The new Kia Clavis (codenamed: AY) is expected to make its global debut by the end of 2024.

Kia is reportedly working on a new compact SUV that will fill the gap between the Sonet and Seltos. As per the latest reports, the new model could be called Clavis.

The new Kia Clavis (codenamed: AY) is expected to make its global debut by the end of 2024. Reports suggest that it will be a sub-4 meter crossover. It will have a boxy design with an SUV-like presence and will be positioned as a lifestyle vehicle.

As far as engines are concerned, the Clavis is likely to come with multiple powertrain options, including hybrids. Moreover, Kia could also roll out an EV version of the car.

The report states that Kia India plans to produce around 1 lakh units of the Clavis. Conventional ICE-powered variants will make up 80% of the total production volume, while the remaining 20% will be EVs. Kia may also export the India-made Clavis to global markets.

Its been less than 2 months that I bought the car and feel that it will not be able to take on curvy ghat roads

BHPian vijayendra16 recently shared this with other enthusiasts

Hello BHPians,

Wanted to know if anyone owns a Venue N Line 2023 Automatic and is experiencing power lag or under power in the 1.0 litre engine? I feel the car is very underpowered and gives a lag while shifting gears and when this happens when you are overtaking another car or are next to another car. It is very unnerving for me. Its been less than 2 months that I bought the car and feel that it will not be able to take on curvy ghat roads as pickup seems greatly compromised even though it is high on BHP and Torque.

Anyone feels the same?

P.S - Everything else about the car is wonderful except this, which is a big deal.

Here's what BHPian SmartCat had to say on the matter:

Welcome to the world of Turbolag and Gearbox lag. What were you driving before you picked up the Venue DCT? There is a learning curve if you have upgraded from:

Manual transmission to automatic

Naturally aspirated engine to turbocharged engine

Now if you have upgraded from manual car with naturally aspirated engine, and you have never driven an automatic or turbocharged car before, it will be a double whammy.

Now all you have to do is to anticipate the road conditions (eg: steep incline) or driving conditions (eg: overtaking) beforehand and prepare the engine/gearbox. Modulate the accelerator pedal inputs such that gearbox is in the right gear and engine is spinning above 1500 RPM. You have to "train" your right leg to give inputs at the right time. Eventually, you will get used to its power characteristics over time and end up having a "normal" driving experience like everybody else. I have mentioned this in my review of Venue DCT.

BHPian vijayendra16 replied:

Thanks SmartCat. Yes, I upgraded (or should I say so) from a manual gearbox to the automatic DCT for the first time. Was driving a comparatively lower BHP and torque but in 1.6 litres Aveo sedan (Yes, I had it for 16 years).

The lag between gear switches is killing me and I feel the need for a better pick up. I guess I will get used to it eventually. I felt that I may be pressing the accelerator a little too low and felt that when I press it with my almost middle of the feet bottom, it responses better (Just my feeling). But honestly, I thought that the world of automatic technology would have gotten better but it could be just my lack of knowledge and theft that my N line is just 1.0 litre. I am assuming that bigger cc cars must be better in pickup and gearbox lag. I did some searches and understood that its all a game of RPM. I am hoping I don't get stuck on a uphill curve on any ghat section road. About to go for a Goa trip so don't want too much of a disappointment in my otherwise wonderful new car.

Here's what BHPian searacer932 had to say on the matter:

There are three drive modes in the Venue N - Line - Eco, Normal & Sports.

I never felt the car to be lacking power in Normal and Sports mode. Eco mode is a different kettle of fish. I don't think anyone can drive in Eco mode .

Did you check the drive mode?

Venue N Line is a superb car for both city and highway and you will never feel short of power unless you drive in Eco mode.

Here's what BHPian Ashdel had to say on the matter:

I am coming from 15+ years of DDIS motor and got N Line 3 months back. Shift is drastic but i have learned a lot how to get the most out of this 1.0 turbo. Use Paddle shifters and modes depending on which tracks you are driving. I am sure you are going to love it.

Also power wise this 1.0 Turbo is at par with 1.5 NA engines - Almost. so its more kind of a mind shift which you will overcome in sometime.

Happy Revving !!!

Here's what BHPian JediKnight had to say on the matter:

No automatic transmission will have the directness and connect you get with the drivetrain as a manual transmission does. So lower your expectations and try to understand the quirks and behaviour of your news auto transmission and change your driving accordingly. With time you will get the hang of it.

Here's what BHPian sach.sri had to say on the matter:

As the others have mentioned, you need to get used to driving a automatic where the gear shifts are not under your direct control.

