The compact Crossover space is to a large degree where South Africans are spending their time searching on Google and ultimately spending their money.
Almost every manufacturer is vying for attention and it plays out in the monthly sales charts against those that don’t have an offering in that space.
Think Suzuki, Mahindra, Toyota and Hyundai who are knocking about in fourth place, just above Ford, thanks in part to their Exter having found 388 homes last month.
That’s no small achievement.
From the outside the Indian-Made Exter initially looks a bit odd, a bit like a Lego build, almost quirky.
But it’s something different in an array of same-same SUVs whether big or small and it has a sense of individuality and even looks a bit funky.
Either way, Hyundai says it showcases their identity of “Sensuous Sportiness”.
There are three equipment levels and five variants available.
The Exter 1.2 Premium (manual transmission), Exter 1.2 Premium AMT (automated manual transmission), Exter 1.2 Executive (manual), Exter 1.2 Executive AMT and the flagship Exter 1.2 Elite AMT.
We had the 1.2 Executive manual on test, thank goodness, because an AMT is a bit like driving an elastic band wind up car.
It comes with bridge-type roofrails, dynamic spoiler and stands on 15-inch diamond cut alloys giving it 185mm of ground clearance, enough to take on some gravel roads.
All models are powered by a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with 61kW and 114Nm and the manual transmissions are five speed sending power to the front wheels.
Climbing inside there’s a digital instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display and a centre-mounted eight-inch infotainment screen that’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible that also displays the rearview parking camera images.
For its size, it’s surprisingly spacious inside with a host of storage nooks, USB chargers, air-con vents for the rear passengers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with trip computer controls, audio and cruise control switches.
It’s a compact Crossover so don’t expect superior boot space and adult rear passengers may find it a tight squeeze on a long drive but for a young couple it suits the profile perfectly.
There’s not a lot of soft touch and premium materials but everything is put together well and panels align faultlessly providing a quality appeal.
Given that it’s a naturally aspirated 1.2-litre, don't expect to win the robot to robot race, especially at altitude but for the daily suburban run it does the job perfectly.
Joining the highway, especially with three adults and gear in the back for a family braai, you need to thrash the engine to get it up to speed but once there it keeps up with the national speed limit.
The clutch is remarkably light which was a good thing while inching along the N1 from Joburg to Pretoria on a Friday afternoon. The steering is light and direct but as you would expect feedback is limited and you’re not going to be scything through mountain passes so it does as expected.
Even with some hard driving with three-up after a week of testing we recorded fuel consumption figures of 5.9l/100km and that’s another reason to celebrate the little Hyundai.
For a small car it packs a considerable amount of safety features including Six airbags (dual front, side and curtain), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), ISOFIX child seat anchors, ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution, tyre pressure monitoring system and rear parking sensors.
The Hyundai Exter continues their legacy of well appointed safe cars even if it’s on a smaller scale and with a price range of R269,900 to R334,900 it’s boxing clever in that crowded compact space.
And with their seven-year/200,000km warranty, three-year/45,000km service plan and roadside assistance for seven years or 150,000km, you know you’re getting a whole heap of peace of mind.