oi-Dennis Abraham James
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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