It is time to put the Hyundai’s Micro SUV, Exter to test against the Maruti Suzuki’s hatchback, Swift to find out if Swift is worth buying over the Exter!
From the outside, the Exter has flat bonnet with a big Hyundai logo on it and the three-tier design nose. It has H-shaped LED DRLs that are connected via a black strip that could possibly be a connected LED light bar for the top variant. The headlamps are square shape that are projector headlamps and could be an LED for top variants. Then there is the body cladding finished in matte black all over the car to contribute towards the Exter’s looks. Moving to the side, you’ll realize the SUV has boxy shape. The doors seems to be big enough to accommodate easy in’s and out’s of the SUV. The alloy wheels, roof rails, and A and B-pillars has the dual-tone treatment. It has an upright tailgate with the rear windshield slightly tilted, shark fin antenna at the top, small roof-spoiler, flat and tall rear bumper with dual-tone finished. The taillamps has an H-shaped in them with a big black panel and big Hyundai logo at the center.
At the front, the Swift has a big honeycomb grille for air intake for the engines and chrome strip at the center of the grille, LED DRLs and LED projector headlamps, but the fog lamps are halogens, and little cuts on the bonnet for sportier look. Moving to the side, it rides on the 15-inch alloy wheels with the door handles for the rear passengers at the window frame. Moving to the rear side, it gets LED taillamps but the indicators are halogen and a standard bumper with no changes or sportier look.
From the inside, the Hyundai Exter has an 8-inch infotainment system with two round dials on left and right of the system, and four buttons both the sides above the dials to control the infotainment system. The Exter comes with dual-tone dashboard theme option with round AC vents at the sides, and rectangular AC vents below the infotainment system. The Exter has a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control below the AC vents, and single-pane sunroof on top. Moving to the rear, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio with the center passenger getting no headrest, rear AC vents, and it’ll have 6-speaker sound system.
From the inside, the Swift has a 7-inch infotainment system placed below the round-shaped AC vent and the AC vents at the side are placed horizontally. It has dual-tone dashboard theme option, and the pedals are finished in black. It has three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with analog instrument cluster, and round dials for automatic climate controls. It has one USB port at the front for charging. At the rear, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio.
| Hyundai Exter | Maruti Swift | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre Kappa Engine | 1.2-litre petrol |
| Displacement | 1197cc | 1197cc |
| Power | 81.8 bhp | 88.50 bhp |
| Torque | 113.8 Nm | 113 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT | 5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT |
In Engine Options, the Exter and Swift will be powered by standard petrol engine. The Exter is powered by the 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engine producing 81.8 bhp and 113.8 Nm of torque paired to 5-speed Manual and 5-speed Automatic Gearbox. The Swift on the other is powered by the 1.2-litre petrol engine producing 88.50 bhp and 113 Nm of torque mated to 5-speed Manual and 5-speed Automatic Gearbox. So, the Swift engine is little powerful than the Exter’s petrol engine.
| Hyundai Exter | Maruti Swift | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.2-litre Bi-Fuel (CNG) | 1.2-litre CNG |
| Displacement | 1197cc | 1197cc |
| Power | 67.72 bhp | 76.43 bhp |
| Torque | 95.2 Nm | 98.5 Nm |
| Transmission Type | 5-speed MT | 5-speed MT |
Other than the Petrol engine, the Exter and Swift also have alternate fuel option, CNG. The Exter has a 1.2-litre Bi-Fuel (CNG) engine that puts out 67.72 bhp and 95.2 Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox only, no Automatic Gearbox on offer. The Swift is powered by the 1.2-litre CNG produces 76.43 bhp and 98.5 Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed Manual Gearbox only, no Automatic on offer. So, the Swift is powerful than the Exter’s CNG option.
In Hyundai Exter, it comes with features like 8-inch infotainment system with Apple Carplay/Android Auto, automatic climate control, LED Projector headlamps, LED taillamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, digital instrument cluster, wireless charging pad, single-pane sunroof, cruise control, connected car tech, height adjustable driver seat, voice control, and cooled glovebox. In Safety, it has six airbags as standard, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), hill-hold assist, reverse-parking camera with rear parking sensors, ISOFIX anchorages, front disc brakes, and automatic headlamps.
The Swift on the other hand comes with features like 7-inch infotainment system with Android Auto/Apple Carplay, voice control, LED Projector Headlamps, LED taillamps, connected car tech, 15-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic climate control, and height adjustable driver seat. In Safety, the Swift has two airbags, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), automatic headlamps, hill-start assist, front disc brakes, ISOFIX anchorages, and reverse-parking camera with rear parking sensors.
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Exter | Expected Rs. 6 lakh |
| Maruti Suzuki Swift | Rs. 5.99 lakh – Rs. 9.03 lakh |
The Maruti Swift is priced at Rs. 5.99 lakh for the entry-level ‘LXI’ variant and goes up to Rs. 9.03 lakh for the top variant ‘ZXI Plus DT Automatic.’ The Hyundai Exter is expected to be priced at Rs. 6 lakh for the entry-level variant.
As for the warranty, the Hyundai Exter has a warranty period of 3 years/1,00,000 km that can be extended up to 7 years/1,00,000 km, and Maruti offers 2 years/40,000 warranty period for the Swift that can be extended up to 5 years/1,00,000 km.
In the end, the decision to buy which model depends totally on you, however, if you ask us, the Hyundai Exter looks spacious from the inside, engine performance is good, and offers more features than the Swift. The Swift however, looks sportier from outside, engine is powerful than Exter, and offers decent amount of features. So, if you’ve an affordable SUV requirement, it is recommended to opt for the Exter, or if you’re looking for an fuel efficient hatchback, then Maruti Swift is for you. So, tell us, which model are you choosing?