Each car will be different in its characterstics, i drive a XUV 500 with TC and one trick that i do when i want more power ( = lower gear) is to double tap the accelerator pedal, tap it once; release a press again - the engine downshifts immediately and gives a boost of power - and i must admit, it is such a rush being pushed back in the seat

Try this and see if this helps a bit, ofcourse the Mahindra engines and gearbox are tuned aggressively and they downshift on the slightest pretext, still.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My clutch is still running stock for 1.1L km and due for change. So is the battery which crossed 5yrs.

BHPian SamfromIndia recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So finally this week I got my 9Yr / 1.1L KM servicing done. Initially the SA agreed to do EGR cleaning for 1K. He was trying to search the labor code for the same and was unable to find it. So under estimate he chose something else which amounts to 1K and made the quote. However when the service started, the technicians informed him that:

• EGR cleaning is not required for Ford
• In case of issue, replacement is done and not cleaning.
• It will take multiple days and car will be stuck for 3 days

So EGR cleaning at Ford Authorized Workshop was ruled out, in line with what ABHI_1512 had mentioned in his post here.

The SA unofficially told me that the technicians have no experience of EGR cleaning, and they are scared of damaging components during this process. So Sir, please do it outside in a skilled workshop preferably where your friend (ABHI_1512) have done it. So the Ford technicians have admitted that they are not skilled enough compared with FNG

Then I had a requirement of changing the steering ball joints and inspect tie rod ends. SA was pushing for the whole steering rack replacement for 15K. When I only wanted to do ball joint replacement he mentioned that part was not available.

Also my clutch is still running stock for 1.1L km and due for change. So is the battery which crossed 5yrs.

Total service bill came 6.2K, which included extra brake oil replacement and a pair of front wiper blades. After using Bosch Clear Advantage frameless wipers, the OEM framed wipers looks pretty bad and have a white Motocross branding which is an eyesore.

I happened to be the only customer who came to service car on Ganesh Chaturthi ! The workshop was deserted with a couple more cars brought down as home pickup and drop.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I was pushing for an earlier delivery because I do not have a second vehicle and my car was sold off.

BHPian Proud BRV Owner recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello all.

I recently - on 4th August purchased my new car - Toyota Hyryder S AT Neodrive after selling my Honda BR-V.

On 30th July, I had booked Mahindra XUV300 W8 Optional at Rajkot. I paid a booking amount of 25,000/-. 30th July being a Sunday, the sales guy did not give me a receipt but I have the transaction details since it was done through UPI to their official bank account. I was pushing for an earlier delivery because I do not have a second vehicle and my car was sold off. I booked the car only on a promise to get the delivery on Tuesday. The sales guy said they will get the car from their Ahmedabad dealership the next day.

As my mother learned that that the car had a sun roof, she denied my selection, even though I told her I had paid the booking amount. In these things you never go against the will of your parents (as per my middle class mindset). I booked the Toyota Hyryder next day (was getting delivery on Wednesday). I called up the sales guy at Mahindra informing him about the matter and told him I am cancelling my booking. I asked when I will get the refund. He said and requested he will process it after the month end as it would be month end to which I agreed in good faith.

After a week I asked him about the cancellation and he said he still had not processed it but he will do it in 2 3 days and I will get the amount in 7 to 10 days.

Again after a week I reminded him and he said he had processed it and I should get it in a week.

Again I called up after a week. Now, he tells me since he had got it invoiced and the car was not sold yet he is finding it difficult to process the refund. I can't believe Mahindra XUV TOP model can't be sold in a month. So I insisted to process the refund immediately. Then he said I will have to bring in my loan guy because he had made the deal on his insistence which is a total lie. Because the deal was made by me with him in presence of my loan guy and I paid the money directly to the bank account through UPI to their account.

Please guide what is the next step? Will I get my refund? How much time do they take to process the refund?

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

From whatever I could understand its the Mahindra dealer who is procrastinating the refund process at his own end. Hence the title "Mahindra dealer Gallops Mahindra, Rajkot, not refunding booking amount", will be more focused rather than tagging the carmaker for such delay in your thread title.

It is presumed that you have a receipt of the booking amount and some document with you seeking booking cancellation. This request for booking cancellation needs to have been received and acknowledged by the dealer (date mentioned by them). With these two documents attached, you can tweet (X) Mr Anand Mahindra seeking redressal. He surely doesn't read every tweet, but his office takes cognizance of all important tweets. They promptly reply back. I have done this for some low value spares recently for my Scorpio and had got these spares within the next two weeks through the local dealer.

