[gadadhar]

Got the first free service done at Advaith Hyundai on Bennarghata road, consumable bill was close to 7K including oil, filters, wheel balancing weights and wheel balancing &alignment labour

[smilealways24]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Got the first free service done at Advaith Hyundai on Bennarghata road, consumable bill was close to 7K including oil, filters, wheel balancing weights and wheel balancing &alignment labour

I got my first free service done on 09th Aug and they did not charge me a dime in Hyderabad.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by smilealways24

I got my first free service done on 09th Aug and they did not charge me a dime in Hyderabad.

How about the consumables including engine oil and filters, mine was the 1 year service and only labour was free.

[smilealways24]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

How about the consumables including engine oil and filters, mine was the 1 year service and only labour was free.

I took delivery of my Exter SX(O) Connect on July 5th and my first service (at no cost for me) was supposed to be at 1000-1200kms. I hit 1000kms on Aug 5th and booked for my first service (basically topping up of fluids among other things) on Aug 9th. They already mentioned during delivery that the first service is a no charge service for me. From the second service onwards, I will be charged for consumables with labour being free.

Since yours is 1 year service, it might not have been first service, it most likely was second service.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by smilealways24

Since yours is 1 year service, it might not have been first service, it most likely was second service.

You are right, I missed counting the service done soon after delivery and that was at zero cost. 7K is the cost for the 2nd sevrice after 1 year/10K Kms

[BayB]

When is the first free service due for Hyndai Exter

[swarnava.ch]

Originally Posted by BayB

When is the first free service due for Hyndai Exter

I think there is confusion due to the above threads.
The first free service just after the purchase of the car is 2 Months, 1000 / 1500kms. This is a basic inspection. Post that, the next free service is 1 year or 10K kms and third free service is 20k kms / 2 years which ever is earlier. Now some might not consider the first - 2 months service one as a Major service at all.

[rajaramgna]

Originally Posted by rajaramgna

I have tried to use the paddle shifters in both D and M modes, but it does not shift to 2nd atleast until 15-16+ kmph, I think its related to rpm and tuning of the AMT. Similarly, even if it switches to 4th in 40 or 45 or 48 kmph, it shifts to 5th in around 50 kmph, I think that is also per the AMT tuning for mileage I guess.

Regarding the above point about the gear shifting pattern in Exter AMT, I was able to notice that the gear shifting from 1 to 2, and 2 to 3 happens at approx 2400 RPM, in fully Automatic mode, which translates to approx 17-18 kmph from 1st to 2nd.

I noticed the speeds for other gear changes as well during the drive 2 days back, but forgot it now, but mostly it struck to around 2400 rpm, until the 4th to 5th gear change.

But from 4th to 5th gear, the auto change is around 48-50 kmph, which is just 1100-1200 rpm, much lower than set for lower gears.

This is the AMT tuning as per the drive in my Exter AMT. Hope this gives some more clarity.

[OpenRoads]

Buying a car in less than a week

Background: My parents (senior citizens) love to travel and quite frequently. Their primary mode of transportation within city is Uber or Ola and for outstation trips they opt for rented cars.
However using apps always is a challenge for my parents as they are not very tech savvy folks. Most of the time I take care of the bookings remotely but in many situations they are left stranded due to multiple cancellations by the driver.
Also, there have been instances where my father had booked an Uber and left in another car (yellow taxi) while getting calls from Uber driver since he forgot to cancel.
Managing such situations is not an easy task and having a car of your own seemed like a logical choice. With a little persuasion they agreed to go for it.

Requirement: This is how I imagined the requirement in my head.
1. Size: A small car which would tend to my parents’ day to day travel needs.
2. Fuel: There was no need of a mile muncher and Petrol would do just fine.
3. Maintenance: Hassle free and easy on pocket.
4. Quality: This is a tricky one as the look and feel do not equate to good quality. Of course using premium materials instead of hard plastics does make difference in some segments. Honestly nice to touch is just a nice feature and not more than that for me.
5. Safety: Decent. Basic six airbags, electronic stability etc. would do. Safety ratings conceived at 64Km/h is not my mantra. Safe drive and some luck does the job for me. However, a better/higher rating is always welcome.
6. Transmission: Manual would have been fine, but I opted for automatic based on my experience. My knee thanks me every day now that I am driving one.
7. Budget: 8 ~ 14 lakhs

Selection:
1. Size: With the budget in mind many cars would have fit the requirement, especially the base variant ones. But due to size limitations and minimalistic needs I did not consider Venue, Brezza, Sonet, etc. or anything bigger like Elevate, Creta etc.
2. Maintenance: Low or no maintenance with large after sales network. Suzuki and Hyundai were the only ones meeting these criteria who have small cars. Honda and Toyota too are part of this list but sadly no small cars are there in their lineup. Also, I excluded Tata (Tiago, Punch) for poor after sales service and Citroen for lack of network.
3. Transmission: Normally torque convertor or CVT would be my primary choice but due to limited options in this segment I was left with AMT. With this my selection narrowed down to only Grand i10 Nios or Exter. Suzuki may have many small cars but they are still not at par in terms of smoothness when it comes to AMT. However, when it comes to TC, their Aisin sourced transmissions are doing a pretty good job.
Now both Grand i10 Nios and Exter satisfied all the requirements. Few things which gave Exter an edge over i10 are:
1. Higher ground clearance (185 mm)
2. Roomier and better headroom at the back.
3. Ingress and egress is better (helpful for my parents)
Thanks to TeamBHP and numerous discussion forums, all this analysis was already done in my head and didn't take any additional time

Buying Experience: The fastest I have ever seen.

