INearly every decade, consumer patterns in many industries undergo changes, and the automotive industry is no different. The compact sedan was born in the early 2010s, thanks to a loophole in the way cars were taxed – vehicles less than four meters in length had to pay a lower excise duty. You must have seen thousands of such sedans on the roads. The Maruti-Suzuki Swift Dzire was a huge success and remains one of the best-selling cars in India. But the market has changed again.
And it’s shifted to what I would describe as a boxy sports utility vehicle (SUV) body style. According to manufacturers, one out of every two passenger vehicles sold in India is considered an SUV or a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) – both classified as utility vehicles by the Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM). In fact, according to the latest bulk data As per the report released by SIAM, of the 9.96 lakh passenger vehicles sold in India in the first quarter of this financial year, 5.46 lakh were classified as ‘utility vehicles’.
Tata Motors has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of this change in consumer preferences, and one of its best selling models is the Tata Punch. Measuring a little over 3.8 meters in length, this ‘sub-sub compact’ SUV stands alone in its segment and its sales figures show it – running between 10-12,000 units monthly for the past few months. But the Punches now have a Korean rival, the new Hyundai Xtor. Hyundai, whose number two position in the Indian auto market was challenged by Tata Motors last year, is unfazed.
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return of hyundai
For one, Hyundai has increased production capacity at its plant at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. Now, it produces 8,20,000 units annually as compared to 7,65,000 earlier. With Exeter, the company is also all set to respond to criticism on the security front. Over the years, Hyundai’s ‘Made-in-India’ cars have been criticized for scoring only three stars in crash tests conducted by the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP). However, Hyundai has addressed these concerns with its Exeter model – by equipping it with six airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) as standard features even in the base variant. Hyundai has also extensively incorporated high-strength grades of steel in the body structure of the Exeter. Hyundai India executives are quietly confident about the performance of the Exeter in the GNCAP test. And it will be under a new, stricter testing regime that also includes side-effect testing.
But all these features will not matter if the Exeter doesn’t offer a pleasant driving experience. So, on the media drive out of Jaipur, I took Exeter up to the impressive Jaigarh Fort. The fort was part of a triple-fort complex including the royal fort at Amer and the garrison at Nahargarh, which served as a barracks for the Jaipur army. It also houses the giant Jayavana Cannon, which was the largest cannon in the world during the early modern era. You can drive directly to the fort by paying a small fee. But to get there, you have to drive through a narrow, winding mountain road. The Exeter proved surprisingly nimble on this road and was able to take sharp turns on a dime.
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compact but better
That said, I was driving an Xtor variant equipped with an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). While AMT gearboxes are much better than they were a few years ago, they are still a bit slow. To solve this problem, Hyundai India has fitted a paddle gearshift system on the steering wheel, which is usually found in far more expensive cars. Though not a necessity when you’re driving in chaotic traffic in a city like Jaipur, this manual intervention proved to be a welcome addition on the fort road. Sure, the 1.2L naturally aspirated engine with 83PS of power is not a very powerful unit, but it is more than enough for a car like this.
Hyundai has certainly worked on the exterior of the vehicle. The ‘Ranger Green’ color Exeter particularly stands out with its sculpted side profile, signature ‘H-shaped’ running headlights and taillights and alloy wheels. And I would venture to say that it looks even better than some of its bigger siblings from Hyundai.
As for the interiors, the Exeter does the job it’s supposed to do very well. Remember, the Exeter will be below the Venue in Hyundai’s line-up.
The rear seats are comfortable enough for a few adults for long drives, and there’s enough luggage space for a few medium-sized suitcases. This is not what one would describe as a ‘family car’; It’s for singles or young couples who take the occasional fully loaded trip.
The higher-spec models, especially the SX(O) Connect variant that I was driving, come loaded with a host of features. One of these allows you to control certain functions through voice commands in English and several Indian languages like Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu. With a multi-information display in the instrument cluster showing information in all these languages, Hyundai has ensured that the Exeter appeals to the widest audience possible.
go back to your roots
Hyundai India can be accused of moving upmarket in the last decade, especially with the success of the Creta and Tucson. This change may have led some to believe that the Korean company has forgotten its roots as a value-for-money small car maker; Exeter is a clear attempt to reclaim those roots.
The variant I was driving, the fully-loaded, dual-tone colour-scheme ‘Connect’ with AMT, costs Rs 10 lakh, ex-showroom. While the entry-level Xtor with manual costs almost half as much, consumer preferences in India are clearly tilting towards the top-end model with all the features.
So, is Exeter a ‘value-for-money’ option? Well, it’s a great car, and since cars are getting expensive, I like the price. The compact size of this car makes it perfect for traveling in the increasingly congested urban environment. But for 20-odd fresh graduates it will probably be the second car rather than the first in many households. For those viewers, Hyundai continues to have the Grand i10 Nios.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)