Here's what BHPian BleueNinja had to say on the matter:

Good faith should be kept at bay when dealing in monetary transactions

You might have provided a mobile number during booking your car and you might have recieved a message on that number confirming that you have booked a car?

You can use that mobile number to login on Mahindra's website to check your Booking status. You should be able to see your booking Id.

If you don't see a booking Id anywhere then ask the salesman against what booking id did he invoice the car? He should have a booking id against which a car would have been invoiced.

Moreover, If you have cancelled the booking then it's really not your concern how he will sell the car or if he will be able to find a customer or not.

Here's what BHPian pradipk had to say on the matter:

First and foremost, you should have some booking acknowledgement upon the payment. Being Sunday, computer generated receipt might not be given (shouldn't be the case but okay).
Typically they take a month for refund. Need to follow up and escalate to higher ups of dealership and post that if needed to Mahinda officials.

I had 3 such experiences with Royal Enfield, Tata and Maruti Suzuki. You should get it with bit of follow ups. Best wishes.

BHPian Proud BRV Owner replied:

Here is the update. I approached the customer care on their toll free number and discussed the matter + put up a tweet tagging Mahindra Customer Care and Anand Mahindraji. The customer care guy on the phone gave me number of Gallops Rajkot manager and instructed me to give him a call which I did. The manager - yesterday being a holiday - told me he would call next day (today).

The customer care twitter account asked for my registered mobile number. I provided that. They replied after some time saying the matter was raised to the Gallops management and the senior management team would get in touch with me.

I got a call from the sales person with whom I had made the deal asking for a photograph of a cheque and PAN card. I have sent both. The sales guy has told me that they have initiated the process and I will get the refund within 2 3 days.

Fingers crossed.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Sports mode acceleration skips some heartbeats every time. Feels like am sitting in a speeding metro. Fantastic.

BHPian KingAlec recently shred this with other enthusiasts.

Am a new Nexon EV Prime XZ+ Dark edition owner. Have run the car some 1200 odd km already before coming here to post my thoughts.

Some observations:

• Fantastic pick-up, even in Drive mode. Sports mode acceleration skips some heartbeats every time. Feels like am sitting in a speeding metro. Fantastic. To give a context, my earlier car was a Ciaz.
• The Estimated range to empty calculator is hard coded to favour regen level 3, and is messed up.
• In the initial days, just because I saw improved range calculations, I would maximise my driving in regen 3 mode, even on the NH which comes in my office route. And I would hardly get 200km for a full charge. Wh/km would be somewhere around 150.
• And then I got tired of this whole regen 3 business and decided to give regen 1 level a go, only based on my intuition and past experience of coasting my ciaz along the highway to get a decent mileage of 18-19 kmpl tank to tank.
• And guess what - the same applies here too. Now, in regen level 1, although the estimated range always shows less compared to regen level 3, in reality, a Wh/km of 125 is easily achieved. Use the AC intermittently on need to cool basis and voila... last two full cycles I have been extracting 250 odd kms with around 8-9% SOC remaining - pegging the range at around 270km for the entire 100%.
• Some experienced teambhp members had earlier commented - the range gets better as the car covers more miles. Could be the case, but the regen level 3 still delivers wattage of around 150 Wh/km so I guess that might not be at play here.
• A very important point - my home to office to home 40km route has quite some empty stretches of NH 48. (Hint: Delhi - Gurugram NH 48 in the morning and Dundahera locality in evening). So regen level 1 seems to be working for me. It may not work for you.
• My initial impression - every new owner of Nexon EV Prime or EV Max should ignore the estimated range and experiment with the regen levels to optimize their bang for the buck.
• Also - plain old coasting on empty road works in EV as good as it works in petrol. Do try it in regen 1 and let me know what you think.
• Headlights - poor headlights. My old car had bright whiteLED headlights. Driving an EV with Halogen lamps feels like a bad downgrade. The only downgrade. Experienced members - please guide on the cost and warranty implications of upgrading to LED headlights. Any good suggestions in Delhi NCR region?

Thoughts needed: Lately I have seen so many posts regarding Nexon ev owners going through a tough time with their batteries and BMS after fast charging. I am happily charging the car from below 10% levels to 100% everytime using my slow charger and my requirements are strictly home to office to home (thanks to my other road tripping Ecosport petrol car). No issues like sudden SOC drops and all (till now).
But I am slowly falling into fear of fast chargers and do not want to do fast charging as much as possible. And once I decide that - the range anxiety hits. Experienced nexon ev owners - is this fear warranted? Any tips on how to identify good fast chargers? Should I try the Tata Motors fast chargers? Statiq? Kazam? Which ones are good for the car which ones are unreliable and may take the BMS for a ride? All inputs are welcome.

