Hyundai Exter— A major change is being seen in the Indian automobile market. Diesel sedan cars coming in the budget of less than Rs 10 lakh have now completely disappeared from the showrooms of the country. Following stricter emission norms and the introduction of E20 petrol (20% ethanol blend), customer confidence in factory-fitted CNG vehicles has increased rapidly rather than diesel. Due to low running costs and less pollution, middle class buyers are now abandoning sedans and making compact and micro CNG SUVs their new option.

Hyundai Exter: The era of diesel sedan is over, CNG SUVs become the first choice of middle class at low cost.

Hyundai Exter: SUV fun and strong mileage in low budget

Hyundai Exter is a prominent name among the vehicles that have made a strong hold among the customers in this segment. This micro SUV is proving to be a great option for those who want the feel of a big car and better fuel efficiency at a lower price. The company has used duo-cylinder technology in this vehicle, due to which customers do not have to compromise much on boot space despite having a CNG kit.

This car is quite popular in its segment in terms of looks and safety. Its front gets signature H-shaped LED DRL and sporty black cladding, which gives it the look of a rough-and-tough mini-SUV on the roads.

Complete details of engine capacity, power and variants

Hyundai Exeter gets a 1.2 liter Kappa four-cylinder petrol engine, which comes with bio-fuel (CNG) option. When run on CNG mode, this engine generates maximum power of 68hp and peak torque of 95.2nm. This power is considered sufficient for people driving daily in the city.

If we talk about its entry-level variant, its starting price in Delhi showroom starts from Rs 6.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The ex-showroom prices of its different variants in the market are as follows:

• Exter HX2 CNG: ₹6,99,900
• Exter HX3 CNG: ₹7,44,600
• Exter HX4 CNG: ₹8,27,600
• Exter HX6 CNG: ₹8,94,600

Official Statements

“After increasing taxes and strict rules on diesel engines, it has become no longer practical for companies to make diesel vehicles in a budget of Rs 10 lakh. This is why now common customers are rapidly shifting towards CNG SUVs, where they get excellent mileage of up to 27 km/kg.”
— Automobile Market Analyst, New Delhi

Impact on general public and future of the market

Due to the closure of diesel sedan cars, those people were facing the biggest problem whose daily running was more than 80 to 100 kilometers for commercial or personal work. Amid rising petrol prices, CNG SUVs have filled this gap. Market experts believe that in the coming time, the competition between vehicles like Tata Punch iCNG and Maruti Brezza CNG will become more tough, due to which customers will get to see better features in a lower budget.