Hyundai Exter will be launched on June 10 in India while the facelifted Creta could go on sale in early 2024
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) currently sells the Venue, Creta and Tucson from its SUV portfolio locally. The Creta is the leader in the midsize SUV segment while the Venue is one of the top-selling compact SUVs in the country. The latest Tucson was introduced last year and it has been decently received by customers as well.
Up next, the South Korean auto major will launch the Exter micro SUV on July 10, 2023 and it will be positioned below the Venue. It will compete directly against Tata Punch, Citroen C3 and some variants of the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger. The Exter is expected to be priced competitively as it could carry a starting price of Rs. 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom).
It will be packed with features as even the base variant will be offered with six airbags. It will certainly help in appealing to a wider set of audience due to its pricing and thus could aid in garnering more market share in the SUV space. The Hyundai Exter sits on the same platform as the Grand i10 Nios and Aura, and it will be powered by a 1.2L NA petrol engine.
The Mahindra KUV 100 kick-started the micro SUV segment but it could not post high sales numbers on a consistent basis. The Tata Punch arrived in late 2021 to take advantage of being the early mover in the segment and it has certainly succeeded in a short span of time. Hyundai could be eyeing the same spotlight with the Exter.
Moving up the range, the Creta is said to receive a major upgrade in early 2024. The second generation of the midsize SUV, based on iX25, debuted in early 2018 in India and it has been a tremendous success. However, it has not received any significant update in its lifespan. The scenario will change with the arrival of the Creta facelift with big revisions.
Sticking by the latest Sensuous Sportiness design philosophy, it will have a redesigned front fascia and rear while the interior will also come with notable updates. A new 1.5L turbo petrol will be introduced and it will kick out 160 PS and 253 Nm. Both the Exter and the upcoming Creta facelift are expected to make a strong impact in their respective segments.