The Exter is a year old already, and with more than 1,00,000 buyers, it’s proven to be quite successful for Hyundai. It extends the brand’s presence in the small/compact crossover segment, which, until the Exter’s arrival, was largely dominated by the Tata Punch. Not much has changed in the space, apart from the increased fight between the two rivals, but with the initial hype having made way for more stable sales, we think it’s a good time to revisit the car.
A revisit, it is, because the press car we sampled had done about 10,000 km of media testing already. Despite that, it felt fresh without any sign of ageing. Granted new cars are generally made to last, but it’s reassuring nonetheless. The design itself isn’t new, especially if you’ve seen the Grand i10 Nios’s interior, but with an all-black treatment and the possibility of colour-coded accents, it doesn’t look too drab, either. It lacks premium feel but some of the expectation might be a bit misplaced at this price, although as you’ll expect from any modern Hyundai, the Exter too comes decently equipped with features. There’s an 8-inch wired Android Auto/Apple CarPlay infotainment system, six airbags, hill-start assist, and three-point seat belts and reminders for all passengers.
Cabin
The cabin feels generous, despite the small footprint of the car. The seats are well-cushioned and even at the rear, space isn’t constrained. Storage isn’t bad, either, with 391 litres of boot space. What sightly spoils the experience is the absence of split-folding functionality of the rear bench.
The Exter makes quite a mark with its exterior styling, and that’s one of the reasons people buy it. The SUV-like appearance is made stronger by the car’s overall stance, well-defined wheel arches, and a front that demands attention. The H-shaped LEDs at the front look great and are in line with the look that larger Hyundai SUVs are bestowed with. The rear also gets an H-shaped motif in the LED taillights and it helps make the design look cohesive on the whole — and attractive, too.
We drove the Hyundai Exter AMT, which is powered by a 1.2 ‘Kappa’ four-cylinder engine which makes 82 bhp and 11.6 kg-m. Not just a fairly spirited drive, the engine also offers a claimed fuel economy of 19.2 km/l, which should help in keeping the fuel bills low. The AMT gearbox mightn’t be as sophisticated as a conventional automatic, but it was jerk-free, offering seamless shifts. What you’ll appreciate even more is the Exter’s comfortable ride. It fares well over uneven surfaces, without losing composure at higher speeds. We found its sweet spot to be around 100 km/h, beyond which it doesn’t feel as confidence-inspiring.
Priced at ₹7.25 lakh onwards, the Hyundai Exter is a solid feature-packed vehicle that, without requiring you to break the bank, offers a fresh design, a spacious cabin, a city-focussed drive, and the convenience of the AMT gearbox. A year after its launch, the Exter continues to be a strong seller, despite strong competition, and we expect it to continue unabatedly.