Hyundai India has launched the Exter micro SUV in India. It has an introductory price of Rs 6 lakh and comes in 5 variants, with the top model costing Rs 10 lakh. Hyundai also gives a CNG option from the factory and you can get yours with either a manual or an AMT option.
Hyundai Exter is a micro SUV, so don’t expect it to have a massive road presence. But Hyundai has given the Exter distinct SUV styling. On the front, there are H-shaped LED DRLs, followed by a grille and projector headlamps just beneath. The lower bumper sports a skid plate finished in silver. You will notice black body cladding that starts from the front and goes all the way to the rear skid plate covering the wheel arches. The wheels on offer are 15-inch alloys. Hyundai has also added roof rails and a roof spoiler on the Exter along with a sharkfin antenna. The rear LED taillights also sport the H-shaped design. If you want numbers, the Exter is 3815mm long, 1710mm wide, and with the roof rails, it has a height of 1631mm. The Exter gets a wheelbase of 2450mm which is 5mm longer than the Tata Punch. You get six monotone and three dual-tone options for the exterior colour.
The instrument cluster and the steering wheel are designed based on the Exter’s elder siblings. The steering comes wrapped in semi-leather and offers controls for volume, calls, cruise control etc. On the side is the 4.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and navigation capabilities. The Exter comes with footwell lighting and metal pedals and you can also adjust the driver seat for height. One feature you would like is the sunroof which can be operated with voice commands in both English and Hindi. Additionally, the Exter gets wireless charging, rear AC vents, automatic temperature control, push-button start, and paddle shifters. Hyundai has also added support for 10 regional languages in the Exter with over 92 embedded voice commands. The Hyundai Exter offers a boot space of 391 litres which is likely to be enough for most owners.
You also get Hyundai’s BlueLink feature for three years where you can control a set of functions through the mobile app. Features such as remote door unlock/lock, horn and light control, tire pressure info, fuel level and find my car are available through this app. You also get location-based services like Roadside assistance, SOS, stolen vehicle tracking and immobilisation, traffic information as well as vehicle tracking.
In terms of safety, Hyundai has added 26 standard safety features such as six airbags, ESC, hill-assist, three-point seatbelts, ABS, rear parking sensors and more. Additionally, there are advanced safety features available on top models like keyless entry, TPMS, automatic headlamps, and ISOFIX. Hyundai has also added a dashcam with both front and rear cameras. Moreover, Hyundai gives a three-year unlimited kilometre warranty with an option to increase it to seven years and also three years of roadside assistance.
Hyundai gives three options in terms of drivetrain each featuring its 1.2-litre petrol engine. You can have the car with a manual or an automated manual transmission (AMT) which comes with paddle shifters. In both cases, you get 81bhp and 114Nm of torque. Mileage differs slightly as you get a claimed mileage of 19.4 with the manual and 19.2 with the AMT. The third option is a bi-fuel configuration which can run on both petrol and CNG and generates 68bhp and 95Nm torque but only comes with a manual transmission option.
Hyundai Exter starts at Rs 6 lakh (ex-showroom). Comparatively, the Tata Punch starts at Rs 6 lakh and goes up to Rs 9.47 lakh and the Citroen C3 starts from Rs 6.16 lakh and the top model costs Rs 8.92 lakh (ex-showroom).