Also - have named the car - DARKTANK. Thinking of getting custom bonnet badging done in matte black. Tried the Carmatic whatsapp chat - they are yet to reply. Any tips in this regard?

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car just cruises on highways and with the ease of IMT gearbox even in cities in traffic it is easy to drive.

BHPian Vivian,A34 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been holding myself back to post a review on my new KIA Sonet D 1.5 IMT HTX plus BS6 phase 2 engine experience. I don't think there is lot of customer reviews yet for this specific model online as well as I did a lot of research before booking the vehicle but couldn't find much.

So here is the review coming up with buying experience and the first long trip experience and also the 1st service experience for my KIA Sonet.

Buying Experience:

I was browsing for a while to get myself upgraded since the beginning of this year and that is when I started test driving and visiting showrooms. I was clear in my mind that I need a sub 4 meter with a powerful powertrain. Started with KIA as I liked the looks of the Sonet from the beginning but also wanted to explore other options before I came to a conclusion. Initial experience when I drove the diesel manual with 99bhp engine (this was the phase 1 engine which had manual option in diesel) it seemed to lack power, again other users on the forum would have a different opinion no offence. But I immediately felt there was something missing because I was upgrading from my 1.6 Duratec Ford Fiesta Petrol engine which was a fun to drive machine with just 82bhp engine I still feel I will highly underrate my experience with Ford if I say it was under powered infact I would say Ford was ahead of its time when designing the Ford Fiesta Classic because everything was accurate in this car the power the comfort and the drive experience.

I went for a test drive of the Nexon and there I found that missing power I was looking for in the 108bhp engine. However the cabin is neat and clean for the Nexon but the touch screen set me off. An 8 inch screen is clearly a turn off also the quality lacks far behind then Kia's and the Hyundai's also the rear camera clarity is not that good. I know this for a fact because the Altroz has the same setup for which I already posted a review.

In between one of my office colleague suggested me to check out the Kiger and Magnite said they are budget friendly but powerful. Anyways I was browsing I went to the Renault showroom in Nashik and the test drive car I believe was not serviced or something but it had a lot of vibration. I even asked the sales rep if it was not serviced and hence the vibration he said that is not the reason. Instead he said something which is fixed in my mind still Quote " All 1L petrol engines are noisy and have vibration " overall the car looked good but lacked power as it was only 1L engine and also did not feel good as the gear nob was all wobbly when at stand still or while driving. Magnite since no Nissan showroom in Nashik hence could not test drive I visited few of their service centers if they can arrange a test drive vechile the said they will try and never did. After this I was done with petrol engine for sub 4 meters.

Brezza was out of my list because it only had petrol options. Ford had left the market or eco sport would be topping my charts. I did a test drive for Hyundai venue but man that car is ugly or else everything in the Hyundai venue looks good the interior the power everything is good but the looks of the car from the front is a turnoff. By this time Nexon was winning the race until the new IMT model with enhanced engine in KIA Sonet came in. It had the same 114bhp engine and a 250nm torque as the seltos and the creta with minor price spike. And when I did a test drive of this machine in Mar'23 I knew this is the one. Refined diesel engine power pact, post 1500 rpm the car launches itself and does not hesitate. Looks amazing interiors perfect ever check box was ticked. I didn't go for GTX line as I didn't like the red lines on it.

Booked the vehicle back in Mar'23 and was given a waiting of 12 weeks. Come June'23 and I started getting calls from the showroom for documentation this was a hassle I even got angry because of lack of empathy and bad customer service. 1st Sales rep was trying to get rid of me because I was asking too many questions is what I felt and even told me that the price in BS6 phase 2 will rise by 2-3 lakhs from the current model ( this was before when I tested the 99bhp Sonet ) which eventually turned out to be not true. So for fellow members please validate and authenticate what these sales rep tell you during initial phase. 2nd sales rep was courteous as I didnt want to communicate with the first guy as he seemed pushy and with 0 customer servic skills. However during documentation I even told the 2nd rep I will cancel the booking and I don't want the car because of bad customer service from all of them in the showroom. I want information and want to be updated as to what they are doing when someone calls you and asks for Aadhar OTP you don't just give that to them because they are from KIA they need to tell me what is the purpose is what I expected which lacked during the entire documentation.

