Looking for a budget-friendly SUV with bold styling and smart features? Meet the all-new Hyundai Exter, Hyundai’s most affordable SUV in South Africa. Priced from just R269 900, it offers fuel efficiency, modern design and great value.
We spent a week behind the wheel of the 1.2 Executive manual – read the full review for our driving impressions, fuel consumption features and pricing breakdown.
Hyundai has one of the most comprehensive SUV portfolios in South Africa, with the latest example to join the fray the Exter. The crossover SUV serves as the entry point into the range alongside other offerings like the Venue and Creta.
The sub-R300 000 segment is extremely competitive, including options like the Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, Suzuki Fronx and Toyota Starlet Cross. Pricing for the Exter range starts from R269 900, which consists of three derivatives: Premium, Executive and Elite, each with their own specification.
The derivative we had on test for a week was the 1.2 Executive equipped with the five-speed manual transmission. Here’s what we thought about the model and all you need to know about it.
Entry-level goodness
The Exter's source of power comes from a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 61kW and 114Nm. Customers can choose between a five-speed manual transmission and an automated manual transmission (AMT) with five gear ratios. Hyundai claims a fuel-consumption of 5.7-litres/100km for the manual variants and 5.9-litres for the AMT derivatives.
The Exter features a progressive exterior design starting with H-shape front and rear LEDs, daytime running lights, wheel arch cladding, front and rear silver skid plates. Executive and Elite models come with 15-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, while the Premium version gets 15-inch steel wheels with a hubcap.
Six exterior colour options are available across the range, while customers can also choose from three two-tone options for the Executive and Elite versions: Cosmic Blue with a black roof; Tomboy Khaki with a black roof or Atlas White, also paired with a black roof.
The interior features a 3D pattern finish found on the dashboard, complemented by a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob (for Executive and Elite variants), and a sporty black finish with colour inserts. The range comes standard with features including a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display, driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, and an 8-inch infotainment (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity).
The Premium and Executive variants come with cloth seats, while the Elite’s seats are covered with a mixture of cloth and artificial leather material. Seat cover trim ranges from obsidian black with a grey trim to black with a blue trim and black with a sage trim.
Being an SUV, it must offer decent luggage space, and the Exter comes with 290-litres, which increases to 1 275-litres when the rear seats are folded down.
How does it drive?
The engine, while not the most powerful, does the job of saving fuel and provides such a nimble drive to boot. At no point does the engine feel strained when heading into the higher revs as you would experience with a three-cylinder setup.
There is very little to complain about with the five-speed manual because it's simple, straightforward and easy to operate. Hyundai has always produced good manual transmissions and the one in the Exter can be placed under that category.
We ended our stint with the SUV with a final fuel reading of 6.0-litres per 100km, not far off the claimed figure. On the highway, it is a very able cruiser although the engine does need high revs for overtaking.
Hyundai has done well to price the Exter in and around the price of its main rivals, flanked with more value for the starting price. The build quality is good, fuel consumption is better than fair and it comes with the modern features that most consumers would want.
Spec, pricing and aftersales
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
The range comes standard with a 7-year/200 000km warranty and 3-year/45 000 km service plan. Roadside assistance for 7 years/150 000 km is also included.
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