Hyundai Exter booked! Go ahead with purchase or upgrade to bigger SUV

The Venue S(O) variant loses out on many features I am getting in Exter.

BHPian CloudOne recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all, being an overthinker, I’m completely confused right now and need your help.

Background: I have been driving a Grand i10 manual for 7 years. Also drove TATA Punch AMT for a few months. Currently looking for an automatic due to heavy Hyderabad traffic.

Requirement:

• Automatic only
• Should be smooth & jerk-free
• I like compact cars more than longer ones
• 90% city driving. 300 km highway run every 2 months
• Should be reliable in terms of service and maintenance
• Fun to drive is preferred
• Budget: 10-12 Lac On road

After watching 100+ videos, booked the Hyundai Exter SX (O) at on road price of 11.2 lakh

The Exter looked fine in the showroom but recently saw it on the road next to a Venue and suddenly it felt like a very small car, especially from the rear. Or am I wrong here?

And then the dilemma began. Should I keep Exter or stretch the budget and upgrade to the next segment?Hyundai Venue: Loved the looks the most. After test-driving turbo DCT, found a lot of lag in slow speed. N Line was comparatively better. Regular Venue felt very slow to pick up. Not sure if any issue with that car or if it’s like that only. I can get S(O) Turbo DCT by extending the budget by 2 Lacs. SX(O) feels too overpriced.

Kia Sonet HTX DCT: Found the rear seat to be smaller in length compared to Venue. And reading complaints about stiffer suspension. It’s a 3 lakh stretch from Exter.

Brezza VXI: It has not been test-driven yet, but the interior felt very basic and not worth 13.5 lakh. Missing many important features in VXI. 2 lakh stretch from Exter.

Maruti Fronx: Haven’t looked at Fronx yet but a lot of posts suggest the Maruti car’s quality not being good. So little sceptical. I might be completely wrong here.

TATA Cars: Loved the PUNCH but the engine noise and jerky AMT were not at all fun to drive. So not looking at other options.

Nissan Magnite: I like the car design, but will it be wise to go with Nissan right now?

So, the main question is: Is EXTER the right choice for me? Am I just thinking too much?

Or should I stretch the budget by 2-3 Lacs and go for any of the above? If yes, which one? Is the upgrade actually worth it?

I really like the looks of the Venue but am confused about noticed initial lag, Is DCT reliable in city traffic, or does IMT make sense? The S(O) variant loses out on many features I am getting in Exter.

As you can see I have been watching video after video of each car and getting even more confused. Really need suggestions from the community to guide me in the right direction.

Thank you so much in advance.

Here’s what BHPian AYP had to say on the matter:

1.The Exter does look small when you compare it to the cars in the segment above. No doubt about that.

2. While DCT in general aren’t as reliable as let’s say, a torque converter, I haven’t seen too many complaints about the Hyundai/Kia DCT. Yes, there are a couple of cases right here on the forum but nothing like the DQ200. With that being said, it’s been only 4 years since the DCT was launched by the group and only after another 3-4 years, shall we know more about the reliability of their DCTs. At a personal level, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I’d personally avoid the iMT since it feels neither here nor there to me.

3. The upgrade to the next segment does make sense if you want to drive a more powerful car. In the segment of the Exter, the 1.2 NA is the norm. Of course, there is the size factor as well. So it’s size and engine power vs features. You decide. I’d say that it is worth it, especially since you state that you’d want the transmission to be smooth and jerk-free. Also, there are some additional features in the Venue S(O) over the Exter so it’s not all bad in terms of features.

4. I would be a bit hesitant to go for the Nissan but you may consider the Kiger.

5. I am gonna divide the cars which you have shortlisted into 2 categories:

• The ones which are stretching your budget by ~3L: Sonet is a very good car IMO. But if you think that the space and suspension is a deal breaker, do look at the Fronx Zeta. Yes, the Fronx turbo. It comes with a turbo petrol and a torque converter and you can’t really doubt the reliability of Suzuki. You say that the quality of Maruti cars isn’t good and yes, the quality of the interiors and the building isn’t the best, but in terms of safety, there is hardly anything separating the mass market Hyundais and Marutis. In fact, Maruti has fared a wee bit better. With the Fronx, you wouldn’t compromise on any major feature except the sunroof but you’d gain quite a lot as well.
• The ones which are stretching your budget by ~2L: While the Brezza is a good car, it is indeed basic and the engine isn’t anything to write about. It does seem that you like the Venue and as I have stated before, I’d pick the Venue over the Exter, for the reasons I have stated above. You can also get the fully loaded Kiger CVT at the same price as the Venue S(O) and it will satisfy both the enthusiast(turbo+proper AT) and the feature itch that we all have. It is a safe car too.

6. To summarise, the Fronx and the Kiger do seem like the all-rounders here as long as you are willing to compromise on the build quality and lesser ASS reach respectively. The Sonet is my personal pick of the bunch whereas the Brezza is a good car which may not appeal to the heart in the lower variants. The Venue offers you a better engine and a smoother transmission over the Exter at the cost of features though it isn’t missing any major feature(except for power folding mirrors). I’d prefer the Venue over the Exter.

7. To finally sum it up, unless you are uncomfortably extending your budget for one of these cars, it is worth spending the extra money for a smooth and powerful powertrain.

Sonet HTX> Venue S(O)> Fronx Zeta Turbo> Kiger RXZ> Brezza VXI.

Here’s what BHPian ishekk had to say on the matter:

I would say that besides rear seats even front seats are very bad in Sonet. The lower back goes inside the seat & I usually feel the pain in the back if the drive is for more than 1 hour. And regarding suspension, I sometimes wonder does it even has one. Would like to add the iMT is really good. It keeps you engaged, gives you more control(downshift to overtake) & helps in traffic. But on the downside, as you have observed, the 1.0-litre engine, behaves like an ordinary 1.0-litre engine below 2000 rpm, the rpm range where the car mostly remains in city/traffic.

Magnite is a very good-looking car from the outside but I did not like its interiors(it was all too black). And if your running is high you should also check its fuel efficiency.

Fronx turbo could have been a very good recommendation but its turbo engine’s numbers are worst among all the turbos available in India. Therefore, personally, I wouldn’t like to spend a good amount of money on it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Source: Read Full Article