Long Trip Experience:

Took delivery on 11th Jun '23 and made a long trip from Nashik to Indore. The car just cruises on highways and with the ease of IMT gearbox even in cities in traffic it is easy to drive. It gave me an average of 21kmpl on highways and between 17kmpl to 19kmpl in cities. I was okay as this being an IMT gearbox. Overtaking is easy I felt that the car is not aero dynamic on higher speeds because I could feel the drag in the cabin which is one draw back. Touch screen is an 10.25cm smartscreen with no physical buttons and is very responsive also the clarity of the camera and the screen is awesome. Build quality is good I wonder how it only scored 3 in GNCAP because I can feel the doors are heavy metal and the Bonet too with strong built quality. Bose speakers are something else definitely a cherry on top.

1st Service Experience:

1st service I felt the service center is highly understaffed as KIA has gained market but did not increase their infrastructure. A strict learning for them customer satisfaction at the service centers should be their priority which is not possible if you lack infrastructure. Overall I will rate Sonet an 8 out of 10 only because of service delivery or else the car is gem. Till now I have clocked 3500km+ on my ODO and I will keep posting my experience in my journey.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It will replace her old Hyundai i10 and should be either petrol or diesel but not an EV.

BHPian benu9714 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello, I need to find a replacement for my wife's Hyundai i10 - it had to be sold recently because it was nearly 13 years old and had developed problems.

My wife has laid down a set of specifications which must be met:

• New car, not used.
• SUV, or a car with a high, upright driver's seat, not a sedan.
• As small as possible - definitely not over 4 meters, and not a 7-seater.
• A "proper" (her word) automatic, maybe a CVT, but definitely not an AMT or even an ASG in which a manual gearbox is shifted by electronic control.
• Petrol or diesel, but not electric. (I am the one who takes care of fuel, and I can't be bothered monitoring the charge level and recharging the car. There is no charging point in the underground basement of my building where the car will be parked.)
• Cost up to Rs 15 lakhs on-road is OK.
• Colour - red.
• Usual features - power steering, power windows, rear (+ front, if possible) camera, good size touch screen etc. No need for a sunroof and other fancy gadgets.

I will need the car in December or a little later, but I will be abroad in Oct-Nov, hence I would like to choose the car during September, and maybe book it if needed.

Could someone suggest the best buy for these specs? Thanks!

Here's what BHPian raptor_diwan had to say about the matter:

Nissan Magnite ticks all the boxes, talking about CVT gearboxes, there are only a handful of cars available, and when it comes to SUV stances in a compact form, options like the Kiger or Magnite would be ideal choices.

Here's what BHPian BleueNinja had to say about the matter:

I would suggest the Maruti Suzuki Brezza.

• Smooth Torque Converter gearbox
• Frugal and smooth engine.
• Reliable and easy to maintain
• Pretty good set of features
• Built on the previous-gen platform which was rated well for safety as well.

Along with the above set of features, it will come within your budget as well and in colour Red.

The only disadvantage I see with Brezza is that it doesn't come with the most eye-catching interiors but definitely gets the job done. It's functional.

Another option that you can check out is the Kia Sonet which has a TC gearbox, good ground clearance, feature loaded and three engine options but the safety rating is unknown. It definitely has better interiors than Brezza.

Here's what BHPian DCEite had to say about the matter:

Your requirements scream Nexon Facelift 2024. Should be released by mid of September itself.

Ticks most of the boxes. The variant you should consider is the 1.2 Turbo Petrol with DCT.

Here's what BHPian amit_purohit20 had to say about the matter:

My choice would be the Nexon facelift:

• It's safe
• It's compact
• It's coming with DCT which has a wet clutch and planetary gearbox - chances of higher reliability than regular DCT configuration like DSG. Also, it's not tuned for performance shifts so should be reliable.
• Fresh model gives a feel-good factor.
• Additonal features with the new model like a better touch screen etc can be a selling factor for your wife.
• Vehicle is sold in high numbers so getting parts and maintenance should be easy.

If not Nexon my next choice would be Brezza automatic.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car broke down in the first fortnight of purchase.

