Looking at the competitive SUV segment in the country, the South Korean car marque, Hyundai, launched the entry-level SUV, the Exter, in India. The five-seater SUV sits between the Grand i10 Nios and the Venue in the Hyundai family and competes against the likes of the Tata Punch, Citroen C3, Maruti Suzuki Ignis, Nissan Magnite, and Renault Kwid. In this article, we won’t compare the Exter with its rivals, instead, we will put the Hyundai siblings, the Grand i10 Nios and the Exter, together and find out whether it is worth spending Rs. 26,500 extra over the Grand i10 Nios for the Exter.
Features
When it comes to tech and features, the Grand i10 Nios comes equipped with an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a small MID screen, a wireless charging pad, blue-coloured footwell lights, cruise control, and a type-C fast charging port.
In comparison, apart from the above-mentioned features, the Exter gets a voice-enabled sunroof, a dashcam with dual cameras, a digital instrument cluster with 12 languages support, an on-board navigation system, ambient sound of nature, and paddle shifters.
Hyundai Exter and Hyundai Grand i10 Nios dimensions compared
| Parameters | Exter | Grand i10 Nios |
| Length | 3815mm | 3815mm |
| Width | 1710mm | 1680mm |
| Height | 1631mm | 1520mm |
| Wheelbase | 2450mm | 2450mm |
| Ground clearance | 185mm | 165mm |
| Boot space | 391L | 260L |
As we can see, being an SUV, the Exter wins the game in terms of width, height, and ground clearance. So, the Exter offers a strong road presence than its hatchback sibling and also allows you to stack up more luggage for your weekend trips.
Exter and Grand i10 Nios engine, powertrain, and mileage
| Specs | Exter | Grand i10 Nios |
| Engine | 1.2-litre Kappa petrol / CNG | 1.2-litre Kappa petrol / CNG |
| Power | 82bhp | 82bhp |
| Torque | 114Nm | 114Nm |
| Gearbox | 5 MT / AMT | 5 MT / AMT |
| Fuel tank capacity | 37L | 37L |
| Claimed mileage | 19.4kmpl MT / 19.2kmpl AMT/ 27.1km/kg | 20.70kmpl MT / 20.70kmpl AMT / 28.10km/kg |
| Claimed range | 710km MT / 717km AMT / 1626km petrol-CNG | 765km MT / 765km AMT / 1686km petrol-CNG |
Both the Hyundai offerings come equipped with a 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine and a 1.2-litre petrol-CNG engine. The petrol mill generates 82bhp and 114Nm of torque, and the CNG engine, on the other hand, is tuned to produce 68bhp and 95Nm of torque. While both engines come mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the pure gasoline mill can also be had with an AMT unit. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Exter is claimed to return 19.4kmpl in manual, 19.2kmpl in AMT, and 27.1km/kg with the CNG version. The hatchback sibling, on the other hand, returns a fuel efficiency of 20.70kmpl and 28.10km/kg in petrol and CNG guise, respectively.
Prices compared
The following are the variant-wise ex-showroom prices of the Exter and the Grand i10 Nios
| Variants | Grand i10 Nios | Exter | Variants |
| Era MT | Rs. 5,73,400 | Rs. 5,99,900 | EX MT |
| Magna MT | Rs. 6,62,900 | Rs. 6,24,900 | EX(O) MT |
| Sportz Executive MT | Rs. 7,18,300 | Rs. 7,26,990 | S MT |
| Sportz MT | Rs. 7,21,800 | Rs. 7,41,990 | S(O) MT |
| Magna AMT | Rs. 7,27,600 | Rs. 8,23,990 | S CNG |
| Magna CNG | Rs. 7,57,900 | Rs. 7,96,980 | S AMT |
| Sportz MT dual tone | Rs. 7,46,300 | Rs. 7,99,990 | SX MT |
| Sportz Executive AMT | Rs. 7,75,100 | Rs. 8,22,990 | SX MT dual tone |
| Sportz AMT | Rs. 7,78,600 | Rs. 8,96,990 | SX CNG |
| Sportz CNG | Rs. 8,13,300 | Rs. 8,63,990 | SX(O) MT |
| Asta MT | Rs. 7,94,600 | Rs. 8,67,990 | SX AMT |
| Asta AMT | Rs. 8,51,400 | Rs. 8,90,990 | SX AMT dual-tone |
| Rs. 9,31,990 | SX(O) AMT | ||
| Rs. 9,31,990 | SX(O) Connect MT | ||
| Rs. 9,41,990 | SX(O) Connect MT dual tone | ||
| Rs. 9,99,990 | SX(O) Connect AMT | ||
| Rs. 10,09,990 | SX(O) Connect AMT dual tone |
While the base variants of the Grand i10 Nios and the Exter have a price difference of Rs. 26,500, the top-spec variant of the Exter, on the other hand, is dearer by up to Rs. 1,58,590.
Conclusion
The Exter tick marks all the boxes when it comes to dimensions, space, features, and pricing. The Grand i10 Nios is still a better option for those who purely want to stick to the hatchback body while having the fun of the same 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine. But someone who is a technophile and is willing to pay those extra grand for all the top-notch features should definitely bring home the Exter.
