The Hyundai Exter compact SUV has completed two years since its launch on July 10, 2023, and has sold 165,899 units in India till June 2025. In addition, Hyundai has exported 6,490 units up to April 2025. The Exter now accounts for 21% of Hyundai’s total utility vehicle (UV) sales in these two years, making it the company’s third best-selling SUV after the Creta and Venue.
In FY2025 alone, Hyundai sold 77,412 units of the Exter, making up 19% of its 410,199 total SUV sales. In the first quarter of FY2026 (April to June 2025), the Exter’s estimated sales are 17,188 units, which is slightly lower than last year’s Q1 sales of 17,330 units. Despite this 1% drop, the Exter still contributes 19% to Hyundai’s UV sales for the quarter.
Exter’s design and features help it stand out
The Exter is based on the Grand i10 Nios and follows Hyundai’s boxy ‘Parametric’ design language. It features LED DRLs, a wide black grille, alloy wheels, and a sunroof — the first in its segment. Inside, the SUV offers an 8-inch touchscreen, over 60 connected features, cruise control, paddle shifters (on AMT variants), and a dual-camera dashcam.
Safety is a strong point with six airbags and ESC as standard across all five variants. It runs on a 1.2-litre petrol engine with manual and AMT options and also comes with a factory-fitted CNG version. Mileage is rated at 19.4kpl (manual), 19.2kpl (automatic), and 27.10kpl (CNG).
Competition and challenges in compact SUV segment
The Exter faces strong competition from rivals like the Tata Punch, Maruti Fronx, Kia Sonet, and others. While its initial 100,000 sales came in 13 months, it took another 8 months to cross 150,000. Hyundai recently added new S mart and SX Smart trims with more features to attract buyers.
Despite stiff competition, the Exter remains one of India’s top-selling compact SUVs, ranked 7th in FY2025 in a field of 20 models.
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