Shreas Rajadhyaksha recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We purchased a Renault Kiger dual-tone RXZ top-end variant in August 2022 from Renault Fatimanagar, Unnati Vehicles, Pune. The car broke down in the first fortnight of purchase and below is point by point detail of the events that occurred:

• The car broke down as there was an oil leakage near the gearbox side. They mentioned this was due to a pipe sliding out and therefore the leakage.
• This happened at a distance less than 5 km from the service centre, but Renault RSA was so horrible that the towing van took four hours to reach the spot.
• We took it up with Renault management and insisted that we wanted our money back or a car replacement to the vehicle since the car had broken down in such a short span of taking the vehicle.
• Renault after sales team pitched in and along with senior technical members from Chennai, they assured that the car was perfectly ok and that the oil leakage was a one-off incident.
• Renault management offered us an extended warranty and extended service and unlimited accessories.
• While we were completely adamant to accept this, they insisted we take it as goodwill and trust their word that the car was perfectly ok and there would be no further instances of the car breaking down.
• After much strenuous discussion, we agreed and decided to trust their word. We took the car home that day since our toddler son was at home alone and we had to rush back.
• Next day, we received an email from the Renault service centre stating extended warranty and extended service would be given. However, accessories worth only Rs 15,000 would be given. This was a blatant lie from their executive Mr Kunal Muni who was very arrogant and denied making any such commitments (we have all on record these discussions).
• After much ado, their service centre head agreed on accessories worth Rs 50,000 and extended warranty service.
• The vehicle ran well for a couple of months but kept giving heating issues, AC cooling problems etc. on the go.
• When we approached Renault, they said that since the vehicle is turbocharged, these problems will always exist.
• Cut to April 2023, we had gone to a nearby resort in Pune. While on our way back, the car refused to start.
• We called the service centre guys who arranged for an alternate vehicle and towing van.
• After keeping the vehicle for 4 days, they found the fuel pump was damaged. Imagine the pump getting damaged in six months of car
• manufacture.
• They replaced the fuel pump as a part of the car warranty and drove the car for 50 km approximately (that is what they mentioned to us at least).
• After using our fuel to test the car, they never compensated the cost of this fuel. Nevertheless, they found the car to be in top condition for usage once again.
• 8 days later, my family and I were returning from a friend's place at midnight and the car broke down on the highway at 1 AM.
• Upon checking by service centre guys, it was found that the fuel pump was again the problem. The couplers this time were loosely fitted and therefore the car stopped working, all this in just 7 days of previous repair!
• The car currently is again giving problems in pickup and AC cooling. If we switch on the AC, the car just refuses to pick up and there is always a fear instilled in us that it may break down at any time.
• We are insisting that Renault give our money back since this car is certainly a terrible product and our life is at stake due to this product.
• Renault however has been using its after-sales team to fool us into believing the car is completely OK and we should not worry. Three breakdowns in eight months, this result speaks for itself.

Vehicle history:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

As we all know Maruti after sales is fuss free. Two services are done and have been quick.

BHPian FiatDiesel recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It has been 5000 Kms and 10 months of ownership of our S-Presso Vxi (O) + AGS. It was purchased primarily for my wife (new driver) and also for city duties. Our experience has been good with key benefit been car’s small footprint, all bells and whistles in terms of features & accessories and its upright high seating position which immensely helped my wife to become a confident driver.

During selection she loved the looks of Ignis however between Spresso and Ignis, she was comfortable driving Spresso given the height and upright seating it offered and she could see bonnet for better judgement being new driver. It was also super compact from outside while spacious from inside (myself and son are 5’11”+) however it’s ride was on firmer side. Since it’s meant to be for short rides in city, we were ok.

We opted for top model with AMT which came with Hill hold, ABS, Air bags, Apple / Android car play, steering mounted controls etc.

This was last year in October, we got it through Ackodrive approx 6.55 OTR in Pune.

Her daily commute is 12-15 Kms in bumper to bumper city traffic and due to its super compact size, she is very comfortable driving the car. Mileage is 15 kmpl tank to tank in city. We never took her to highway.

We have driven it for 5000 kms approximately till now, key points are:

• Super easy to drive in traffic, it’s small footprint and AMT helps. It’s biggest plus.
• No issues with AMT as of today.
• As we all know Maruti after sales is fuss free. Two services are done and have been quick.
• Ride is on the firmer side however not major irritant. Tyre change will help once existing one worn out.
• It’s pocket rocket. I have done peddle to metal in it once, it shoots. However it’s not meant for it but this nature of engine gives ability to be a quick city runabout vehicle.
• It doesn’t have front central armrest which we miss, however lot of options available in non OEM accessories.
• Rear glass wiper is sorely missed specially during rains.

Posting few pics, we got couple of accessories including alloy wheels etc

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There is highly adequate low end grunt and one doesn’t feel out of breath even at the upper end.

BHPian shankar.balan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I took an hour from my day today to go nearby and see the Hyundai Exter.

I shall just focus on my own workman-like impressions of this vehicle, purely as a normal, no-frills, lay-person consumer. I have honestly NOT yet read the official review and I have barely participated in this thread. And the last Hyundai we had, was my Dad’s 2014 Hyundai I20 Asta manual Petrol.

