Hyundai Exter: Long-term Fleet Introduction

It has good looks, a city-friendly size, and a comfortable ride; but it lags behind in performance

In the last couple of years, the demand for SUVs has gone off the charts, so much so that every brand wants to get into the segment and have as many SUVs on offer as possible, even if some of them are not SUVs in the traditional sense.

One such offering is the Hyundai Exter, which is the latest addition to our long-term fleet. The variant we have is the top-spec SX (O) Connect dual-tone manual, priced at Rs 9.42 lakh (ex-showroom). And having driven it a little over 250km, here are our first impressions. 

Little Modern, Little Rugged

The Exter combines both these aspects in its design language, giving the feel of an SUV, while also keeping the modern elements alive. At first glance, it greets you with an upright front profile, straight lines, a sleek grille, and H-shaped DRLs, telling you that it's modern and different from what you have seen before.

Once you get a closer look, you also see the rugged part of its design. A boxy design combined with a massive skid plate, wheel arches, door cladding and big bumpers. You can find these elements on a lot of cars these days. But here, they are integrated pretty neatly, giving the Exter its muscular SUV appeal.

After driving the Exter for just a short time, there have been many instances where people have turned around to see it properly. So one thing is for sure, it is an eye-catcher. 

The Compact Form Factor

It’s the size of a hatchback, which is because it’s based on one – the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. It might look big due to its SUV-like design, but it’s actually pretty compact, 3815mm long to be exact, which is smaller than the Maruti Swift. Now being small is not a bad thing, and in the case of the Exter, it is a distinct advantage. 

Most traditional SUVs have a hard time going through traffic, driving through a narrow street or finding a parking space that’s big enough. But for the Exter, these things are not big problems. In the last few days, it has easily beaten the traffic, went through narrow streets with ease and fitting it in tight parking spaces was not a hassle.

Comfortable? Yes

The Exter manages to keep your driving comfort intact. The seat cushioning is balanced, it holds you in place and there is a good amount of headroom in the front. At the rear as well, the cushioning is the same, and the headroom and knee room are good.

While driving, the comfort level is the same. The suspension absorbs the potholes and speed breakers well, and you hardly feel them inside the cabin. The body remains stable at high speeds, and there is very little side-to-side movement. But you have to remember that it's not a big traditional SUV and slow down when approaching bigger bumps and potholes, otherwise, you’ll feel the jerk pretty well.

More Power Please

One thing the Exter lacks is performance. It's not like it doesn’t have anything to show for it. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is refined and gives you a relaxed driving experience. But it's not as responsive or quick. It responds to your input, but requires some time to gain speed. 

Be it low-speed city commutes or high-speed highway travel, you will feel the time taken to pick up speed. When taking overtakes, there have been times when we had to drop a gear to get the required power and speed. While it is based on the Grand i10 Nios, Hyundai should have put in a more powerful engine, to give a more prominent SUV driving experience.

So, after 250km, the Hyundai Exter has left a good first impression. It has a design that attracts the eyes, makes city commutes easy with its compact size and comfortable ride quality, and has a promising list of features which we’ll get into in our detailed review when we drive it a little more. But, the lack of power will leave you wanting more. The Exter will be with us for six months, so stay tuned for more detailed reviews in due time.

Positives: Size, Design, Comfortable Cabin

Negatives: Lack of power

Date When Received: 10 October 2023

Kilometres When Received: 3,974km

Kilometres Till Now: 4,234km