Hyundai Exter

Today, let’s forget that the Hyundai Exter has anything to do with the Grand i10 Nios. We forget that there are competitors in the market. You are interested in  Exter. So let’s focus on the pros and cons of this micro SUV and see if it has the potential to become a part of your family or not.  Exter knows its audience well and that makes our job easier. It gets a lot of things right like cabin experience, spaciousness, practicality, comfort, ride comfort and boot space. The feature list is so good that under Rs 10,000 it is very hard to beat. But the Outback lacks excitement when it comes to driving and feels like it’s trying too hard to be an SUV. And while its safety technology is loaded to the gills, its crash test rating is still pending. If it can get four stars,  the Exter would become the forerunner of the budget family car.

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

The new Maruti Suzuki compact SUV  Maruti Suzuki Fronx was launched in India in April 2023. Fronx is rated 8/10 by our experts and  87% of users. Fronx is preferred for its style and comfort. Maruti Suzuki Fronx price in India starts at ₹ 7.47 Lakh. The Fronx is available in 9 colours – Nexa Blue (Celestial), Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Grandeur Grey, Earthen Brown, Oulent Red, Earthen Brown with Black Kat, Splendid Silver with Black Kat and Oulent Red with Black Top. Front seats 5 people. Fronx mileage is 20.01 – 28.51 km/l. Fronx received the Safety Class Not Tested. The Fronx car is available in 14 versions and 1 fuel option – petrol. Fronx petrol models have a 1197cc engine that produces a peak power of 89bhp @ 6000rpm. The Fronx is also offered with a 998cc petrol engine with a peak power of 99bhp @ 5500rpm. The Fronx competes with Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai Exter in India.

Exterior Design of Hyundai Exter

It doesn’t look like an SUV, but it looks like a miniature SUV. This is mainly due to the steeply angled windshield that is a hatchback. Despite this, Exter’s design has plenty of SUV attitude. There are a lot of flat surfaces, flared wheels, fenders everywhere and roof rails that make it boring. But the fun part is in the design details. The bottom has a sliding plate and forged rivets. And like modern SUVs, there are large projector headlamps and LED H-shaped DRLs at the bottom. From the side, the proportions look strange, but they tried to give it a square look. The 15-inch two-tone alloy wheels look good, and the two-tone paint also helps to look a bit premium. To be honest, I’m not a fan of the rear profile of the Exter because it looks a bit too flat, although Hyundai tried to give some elements like those H-shaped LED taillights and the upper spoiler that make the design look smooth as well.

Exterior Design of Maruti Suzuki Fronx

The Fronx is not an SUV, it is a crossover. But Maruti has left no stone unturned to give it the right SUV treatment. The front treatment is much like that of the larger Grand Vitara, so instead of headlights, you get a bright new wave grille flanked by LED DRLs on either side. You also get a thick chrome strip that runs through the grille and joins the DRLs. The bottom of the front bumper also gets a mandatory base plate. From the side, the silhouette is more like a coupe than a box. You also get plastic trim that runs the length of the car. The 16-inch alloy wheels also get a pretty cool design. At the back, the taillights are connected to an LED strip. The base plate is also at the back and we can see that the design inspiration of the Grand Vitara is taken from these notches with integrated reflectors. Overall, we like how the Fronx looks completely different from the Baleno and Maruti Suzuki has done a good job of giving the car its own identity.

Interior Design of Hyundai Exter

The interior of the Ekster has an all-black theme, the monotony of which is broken by its contrasting coloured elements. You get these for the AC controls and the AC outlet, and they are case coloured. Even the seat tubes are the same colour. The quality of the plastics used is also good. The top is smooth and the 3D pattern looks great. However, the design is a bit too similar to Tata’s three-arrow pattern. Otherwise, all the controls – like the AC, controls and window switches – are very tactile. Even the upholstery is a combination of fabric and faux leather that feels premium. But this premium experience is limited to the top of the panel and the touch points. If the same was applied to the door cushions or the plastics under the dash, it would be much better. Firstly you get a digital instrument cluster with very large and clear readouts and the MID in the center is also very detailed. In addition to trip and distance information, you also get a tire pressure indicator, which is a really handy feature. Next are the infotainment settings. It’s an 8-inch screen, but it’s very different from the standard 8-inch Hyundai screen. It uses the better interface seen on larger 10-inch systems. So you get integrated navigation, connected car technology and voice commands that are very easy to use. You get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with this system, but not wireless. You also get 4 speakers for audio playback with this system and the sound quality is good. Then comes the dual camera dashboard camera with front and internal cameras. Many buyers these days are installing an aftermarket dashboard as more and more safety incidents occur on the road, so a factory-fitted option is a very good choice. In addition, all the wires are hidden. And finally, you also get a sunroof, making the Exter one of the most affordable cars to add this feature too. The Ekster gets a fairly practical cockpit. You get a wireless charger, so storing your smartphones is easy. After that, there is a large storage compartment on the side of the dashboard where you can easily store your wallet and other items. The centre console has two cup holders and a key holder. The glove box is quite large and has a nice function. The door pockets easily fit 1-litre water bottles and have more space for a cleaning cloth or documents.

