As there was 0 dominance of the SUV segment in the Indian market, sedans and hatchbacks were the 1st preference, but today the Indian SUV market is filled with various options for every size and budget. And Hyundai has become the only brand in India to offer each model in 6 different SUV segments because today they have launched the Exter, their 8th SUV in their India line-up, which is also their 1st micro SUV for the Indian market, starting at an introductory price of ₹5.99 Lakh to ₹9.32 Lakh (ex-showroom), which will sit between the Grand i10 and the Venue.
As the Exter is built on the same K1 series platform as the Grand i10 and the Aura, with the same underpinnings, it also shares the 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine with them, which pumps out 82hp @6000rpm and 113.8Nm of peak torque @4000rpm, paired with a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT transmission. Hyundai will also provide the 1.2L engine compliant with CNG as a more economical option, which puts out 68hp @6000rpm and 92Nm of peak torque @4000rpm, which Hyundai claims will give you a fuel economy of 27.1 km/kg*.
From the exterior, the front grill has a unique touch, which Hyundai calls, the “Parametric radiator front grill”. The headlamps have integrated ‘H’ shaped LED DRLs, and to give it a more upright stance from the front, the Exter has a black and rugged front bumper with skid plate treatment, now moving to the side profile, it has got wider front and rear blacked-out wheel arches, housing 15″ dual-tone alloys and the parametric treatment from the front grill has also been followed on the Exter’s C-pillar as well, and to look more rugged, it gets roof-rails on top, and now moving to the rear the parametric treatment has been followed on the rear end as well, connecting both the taillamps with integrated H-shaped LEDs and to look rugged from the rear, it has a rugged rear bumper with skid plate treatment and a unique looking roof-mounted spoiler.
The interior design of the Exter has been carried forward from the Aura with a rugged look because the seats with semi-leatherette upholstery got a unique pattern to give it a more SUV kinda vibe, which is combined with all the creature comforts of a family car like it has an 8″ touchscreen infotainment system integrated with the digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control with rear AC vents, it is also equipped segment-first features like a wireless phone charger, a dashcam with a selfie feature besides the IRVM, footwell lighting and voice-operated sunroof. Hyundai also offers different interior theme colours to match the exterior colour of the Exter. In terms of safety, Hyundai offers 6 airbags as standard with 26 safety features and 46 advanced safety features like electronic stability control, hill-hold assist and hill start control.
The Exter will rival the likes of the Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, and Maruti Suzuki Fronx, but its main rival is the Tata Punch, which in terms of safety, is way better than the Exter, which scored 5-starts in the Global NCAP crash test, whereas the Exter is based on the Grand i10’s K1 series platform. And when the pre-facelift version of the Grand i10 with 2-airbags was tested, it only scored 2 stars in the crash test in 2020. But now, as Hyundai is now offering 6-Airbags as standard with the Exter, we can expect it to be much safer than the 2020 Grand i10.
