Maruti Fronx or Hyundai Exter : This small SUV segment is really competitive and one of the hottest in the Indian market. Pour all your blood, sweat, and tears, and there will be an adequately affordable car for the average buyer, but optimally featured in this segment. The fight in the hearts of 2025 is between Maruti Suzuki Fronx and Hyundai Exter. Both brands have their reliability and performance in common, but are they really value for money?
Both sporty and bold
Compared to Baleno, the Maruti Fronx would have a sportier appeal in hatchbacks, but twisty SUV flavorized the design way interior. The sharper front profile has a chrome touch grill with LED DRLs surrounding it. The rear comes in as a coupe shape to catch heads with its dual-tone finish. EXTER, however, looks muscular indeed, more crude for an SUV with the squat headlamps and bold design language. Adventure is in the air with Exter, while Fronx is city-friendly and glamorous.
Interior and Comfort
Even the inside Fronx looks pretty futuristic. A few premiums are the 9″ SmartPlay Pro infotainment touchscreen, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, and a head-up display. The seat quality is good, while rear occupants would find decent legroom. Its interior design is kind of youthful and adventurous, different. Voice commands, a 360-degree camera, an electric sunroof, and a digital instrument cluster push this one somewhat ahead in the tech department.
Engine and Performance
The Maruti Fronx receives two petrol-fed engines-one inline of 1.2-litre and another turbo-petrol of 1.0-liter. The turbo engine is really smooth and responsive with about 100PS output power. The Fronx is said to provide between 20-22 km on average in terms of mileage for a standard vehicle. The Hyundai Exter powertrain is said to be a Kappa 1.2-liter petrol engine, claiming power output of some 83PS while sustaining reasonable fuel economy of around 19-21km/l. Although Fronx’s experience has this slightly sportier and torquier feel, Exter’s riding experience is rather more balanced and comfortable for city driving.
Safety and Features
Both of these are loaded with the latest safety technology. The Fronx comprises six airbags, ESP, hill-hold control, and a rear parking camera. Exter, too, provides some added standard specifications with six airbags, TPMS, and ISOFIX seat mounts. Tough both, but in terms of feel, I guess the structure of the Hyundai Exter feels a little more solid.
Price and Value
The entry price of the Maruti Fronx starts at around 7.5 lakh and goes up to about 13 lakh. Hyundai Exter has an entry range of about 6 lakh and close to 10 lakh. Those who want performance and a premium feel are likely to find Fronx attractive. But for this price, Exter becomes more affordable and thus a better value proposition for a budget buyer.
Bottom Line
Some of the best SUVs in their market today would be the Maruti Fronx and the Hyundai Exter. However, if you are looking for trendy full-fledged sophistication brewed into performance, then by all means, go with the Maruti Fronx. On the contrary, for someone who wants a serious, feature-rich but low-cost city car, he will do well to invest in the Hyundai Exter. Both are strong contenders, and both are bound for lightweight competition in compact SUVs by 2025, each excelling in its own state of the Indian market.