Honey, I shrunk the SUV!

A compact, affordable car with all the aspects of NA the SUV form factor that buyers crave sounds like a winning formula and with the Exter, Hyundai plans to dominate the SUV segment in India

- Dhruv Saxena Senior Correspondent

SUVs are what buyers want, SUVs are driving growth across segments, and affordable small cars have been driving volumes in the Indian market. It’s safe to say that a small affordable SUV is a recipe for success, as evidenced by the popularity of the sub-4m SUV segment. And as Tata has proved with the Punch, there is scope for more, for a smaller and consequently more affordable option. To cash in on that demand and go after Tata’s almost unchallenged presence in that space, Hyundai has introduced the Exter – a car that promises the SUV-ness buyers so desperately crave at a tempting asking price of under Rs 10 lakh.

Exter’s height, upright stance, flat nose and ground clearance of 185mm help reinforce its positioning as an SUV, albeit a very compact one. It has the same length and wheelbase as the Grand i10 Nios, with which it shares its platform. It is taller and wider, though. Compared to its chief rival, the Tata Punch, the Exter has a longer wheelbase and is taller, but isn’t as long or wide.