixed driving over a week, I averaged 33 mpg — still commendable, though 5 less than I got in the Versa.

With this remodel and the ditching of a three-door version, the Accent is no longer the cheapest new car in America, but it’s still on the very low end of what you can pay for one. And unlike the Versa, you don’t have to feel like you’re totally sacrificing in order to save money in initial costs and those for fuel down the road.

The revamped Accent is a vehicle that’s easy to like, a four-wheel bargain dressed in a pleasing if not designer suit. The fact that it offers some zippiness in addition to Hyundai’s standard 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the powertrain make it appear all that much better for those looking to get more car for less coin.

This car also shows how far Hyundai has come since it started selling cars in the U.S. some 25 years ago. The Accent is the automaker’s cheapest car, and it doesn’t feel, well, cheap.

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2012 HYUNDAI ACCENT GLS:

—Type: Five-passenger, front-wheel-drive sedan or hatchback

—Engine: 1.6-liter four cylinder

—Total power: 138 horsepower, 123 lb.-ft torque

—Fuel economy rating: 30 mpg city/40 highway

—Base price, with destination: $14,955

—Price as equipped, est.: $17,255

—The good: Value, fuel economy, transmission, power

—The bad: Plastic, rather plain interior; tight rear seat