Saying all this, right from the moment they published the teasers and ads of the Exter and the brochures online, I have been quite attracted to this little vehicle as an option that may be considered for my Dad, as a replacement to his 2019 Toyota Glanza. Hence I ve been very keen to see and drive this Exter for some time now. I have said earlier that I like its looks. Today I was able to reaffirm that liking. It is indeed a chunky and good looking design.

Today, I got that chance I wanted. I had a very pleasant experience at the Exter showroom, because there was only one small family there and two other people looking at various cars. (I also saw their new Verna and it certainly does look very aggressive and handsome.)

It is a pleasant experience when there is no unnecessary hype and hoopla. And when clear information and display vehicles and test drive vehicles are made available easily so as to ensure the paying public remain engaged with the brand, in a new launch.

The Exter closely resembles its older brothers, the Venue and Creta. However, it is just a little shorter than the Venue when viewed from the side. I am very appreciative at the space engineering inside and external appearance that these new Hyundais have! The display car is the MT Top Spec single tone. The test drive car was the AMT Top Spec single tone. Both were in this rather lovely shade of khaki/ green which incidentally looks quite close in shade and tone, to my Rocky Beige Thar. (Being faintly militaristic in nature, this colour is amongst my personal favourites).

I am not going to compare the Exter with the Tata Punch and Nexon and Citroen C3. I am just going to share my own impressions of it.

I sat in the rear left passenger seat with the front passenger seat pushed back to my own seating position and despite being a big built person of 6.2 height I found the rear seat perfectly comfortable. Yes even the under-thigh support was acceptable as was the leg room. I think it is to do with the rake angle of the seat cushion squab. There was adequate lumbar support too. The adjustable head rests give me an essential support at the base of the back of my neck which allows for a certain comfort in the neck-rest aspect.

While I would normally never sit as a rear passenger in any car, excepting if it is a Taxi, I believe that I will be able to sit comfortably in this Exter as a rear passenger and go from Bangalore to Mysore.

The driver’s seat is height adjustable so I brought it to its lowest point and adjusted the back rest for my driving position. It was nice to sit in and offered very good visibility all around. Here when first seated, there was an impression of under-thigh support being a little less. But once I adjusted the seat and started driving, I found I was quite comfortable indeed. No problem even despite my height. There has been talk about the integrated and non-adjustable front head rests, but I actually am not grumbling about these. They are perfectly adequate as per my impression. Ingress and egress in all the seats is perfectly comfortable and the seating and driving position is also very good. Head room, leg room and foot room are fine across all the 4 seats. (I cannot think of all these cars as being anything more than 4 seaters.) withbthe driving position, one won’t miss seeing the potholes while driving. Yes it isn’t quite like the Thar which feels like you’re looking out of the first floor balcony; it is more like the Jimny in this aspect and it is perfectly handy for our driving and operating conditions.

The sharply raked windscreen gave me an excellent line of sight to everything around me. I did not feel the A Pillar Blindness the way it is there in my Thar. Yet, though it isn’t as unobtrusive as the A Pillar of the Jimny, the angle at which it is raked, easily compensates!

I liked the steering wheel a lot. It felt nice and chunky to hold. Feels substantial. The instrument panel and the cluster of digital information and gauges are easy to read and provides all the necessary info. The music system sounded reasonable but that is not my real area of interest in a car. Being broad daylight I did not bother with the lights. The horn however is very weak and I think one of the first things anyone will tend to do especially in India, is to change that. The indicator stalks and all are decently built and the indicator click click sound is of a ‘softened intensity’ which feels and sounds quite nice. Quite premium in fact.

The plastics in this car are of the hard grey black variety and I guess that is to be expected considering the price it is being offered at. I am very happy about the 6 Airbags that it comes with and of course the other safety features that it offers, along with a few of the other gizmos. Unlike the maps in my Thar, this Exter’s maps seem to be perfectly well synchronised and calibrated. And for all those grumbling about the Jimny and its lack of bottle storage space and general storage space, they will be quite happy with the little Exter. It has some pretty decent cubbies for all manner of odds and ends and yes, the bottle storage is perfectly adequate across all 4 doors. There are a nice couple of charge ports and a wireless charger mat as well which is a good thing.

The OEM dash cam feels a bit plasticky to the touch but will do the job in providing that essential recorded footage. The reversing camera’s quality is surprisingly good and offers a very decent definition of visual.