Day 1: Showroom visit- In the morning I took my parents to the nearest Hyundai showroom and was greeted promptly by the sales advisor (SA). I eagerly showed both the cars (i10 and Exter) to them. My mother liked the Exter more as it was a bit roomier from inside. Starry night colour looked good and was in stock. My father liked i20 N-line in terms of looks which I told him would be an overkill (role reversed after a certain point of time in age)
I took a test drive with my parents in the Exter (manual) which was available. The gearbox was smooth, and the visibility was great. My parents had no complaints either.
The only thing left to do was negotiation on the price. Got an initial estimate and told the SA that I will contact him soon once I compare the quotes with other dealers.
In the afternoon I called all other dealers and got similar responses (some better). By evening I decided on a quote and conveyed to all the dealers and fortunately the dealer we visited in the morning agreed. I paid the booking amount and asked the advisor to arrange for the AMT version for another test drive.

Day 2: PDI and Paperwork- The SA got the new vehicle washed and I completed a quick check in daylight. Everything seemed fine as there were no scratches or dents. The ODO read 10Km. I started the car and checked all the controls.
The SA kept all the paperwork ready to be signed and arranged for the test drive. I took the AMT for a spin along with my wife. She drove the car with ease and gave the final nod. While signing the papers I asked the SA about the registration process, and he assured me that once the finance part is done it will be initiated. He also shared the Engine and VIN with me. It was a July 2024 manufacturing. I came home and completed the insurance with Acko.


Day 3: Road tax- Payment was completed and the registration process started by afternoon. Registration tax was paid by evening and challan was received via SMS.

Day 4: Registration- Vehicle registration number was allotted and confirmed. I opted for normal number. Number plate request initiated by the showroom.

Day 5: Readying the car- Number plated was fixed along with few other accessories like foot mats, door guard and mud flaps.

Day 6: Delivery- I requested for a morning slot. Along with my family we reached the showroom by 10:00AM. The car was ready at the delivery bay. With few more formalities and a little puja ceremony the keys were handed over. It was a happy moment for all.

My father asked me if they have topped up the brake oil and engine oil properly. I tried to explain in vain and told him we would need only petrol for now. I took them for a long drive and could clearly see the happiness on their faces in the rear-view mirror.

[OpenRoads]

Overall expense for Exter SX AMT

1. Ex showroom + additional warranty (4&5th year) + Lifetime tax (15 years) = 9,53,000/- (Discounted price post negotiation)
2. Insurance = 25,000/-
3. Fastag = 400/-

3rd party accessories
1. Seat Covers = 9600/-
2. Dash cam + Memory card (70mai A510) = 15,200/-

Replacement
1. Horn (DHC) = 1700/-
2. Head lights (Philips weather vision LED) = 5100/-

Total cost = 10,10,000/-

[swarnava.ch]

Originally Posted by OpenRoads

Overall expense for Exter SX AMT

Replacement
1. Horn (DHC) = 1700/-
2. Head lights (Philips weather vision LED) = 5100/-

Total cost = 10,10,000/-

Congratulations on your New car. The happiness on your proud parents face is visible in the Pic.

I see that you have updated the headlights.
Did you perceive any improvements in the Headlight throw ? Is it worth going for Philips weather vision ?
Also any specific reason for the Horn update ?

[OpenRoads]

Originally Posted by swarnava.ch

Did you perceive any improvements in the Headlight throw ? Is it worth going for Philips weather vision ?
Also any specific reason for the Horn update ?

Thanks Swarnava,

During my test drive as well as driving the new car i came to the conclusion that both the stock halogen headlamps and horn were not up to the mark and needed an upgrade.

The idea was not to upgrade to sound deafening level but at least bring to level where the vehicle you are passing by would be aware. Any horn (Bosch, Hella or DHC in my case) sounds better since the stock ones was quite bleak. The Bosch would have been ideal due to vfm factor however was not available at the store.

For the headlamps, I wanted to upgrade within street legal limits (60~65W/lamp). Explored many options like Philips, Osram etc. with varying temperature(3500k till 6500k) and lumens (1500lm till 4500lm).

If you want brighter light (lumens) then the Philips Ultinon Rally 3550 (50w/lamp) produces ~4500 lumens at 6500k temperature.

This was the brightest i could find however the temperature was not to my liking hence I opted for the weather vision with 3500K temperature at much lower brightness at 2000 lumens powered by 20w/lamp.
Theoretically, the lower temperature (3500K ~ 4500 K) would reduce glare in wet/rainy conditions and will be more close to daylight.

Unfortunately, I am yet to test the upgraded headlamp throw in real conditions (rainy night) and capture them video or pics. But I feel its much better than the stock.

There are few alternatives where you can go for Philips X-treme Vision Pro150 halogen bulbs (55w/lamp) with 1850lm and 3500k at one fifth the price of led.


Lastly if you are willing to go beyond the legal wattage then sky is the limit

[Newtown]

Originally Posted by OpenRoads

I took them for a long drive and could clearly see the happiness on their faces in the rear-view mirror.

Their smile speaks volumes. May they always be in good health and spirits. Congratulations on the new car!

[Joe367]

Originally Posted by OpenRoads

Overall expense for Exter SX AMT

3rd party accessories
1. Seat Covers = 9600/-
2. Dash cam + Memory card (70mai A510) = 15,200/-

Congratulations on the new car. From which variant is factory fitted dash cam available for Exter? Do you know if this can be installed in any model as an accessory?

[OpenRoads]

Originally Posted by Joe367

From which variant is factory fitted dash cam available for Exter? Do you know if this can be installed in any model as an accessory?

Dashcam with dual Camera is available for their SX (O) Connect and SX(O) Connect Knight trim/variant.

I am not sure about the feasibility of installation of that dashcam into lower variants'. However you can get a better dual channel dashcam (Sony Starvis 2 sensor based ones) from outside and get it fitted.