If sales figures are anything to go by, South African consumers have an ongoing love affair with compact crossovers. Cars like the Suzuki Fronx and new Toyota Starlet Cross sell like fudge at a bake sale. Now Hyundai has brought out its India-built version of a compact, high-riding little city slicker to rival the popular above-mentioned models.
What does the new Exter look like?
It's a cool-looking micro-SUV with all the attributes of a larger, burlier off-roader; the Exter's ride height, boxy shape, roof rails, square front end and faux skid plates work together to create a 'ready-for-adventure' exterior. The front end is particularly fetching with its square headlamp arrangement (with H-shaped daytime running lamps at the top and halogen below) and a modern, embellished grille.
Related: Magnite vs Fronx vs Kiger
At the rear, you may notice that things look quite Audi Q2-esque... or is it just me? Swanky alloy wheels in Executive and Elite models make the Exter look posh as well as purposeful. (Base-spec Premium models make do with plastic-covered steelies.) The rear skid plate rounds off the rugged look that local buyers will love.
How big is the new Hyundai Exter?
It's smaller than the Hyundai Venue, making it Hyundai's smallest crossover or baby-SUV. It's roughly the size of a Suzuki Ignis, one of my favourite cars in the segment, and one of the Exter's biggest competitors. It has 185 mm of ground clearance for a spot of soft-roading and practical everyday use and (a decently-sized) 290-litre boot. It also competes with cars like the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, as well as the above-mentioned Starlet Cross and Suzuki Fronx.
What powers the Exter?
A 1.2-litre Kappa engine with 61kW and 114Nm is also in the Grand i10. Power is sent to the front wheels. You can choose between a 5-speed manual and 5-speed automated manual transmissions in the Executive and Executive model (also known as AMT, as seen in cars like the Renault Kwid), but the 1.2 Elite can only be had with the automated manual gearbox (AMT). Hyundai says the Exter will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.6 seconds, and fuel economy is rated at 5.7 - 5.9 L/100km. On launch, only the Executive manual model was available for testing.
What's inside the Exter's cabin?
The dashboard layout and touchscreen setup are all very familiar. The interior looks much like the Grand i10—after all, you could say the Exter is a funkier, trendier Grand i10 on stilts, as both cars are built on the same platform.
The Exter has a little bit more going on from an interior styling perspective, and it's well-specified, too, with all the mod-cons that young (or young-at-heart) drivers could want without blowing the budget to smithereens. The build quality is impressive, considering that it is the cheapest model to sell for a budget-friendly R269 900.
There are two USB ports up front, one USB-C and one USB-A, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. The steering wheel has Bluetooth and satellite buttons, and there are air vents in the rear. Cloth seats are in the two lower-spec models, while vinyl/cloth-combination seats are in the top-spec Elite model.
Considering what you're paying, all derivatives have a 4-speaker sound system that sounds good enough. And the bonus feature is tyre pressure monitoring, which is standard across the board.
What's it like to drive the Exter?
My co-driver and I could plug in our phones simultaneously, a bonus. Once our launch route had been programmed in, I took the wheel for a lovely little drive over the infamously twisty Clarence drive, and what a pleasure that was!
Apart from clinging to the road like eyelash glue to your fingers, the 1.2-litre engine is a lot peppier than it looks on paper; you hardly need to cog down to follow the road's sharper curves. We completed almost the entire route in 5th gear, with minimal gearbox stirring.
Usually, when you hit the 120 km/h national speed limit, some small, budget-oriented cars can feel like they're being overworked, but this is not the case here. And it feels so solid, like a grown-up car in an affordable, trendy package.
Fuel consumption in the Exter looked good, too, with an average usage of 6.3 L/100km for our entire trip.
There's very little body roll, and thanks to the ride height and generous ground clearance, you have excellent visibility. And the cabin is quiet! Hyundai says they paid special attention to NVH levels (noise, vibration, harshness), which shows.
We have yet to try the AMT (automated manual transmission) models.
Check out pricing and specs for the different models below:
Hyundai Exter 1.2 Premium MT
- Price: R269 900
- Engine: 1.2L Kappa Petrol
- Power Output: 61 kW
- Torque: 114 Nm
- Transmission: 5-speed Manual
- Features: Manual air-conditioning, cloth seats, a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch infotainment display with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4-speaker sound system, a USB port up front, 4 x electric windows, a tyre-pressure monitor, 15-inch steel wheels, rear parking sensors, ISOfix anchors, child locks, a folding rear seat, remote central locking, a height-adjustable steering wheel with satellite buttons, and automatic headlamps with LED daytime running lamps. Six airbags are standard across the board.
Hyundai Exter 1.2 Premium AMT
- Price: R294 900
- Engine: 1.2L Kappa Petrol
- Power Output: 61kW
- Torque: 114Nm
- Transmission: 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)
Hyundai Exter 1.2 Executive MT (tested on launch)
- Price: R289 900
- Engine: 1.2L Kappa Petrol
- Power Output: 61kW
- Torque: 114Nm
- Transmission: 5-speed Manual
- Features: All the Premium model's features + 15-inch alloy wheels, hill-start assist, a faux leather-covered steering wheel, cruise control, side indicators in the mirror housings, rear-view camera, roof rails.
Hyundai Exter 1.2 Executive AMT
- Price: R314 900
- Engine: 1.2L Kappa Petrol
- Power Output: 61kW
- Torque: 114Nm
- Transmission: 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)
Hyundai Exter 1.2 Elite AMT
- Price: R334 900
- Engine: 1.2L Kappa Petrol
- Power Output: 61kW
- Torque: 114Nm
- Transmission: 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT)
- Features: All Executive features + stability control, climate control, gloss black mirror housings, partial faux leather trim, and a sunroof.
Should you consider an Exter?
The Exter has been the most pleasant surprise of the year so far. The Executive model, in manual guise, is a sweet deal. Still, if you want specifications like stability control and a sunroof (among other features), you'll have to pay extra and purchase the Elite model instead.
As time goes by, we'll see if Hyundai will manage to outperform Suzuki with their funky Fronx and its mechanical twin from Toyota, namely the Starlet Cross.
But if you like the look (and feel) of the Exter, you can't go wrong.
ENDS
(Blue Exter images courtesy of Hyundai Springs.)
