This week, the Toronto Auto Show will officially unveil a new subcompact.

While the Canadian International Auto Show is a tradition that dates back to the mid-70’s and has seen many exciting vehicles pass through it over the years, the expo has never hosted a world premiere. The global unveiling today of the 2018 Hyundai accent can be seen here.

Hyundai claims that the fifth generation Accent sedan will be available in markets worldwide starting in the third quarter 2017. It is bigger than its predecessor, accelerates faster, and has segment-first automatic emergency brakes.

The 2018 Accent is larger and more spacious than the 2017 sedan. It has a longer wheelbase but sits 10 millimetres lower to the ground for better aerodynamics. The interior is bigger in both passenger volume and cargo space. The cabin is stylish and well-designed. These photos show the red accents and stitching at the seats as well as the steering wheel.

Accent’s subcompact still has a 1.6-liter four cylinder engine. It is mated to either an automatic or six-speed manual transmission. Although power is lower than last year’s model (132 horsepower and 112 pound-feet torque for 2018 model, compared with 137/123 in previous generation), Hyundai claims acceleration of 25-50 mph and 50-75 miles per hour actually improves with this model by 0.2 seconds and 1.3 seconds, respective.

The Accent’s Autonomous Emergency Braking is a first in the subcompact category. This technology has been slowly trickling down from luxury cars and uses front-facing radars to warn the driver when a collision is imminent. The vehicle will apply the brakes automatically if the driver doesn’t respond. This is to minimize injury.

Accents in certain markets have additional technology – which we assume will mean that you need to upgrade to the highest trim level. These include a 5- or 7-inch color TFT LCD instrument screen, proximity key with push button start, rear-view camera and dynamic guidance. The new display will include Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto.

Although the Accent is the main focus, the hatchback model will join its sibling in 2017’s fourth quarter. The hatch will have most of the additions that the sedan has, if not all.