First Drive: Hyundai Exter 

First Drive: Hyundai Exter 

As cars become increasingly expensive each year, some brands are attempting to rewind the clock and offer more affordable packages to their customers. Hyundai is the latest brand to join this trend, and its offering comes in the form of a crossover SUV. The Exter is a funky compact SUV with a bold exterior and a pleasant interior, and it may tick many of your boxes while also being reasonably priced. 

The Exter is an important addition to the Hyundai lineup, offering a more affordable SUV-style vehicle that can be thought of as the Venue's slightly smaller and more affordable sibling. Offering a more affordable crossover vehicle package allows Hyundai to reach a new customer demographic. It also hopes to entice current i10 and i20 customers with a larger, safer, and more practical daily driver while maintaining brand familiarity. 

The Exter comes with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine that pumps out a modest 61kW and 116Nm, which I found to be more than enough to tackle the city streets as well as the occasional highway overtake. It's frugal too, as consumption hovered around 5.6 litres/100km, keeping in mind that the launch took place on the coast's oxygen-rich roads. This little engine is strapped to either a 5-speed manual or automated manual transmission. Oddly enough, we were only given the option to drive the manual, which leads me to question the faith Hyundai has in its AMT. 

Behind the wheel and driving the 5-speed manual variation, the lightness of the clutch pedal was immediately noticeable. It takes some time to adapt to just how sensitive the transmission is, and its high biting point adds to the learning curve. The gear throws were also quite notchy; it’s an easy-to-use gearbox, but it could do with some minor refinement for a more coherent driving experience. 

The suspension is a positive element in the new Exter; it's soft but manageable in the corners and provides a comfortable ride quality on any road surface. On a very windy day, it is pushed around the road, but this is not surprising given that it is not an expensive highway cruiser.

Inside the cabin, Hyundai has added numerous bells and whistles you might need, with cloth seats, an 8-inch infotainment screen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a powered sunroof, automatic air conditioning, cruise control, footwell lights, ISOFIX seat anchors, rear air vents, and an impressive amount of legroom for an SUV this compact. It’s a comfortable experience, and although the seats are a touch on the firm side, road trips are bound to be a breeze. 

There is a noticeable use of rough plastics, which is to be expected in more affordable vehicles, but the gloss black accents and subtle colours mask it reasonably well. 

As far as pricing and specs are concerned, the Exter starts at R269,900 for the entry-level Premium Spec with a manual transmission and R294,900 for the Premium AMT. The next step up is the Executive, with the manual coming in at R289,900 and R314,900 and offering 15-inch alloy wheels to the equation. Lastly, the top-spec option is the Elite, which only comes with the automatic and is priced at R334,900. 

Hyundai has targeted couples and families in their thirties with this vehicle, as it offers a futuristic, captivating exterior and practical character that is affordable and easy to live with. As far as the specification is concerned, the standard premium spec offers a wide selection of tech and safety aspects while lacking the chic 15-inch alloy wheels.

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One of the strongest selling points for the Exter is its safety, with all models including six airbags, ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), and ESC (Electronic Stability Control), as well as a reinforced chassis for an impressive crash test rating. The top-spec Elite model adds artificial leather to the equipment list along with automatic climate control and the full safety suite that includes ABS, ESC, EBD (Electronic Brake Pressure Distribution), and HAC (Hill-Start Assist Control) to further improve safety. 

As cars become increasingly expensive, it is refreshing to see more established brands offer well-rounded products at a competitive price. The Exter competes with the Suzuki Ignis (R230,900) and the Nissan Magnite (R240,000), and while they are less expensive, the Exter feels better put together, is more spacious, and provides a more confident driving experience. You also get a larger engine displacement and more power to make use of than the Magnite. 

What distinguishes the Exter from its competitors, you might wonder? Well, for a start, the base model Exter comes with an infotainment system over the competitor's simple radio/CD front-loader setup. The Exter offers side airbags, which its competitors also lack, and it's larger than the Ignis. In addition, it offers a longer 7-year/200,000km warranty and a 3-year/45,000km service plan over its competitors. The Suzuki Ignis has a 5-year/200,000km warranty and a 2-year/30,000km service plan, while the Nissan Magnite has a 6-year/150,000km warranty and a 3-year/30,000km service plan, allowing you to drive without worrying about maintenance costs for longer.

Overall, the Exter represents good value at its price point. It has presence; it's packed with plenty of tech to keep up with current motoring trends, and it provides a decent all-round crossover experience that can tackle most day-to-day demands. Coming in under R300k, it’s a tempting offer and one that should be considered, as far as the manual derivative is concerned, that is. 

• 1.2 Premium Manual: R269,900
  
  
• 1.2 Premium AMT: R294,900
  
  
• 1.2 Executive Manual: R289,900
  
  
• 1.2 Executive AMT: R314,900
  
  
• 1.2 Elite AMT: R334,900

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