Hyundai Exter compact SUV clocks 150,000 sales in 21 months

The Hyundai Exter SUV, the second compact SUV from the Korean carmaker after the Hyundai Venue, has driven past the 150,000 cumulative wholesales mark in the domestic market. As per apex industry body SIAM’s wholesales data, the Exter’s total sales in India since its July 10, 2023 launch till end-April 2025 are 154,127 units.

The Exter has taken 21 months to achieve the 150,000 milestone. Having surpassed the 100,000-units sales milestone in August 2024 or 13 months from the launch, the run from 100,001 to 150,000 units has been much slower. The last 50,000 Exter sales have taken eight months, reflecting the increased competition in the compact SUV market which bristles with a host of rivals including the Tata Punch, Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300 and, more recently, the Skoda Kylaq.

In terms of the 0-150,000 sales run, the Exter has taken the same 21 months as did the Kia Sonet but slower than the Tata Punch (15 months) or the Maruti Fronx (14 months).

Since its launch, the Exter has vaulted into the third best-selling SUV for the Korean OEM, after the market-leading Hyundai Creta midsize SUV and the Venue compact SUV. In FY2025, the Exter sold 77,412 units and accounted for 19% of Hyundai’s total SUV sales of 410,199 units, and 13% of passenger vehicle sales of 598,666 units.

The Exter, which was the first Hyundai CNG model to get dual-cylinder technology in July 2024, was ranked No. 7 in the Top 10 compact SUVs of FY2025, which is creditable for this ultra-competitive compact SUV segment, which has 12 models. It is estimated that between 20,000-22,000 entry-level compact SUVs are sold each month.

In FY2025, the Exter sold 77,412 units and accounted for 19% of Hyundai’s total SUV sales of 410,199 units. The Exter’s best monthly sales yet have been in September 2023: 8,647 units. 

Boxy looking, feature-laden SUV
The Exter follows Hyundai’s ‘Parametric’ design language that employs boxy proportions and an upright stance. At the front, the mini-SUV gets a split-headlamp setup with integrated ‘H’-shaped LED DRLs. The front fascia gets a wide, contrasting black grille, and a prominent chin with a faux silver skid plate. The side profile is characterised by flared wheel arches, diamond-cut alloy wheels, clean lines, and all-around body cladding that lends a robust look.

The Exter gets LED tail-lights at the rear, a shark-fin antennae, roof rails as well as a single-pane sunroof – a first-in-segment feature. On the inside, the car gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with over 60 connected car features under Hyundai’s Bluelink connectivity suite, as well as OTA updates. Hyundai also offers a factory-fitted dual-monitoring dashboard camera, as well as cruise control on the Exter.

The Exter is offered in five trim levels, all with six airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) – the two key requirements to score a four- or five-star rating in GNCAP’s latest crash protocol – as standard safety kit. The Exter comes powered by a sole 1.2-litre, 82hp, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirational petrol engine, coupled with 5-speed MT or AMT options. This engine also powers the Venue compact SUV, Grand i10 Nios and the i20 hatchbacks.

Pricing for the Exter, which is one of the smallest compact SUVs in India, starts at Rs 600,000 (ex-showroom). While Hyundai claims a fuel economy rating of 19.4kpl for the manual and 19.2kpl for the automatic, the factory-fitted CNG option offers a much superior fuel economy of 27.10kpl in comparison.