Depending on where you live, the Venue or Bayon represents Hyundai's entry-level crossover. In India, an even smaller model is coming. Meet the Exter, a high-riding vehicle with a boxy shape and rugged design cues like the plastic cladding on the wheel arches and the silver front skid plate. It gets an exclusive Ranger Khaki main color contrasted by a black finish for the upper half of the body, including the roof rails.
The diminutive crossover from Hyundai is expected to be less than four meters (157.4 inches) long and slot below the Venue offered in the world's most populous country. The few official images revealed thus far show H-shaped LED daytime running lights and square headlights flanking the main grille. Oddly enough, the model's name is spelled out on the front bumper, below the black trim piece connecting the DRLs.
We can't see the back of the Exter just yet, but the tiny crossover appears to have a textured rear pillar. There's also a prominent crease that rises from the side skirts and meets the corner of the taillights. The A-segment crossover sits on two-tone alloy wheels and seems to have a generous greenhouse given its small size.
Hyundai India says it'll sell the 2023 Exter with a 1.2-liter gasoline engine hooked up to a five-speed manual or an automated manual or a different 1.2-liter mill compatible with compressed natural gas (CNG) and linked to a five-speed manual. Customers will get to pick from EX, S, SX, SX(O), and SX(O) Connect trim levels once it will go on sale in the latter half of the year.
Pricing is expected to kick off at around 600,000 Indian rupees, which works out to just $7,300 at current exchange rates. That makes it nearly three times cheaper than the base Venue in the US.