Hyundai India has announced that its upcoming micro SUV will be called the Exter upon launch. Series production for the Hyundai Exter will commence by July this year, hinting at a market launch by August. The Exter micro SUV will be built for India and will also see exports to neighbouring countries at some point of time.
- Hyundai Exter shares Grand i10 Nios platform
- Will come with atleast two petrol engines
- Could get CNG, EV iterations in future
Hyundai Exter: exterior design, platform
While the SUV has not been revealed at all, the teasers sent by Hyundai today just show an outline of its exterior design, which confirm an upright SUV with a flattish bonnet and tailgate pointing out towards a practical city SUV with an upright proportions.
From what we know, the Exter will get a split-headlamp set-up, similar to the Creta, Venue and Alcazar, with LED daytime running lamps at the top and a squarish, Venue-like headlamp below it. The daytime running lamps feature an 'H' pattern, which was also seen on test mules of the upcoming Santa Fe SUV which will also see global debut this year.
Coming back to the Exter, a unique and more angular taillamp design is also expected which will most likely have a connected LED light bar. The side profile will have some faux rugged cladding especially around the wheelarches and below the doors, to add to its SUV appeal. Hyundai will also give the Exter slightly higher ground clearance than the Grand i10 Nios although the SUV will be FWD only.
Hyundai Exter to get atleast two petrol powertrains
The entry-level engine option for the Exter will be the same 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as the Venue, Grand i10 Nios and Aura. The second engine option, as reported by us recently, will be a 1.0-liter turbo petrol engine that could join the line-up a little later.
Sources tell us that the inclusion of Hyundai’s 1.0 T-GDi turbo petrol engine will give the Exter an advantage over the popular Tata Punch which does not come with a turbo-petrol option.
Also, it would help customers get a choice of a more powerful and torquey engine option, which would be aimed at filling the void of the diesel engine which wont be availble on the Exter. The Exter however will get a factory CNG option and there are talks of an all-EV variant as well that will join the line-up at a later stage.
Expect more details on the Exter to be revealed as a run up to its launch sometime in August this year.
from Autocar India https://ift.tt/zAfk6NO
via Auto Wheels 24