DAY OFF!

The Hyundai Exter could be your perfect companion, should you decide to skip work

- ABHAY VERMA

The monsoons are the best time of the year to head out. Especially if you live in our neck of the woods, surrounding the Sahyadri mountain ranges. Come July and the region turns lush green, as the mountains block rain clouds and make sure the 'Western Ghats' get abundant rainfall. It's hard not to fall in love with the region during the monsoons- verdant green fields and forests, rain-soaked roads and cold winds blowing are the stuff that will provoke you to head out and explore the natural beauty around. This also means weekends are all about hitting the road to enjoy the outdoors - a cup of hot tea, corn on the cob and piping hot fritters by the side of a road snaking through a valley or on top of a mountain is bliss! On the flip side, that also means serpentine queues of cars on the road and lots of people everywhere, should you decide to head out on a weekend.

As a petrolhead and enthusiast, the itch to head out is perennial though. And with such brilliant vistas awaiting, it's tough to stay indoors, isn't it? So to avoid the serpentine queues and make the most of my day out, I decided to skip work and head out on a weekday! This time, in the new Hyundai Exter. The Exter is the smallest of SUVs in Hyundai's line-up - which also includes a long list of successful names like the Venue, Creta, Alcazar and Tucson and not to forget, the Kona and IONIQ 5 as well. Its compact dimensions are what make the Exter such a delight though. It is small enough to help you negotiate through the tightest of bylanes and also through city traffic with utmost ease. But more importantly, the Exter is a proper SUV - one that's meant to help you enjoy the outdoors and get adventurous.