There are also many charging options. There is a Type-C port and a USB port on the front. The 12V outlet has a wireless charger, but you can use it as a USB port. But who wants 12 V ink, can get it in the back. And finally, the cabin lights up. This car has three cab lights: two in the front and one in the middle.

The interior design of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx

The entrance is familiar. The dash and layout are quite similar to what you see in The Whale, but it’s not bad at all. The panel is pretty well designed and the quality of plastic and switches is pretty good too. You don’t get a high view from the seats like in SUVs, but even then the visibility is amazing. However, the seat is a little too soft for our taste. The padding could be a little firmer and would help on long rides. There’s plenty of knee room in the back seat and just about enough headroom despite the sloping roofline. However, what cannot be overlooked is how dark the cabin feels and this is due to the use of dark materials. Even the windows are not very large, which makes the cabin seem even more compact than it is.  Fronx is quite feature-packed. First up is the nine-inch infotainment system, which is the same as seen in The Whale, and it’s not bad at all. It has sharp graphics, is smooth to use and easy to connect with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Arkamy sound system further contributes to this. In addition, you get a wireless phone charger, a head-up display, a 360-view camera and much more. However,  in our opinion, the lack of a sunroof and ventilated seats, similar to the Whale, is a big drawback. The front has six airbags, a hill hold assist and ABS and ESP. The big elephant in the room, of course, is that Maruti hasn’t announced crash tests for the Fronx. Competitors like  Tata Nexon and  Mahindra XUV 300 have already been tested and performed well. Maruti Suzuki has worked hard on the Heartect platform, using ultra-strong steel for a stronger body structure, but benchmarks would confirm the HEARTECT platform’s focus on safety and convince buyers even more.

Engine Performance of Hyundai Exter

The Hyundai Exter is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine with AMT and  CNG options. But if you’re looking for a turbo petrol or diesel engine, you’re out of luck. Get going and you’ll notice that the finish is good and the cabin remains quiet and relaxed at city speeds.

But this engine is designed for a hassle-free driving experience, not for performance seekers. But when it comes to commuting, it’s effortless. The transmission is very smooth and the acceleration is linear. Overtaking in the city and changing speed from 20 to 40 and 40 to 60 is easy. However, this engine feels a little breathless on the highway. Going above 80 km/h requires a lot of throttle and even here the engine is noisy.

The Ekster gets an AMT transmission for convenience, and I think that’s what almost everyone should get. The shift logic is very good and the gearbox knows when to downshift for acceleration and upshift again for driving. It keeps the engine in a comfortable band so you never feel a lack of power. And most importantly, the gears are fast by AMT standards. You also get paddle shifters and AMT for the first time for better manual handling. If you don’t want to spend extra money, you can’t complain about the manual gearbox either. The clutch is light, the gears change easily and the driving comfort is maintained. If you’re looking for a thrilling ride, this engine may seem like a disappointment. The lack of power is felt at higher revs and here the option of a turbo petrol engine could have been useful. The older 1-litre turbo petrol from the Nios would suit it perfectly. If Hyundai had given it the chance, this car could have been a better all-rounder.

Engine Performance of Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Fronx has two engines. You get the familiar 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine, mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed AMT gearbox. Here you can see the one-litre three-cylinder turbo engine that we saw in the older generation Baleno RS, although this time it’s local. The Boosterjet engine gets either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed torque automatic transmission.

We have always believed that the Boosterjet engine is one of the best in the Maruti Suzuki stables and should be available in more Maruti Suzuki models. On startup, the engine feels refined and it’s hard to tell there’s a three-cylinder engine under the hood. Acceleration is sharp and you might be surprised how quickly the engine revs and hits the limiter. But the most impressive is the average price. All that 147.6 Nm of torque is available from 2,000 rpm and gives the Fronx a big boost. Passing long trucks or slow traffic is no effort at all, whether in town or on the highway because the Fronx reaches triple-digit speeds very quickly. And it is not only fast, but also fuel-efficient. Maruti claims a fuel efficiency of 20kmpl which sounds good but we will check it soon. All in all, we’re just glad that Maruti has decided to not only bring back the Booster Jet engine but also localize it, which only means more fun Maruti cars in the future.

Price of Hyundai Exter

Hyundai Exter price in New Delhi starts at Rs. 6 lakhs. The cheapest model is the Hyundai Exter EX and the  Hyundai Exter SX Opt Connect DT AMT model is priced at Rs. 10.10 lakhs. Visit your nearest Hyundai Exter showroom in New Delhi for the best deals. Compared mainly with Tata Punch priced in New Delhi from Rs. 6 Lakh and Hyundai seat price in New Delhi from Rs. 7.77 million crowns. See all Hyundai car prices in your city.

Price of Maruti Suzuki Fronx

Maruti Suzuki Fronx price in India starts at ₹ 7.47 Lakh. The Fronx is available in 9 colours – Nexa Blue (Celestial), Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Grandeur Grey, Earthen Brown, Oulent Red, Earthen Brown with Black Kat, Splendid Silver with Black Kat and Oulent Red with Black Top. Front seats 5 people. Fronx mileage is 20.01 – 28.51 km/l. Fronx has received a Not Tested safety rating. Fronx starts at ₹ 7.47 lakh and goes up to ₹ 13.14. Fronx EMI starts from ₹ 15,136. Select a city to check the on-road price of Maruti Suzuki Fronx.