Hyundai Accent Hatchback

Gas prices are up, insurance costs are high, and the purchase of a new vehicle is often accompanied by a payment book bigger than the Manhattan phone directory. Luckily, some of the more interesting models coming out right now or in the next few months are small, economical cars. Stuff normal people like you and me can actually afford. Cars which may outlive the payment book.

Like everything else, the automotive industry is cyclical. Right now we seem to be in the anti-large SUV cycle. New niches are being notched out and given fancy names such as “Crossover” which, when I was a kid we called “station wagon.” But the small car is making a comeback too. Witness:

Nissan’s Versa, a new hatchback which will go on sale this summer (a sedan will follow later in the year). The Versa will be priced less than Nissan’s rather dull and somewhat larger Sentra. What the heck is a “Versa?” Think “versatile,” Nissan tells us, even though in other parts of the world it’s called Tilda. Assembled in Mexico, expect prices to start around $12,000.

The Toyota Yaris is another entry-level car which is also being offered in other parts of the world, where it’s known as—the Yaris. It replaces Toyota’s unpopular Echo, a quirky-looking little sedan which never really caught on here, which was basically an Americanized Yaris, available in Europe since 1999. It was the 2000 European Car of the Year and Japan Car of the Year winner. Both hatchback and sedan models will be competitively priced with the Versa.

Hyundai has unveiled the 2007 Accent hatchback (a new sedan went on sale in November), another entry-level car for the masses due in showrooms this spring. It’s nicely styled, full of features, and comes with Hyundai’s generous warranty. Pricing for the hatchback hasn’t yet been announced, but expect it to be in line with the rest of this grouping.

Chevy’s Aveo hasn’t been around all that long, but it gets a makeover for 2007. It’s been made a bit bigger while remaining in the econocar class. It also looks a bit less awkward than the original. Like the Yaris and the Versa, the Aveo is available is most parts of the world where, surprisingly, GM markets it as a Chevrolet. As good as the others mentioned here may be, the Aveo has one thing going for it in the U.S. that the others don’t—it’s sold in Chevy dealers and wears the famous bowtie emblem. Which, for some, is all they need to see, even though it’s assembled in South Korea. Which these days isn’t a bad thing at all.

Look for driving reports on these and other new models in the months to come.