- Powered by a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine

- Five-speed manual or five-speed AMT on offer

Hyundai India launched the Exter last week with prices starting at Rs. 6 lakh (ex-showroom) for the entry-level variant. The Exter is an all-new micro SUV, which has been introduced as an alternative to the Tata Punch and the Maruti Suzuki Ignis at the budget end of the market. We have driven it and written a review. However, this time around, we will be comparing the performance of the Exter with its arch-rival, the Punch.

Hyundai Exterengine and gearbox specifications

The Exter gets a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with either a five-speed manual unit or a five-speed AMT unit. This engine produces 82bhp and 114Nm of torque, while the optional CNG version makes 68bhp and 95Nm of torque. As for the Tata Punch, it also gets a 1.2-litre engine that makes 86bhp and 113Nm. So they are really closely matched when it comes to engine size and power output. But what’s the real-world performance of both like? Let’s find out.

Hyundai Exter real-world performance

The Exter is claimed to be one of the fastest cars in its class. According to Hyundai, the manual version can accelerate from 0-100kmph in a little over 12 seconds. While we haven’t tested the manual Exter yet, we did get a chance to test the Exter AMT using our VBOX data logger. The Exter AMT recorded a 0-60kmph time of 7.01 seconds, which is nearly half a second quicker than the Punch AMT which took 7.56 seconds. We also noticed that the Exter’s engine has more to offer at the top-end of the rev range compared to the Punch’s motor, which is reflected in the 0-100kmph time. In fact, the Exter is over two seconds quicker with a time of 15.26 seconds compared to the 17.74 seconds that we recorded with the Punch.