The manually operated cover for the sun roof allows for some level of ‘feel’ of more light and lightness on a long drive. However the quality of the glass itself felt a little less-than-solid to the touch. The doors and all open and shut with a decent enough thunk.

The boot space is nice and roomy. Coming from a Thar I guess I am bound to feel that way but it is actually quite useable being a well designed high-set large-hatch. The rear seat does not have split folding. But once the whole thing is folded, it becomes a large and capacious luggage carrier space.

I took the car for a test drive - the AMT version. And we drove it for about 6-7 kms, on the slip roads on the Hosur Road and on some back roads too. We also drove it for about a Km on a rutted, undulating, uneven, unpaved mud-track nearby.

I have never driven any of the Hyundai AMTs before, and I have come away very impressed indeed. It has the normal Auto and the Manual mode. In Auto it holds lower gears till about 1600-1800 rpm and then up shifts. There is a mild slingshot effect felt. If one slows down to near dead halt to negotiate a badly designed hump, and then after crossing the said hump, if one accelerates smoothly, one finds the lower gear being held till the above rpm and then it’s almost like a ‘second wind’ that the car gets, when shifting to a higher gear, hence this above mentioned impression of the slingshot effect.

The AMT is pretty smooth but one feels that kick at 1600-1800 rpm. It does not hunt for gears. It does whine a little but not as much as the Jimny 4 speed TC does and definitely not as much as Dad’s Glanza CVT does.

There is highly adequate low end grunt and one doesn’t feel out of breath even at the upper end. The engine feels nice and smooth and silent. No drama and no unhappy noises and all. It has enough power to overtake, even in Auto mode. The manual mode is responsive and while it will never give the same feeling of instant ‘kick down’ like my Thar TC gives, it is still pretty respectable. The power delivery cannot be as instant or linear as it is in my Petrol Thar, but again, it is perfectly respectable.

The vehicle feels competent in a straight line. It brakes well in a straight line. I did do some level of hard barking as a test and find myself to be satisfied. The ride comfort of this vehicle is very good indeed, the driving seat and all doesn’t ‘hug’ one, but it provides a lot of support. Lumbar support included and it feels snug.

I took a couple of curves a little quickly (60kmph) and did not experience the unexpected. There is as usual some level of roll, but well contained since it is a well sprung monocoque. Even on the above mentioned uneven mud track which I drove on, the vehicle performed very competently indeed. One does not feel the side to side swaying the way one feels in the Thar. Yes the Exter is much lower set but still. It feels comfortable when driven on such roads. It won’t shake you up unutterably. It is more comfy than even the Jimny with its well publicised well-tuned suspension. Its inherent 185mm ground clearance certainly gives a lot of confidence to tackle the typical urban and countryside conditions which we experience in India. Very good suspension tuning in my opinion. The steering is well weighted and not ‘lifeless’ as I have regularly been led to believe that Hyundai steering’s are. The EPS is decent. Light enough for the city. Firm enough for the highway. Turning radius is very comfortable in the city. This vehicle will be good for both city driving and highway trips.

The stock tyres are 175/65/15 JK UX Royale. These do provide very decent cushioning. However, they don’t really fill the wheel arches very well. And it will be the wish of most buyers, to do a small upsize of the tyres to perhaps 195’s. 205’s I believe may be a bit too much to upsize to.

It would also be very nice if the Hyundai folks were to offer a Sport or an N Line version of this Exter with one of their neat little small-yet-grunty Turbo Petrol engines and a nice lightly growly exhaust.

This Exter is temptingly positioned. It is priced well (Rs. 12.31 lacs on road in Bangalore for the top spec AMT single tone version is a fair price in my book, for this vehicle). It comes with this excellent Hyundai Service committment to Indian consumers. It is a very competent and comfortable vehicle with good features and plenty of safety kit especially at the price at which it is offered. It is calculated to appeal to a wide cross-section of small families, young singles and elders. The colour palette is attractive. It is a neat little outdoorsy Smart Activity Vehicle, if one doesn’t want to call it an SUV.

It offers that ‘sense of adventure’ somehow though maybe not quite as much as maybe the Jimny offers. But then, this is a vehicle that will appeal to a far wider audience than the Jimny can ever hope to.

I think it offers fantastic value and is bound to succeed in this market. Hyundai, (with or without SRK’s plug) is to be greatly appreciated for taking our Indian consumers seriously and addressing the market with honest sincerity. No wonder they are a great success in India. They deserve every bit of it my considered opinion.

Will I ask my Dad to change from his Glanza to this Exter? I will definitely ask him to drive it and see if he likes it. If he does like it, then it is a very worthy option to consider.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.