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Hyundai Exter Review - The New King Of The 'Micro' SUVs?
India's love affair with SUVs continues to rise to unheard-of levels as we desis continue to fall in love with the boxy boxes on wheels.
Most of the timeline of this overt love affair has seen the boxy menaces grow in size. However, Tata Motors bucked that trend by hopping onto the micro SUV bandwagon with the Punch.
The Punch joined the Mahindra KUV100 in this segment of small, boxy cars on stilts, helping Tata Motors subvert a new breed of car buyers into the SUV class.
The carmaker most affected by the Tata Punch arriving on our roads was Hyundai which saw the Mumbai firm inch close and sometimes surpass it on the monthly sales charts.
Deciding to fight fire with fire, Hyundai has taken the plunge into the world of micro SUVs with the all-new Exter. So does the Exter have what it takes to bring Hyundai to new sales highs, or is it all style and no substance?
Hyundai Exter Design & Features: Boxy But In A Mad Way
The Hyundai Exter shares its underpinnings with the Grand i10 Nios hatchback and the Aura sedan. However, unlike its stablemates, the all-new Exter travels down a different design path.
The Hyundai Exter follows the firm's parametric design language giving it a distinct look. This unique design is most evident in the front of the new micro SUV, where the split headlight setup and parametric grille dominate the landscape.
Sitting on either side of the parametric grille are bi-functional projector headlamps. The position lamps with the in-built H-shaped LED DRLs sit slightly higher on the front bumper of the Exter.
Other highlights at the front of the Exter include the silver skid plate on the lower section of the front bumper, underneath a small air dam. The Hyundai badge sits on the bonnet, while the Exter nameplate sits between the split lighting setup.
The sides of the Exter SUV feature flared wheelarches which play host to 15-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. Also seen are black roof rails, a shark fin antenna, body cladding, and parametric design highlights on the C-pillar.
The rear section of the Exter sports LED taillights with the H-shaped signature element. The taillights connect with the Hyundai badge with the help of a plastic section sporting Hyundai's parametric signature design.
Other highlights at the rear include the rear skid plate in silver and the roof-mounted spoiler in black. The spoiler hosts the third brake light.
You're greeted by a familiar sight when you enter the Exter's cabin. The interior of the Exter SUV is quite similar to the i10 and the Aura but features a blacked-out theme for the lower sections - dashboard and door panels. The upper section is in the usual white scheme.
The dashboard plays host to the centrally-mounted 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display. This system supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The setup also allows access to Hyundai's Blue Link Connected Car setup and the built-in navigation.
Other features include a digital instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch MID, voice-activated commands, an electric sunroof, automatic climate control, wireless charging, a two-way dashcam and over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The seats of the Hyundai Exter feature leatherette upholstery and are comfortable. There is enough room at the rear for even the taller ones among us, though three adults will have to play musical chairs to get a good fit.
The Hyundai Exter comes packed with a host of safety tech that includes six airbags, ESC, hill assist control, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and camera, three-point seatbelt and seatbelt reminders for all seats, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.
Hyundai Exter Specs & Dimensions - Embracing The Micro Theme
The Hyundai Exter, as mentioned earlier, is a micro SUV. The Exter measures 3,815mm long, 1,710mm wide and 1,631mm tall. The wheelbase is 2,450mm long, while the ground clearance is 185mm. The Exter's boot swallows up 391 litres of luggage (petrol only).
The all-new Exter borrows its engine from its stablemates. The Exter's 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine is a bi-fuel unit that runs on petrol and CNG.
In petrol mode, the Kappa series engine produces 81.8bhp and 113.8Nm of peak torque. These figures drop to 67.7bhp and 95.2Nm when the engine switches to CNG.
The Exter petrol comes with both manual and AMT gearbox options, while the CNG version makes do with only the manual (all 5-speed). In petrol guise, the Exter returns a mileage of 19.4km/l, which drops to 19.2km/l with the AMT. The Exter's CNG version delivers a mileage of 27.1km/kg.
Hyundai Exter Driving Impressions - Micro But Mighty
We got to drive the Exter's petrol AMT version during our time with the all-new micro SUV in and around the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
On the move, the Exter's 1.2-litre engine felt smooth and refined, staying calm even at triple-digit speeds on the highway. The output from the powerplant was linear, and it climbed smoothly through the rev range.
The AMT gearbox shifted through the gears with ease. Unlike similar transmission options from other carmakers, it didn't feel jerky. However, we wished it was a bit quicker through the gears.
The steering is light at lower speeds allowing you to move through lanes with light inputs. As the numbers on the speedo go higher, the Exter's steering wheel weighs up, giving you the confidence to drive it on the highway.
Hyundai's suspension setup for the Exter is slightly stiff, but it is not so harsh that your hindquarters hurt when the micro SUV encounters a pothole. The slightly stiffer suspension setup works wonders when you push the Exter through a bend, though the body roll is still a slight issue.
The brakes on the Exter do their job rather well. The initial bite is good, and the pedal feels progressive as you push it to the floor. A slightly grippier set of tyres would improve this further, but we understand why Hyundai went with the tyres it used (cough 'mileage' cough).
Final Thoughts On The Hyundai Exter: A New King Of The Micro SUVs Is Here
The Hyundai Exter sees the South Korean firm dive headlong into battle with the Tata Punch as it looks to keep its spot on the sales charts far away from the rampaging Mumbai firm.
The Exter is the perfect answer to the Punch from Hyundai. Hyundai sure looks like it has a winner on its hands with the Exter's boxy good looks, aggressive pricing and impressive features list.
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