Another hotly contested segment in the Indian automotive business is the newly-conceived โ micro-SUV space. It is currently dominated by the oldest member of this space โ Tata Punch. Off late, Maruti Suzuki Fronx and Hyundai Exter have also joined this segment. But how are these vehicles performing against the Exter, which is ruling the roost? Well, the Fronx is certainly doing better on the sales tally, in comparison to the Hyundai Exter. Last month, Tata Punch recorded sales of 14,523 units, which is a hike of 21 per cent on a year-on-year basis. The micro-SUV could find 12,006 buyers in the corresponding month last year.
The Maruti Suzuki Fronx registered sales of 12,164 units in the month of August this year. The Fronx was launched in the country this year itself. The Baleno-based crossover is rather warmly received by the Indian audience. After all, it brings the Maruti Suzukiโs reliable 1.2L NA petrol motor and punchy 1.0L turbo-petrol motor to the table. While it has slightly jacked-up and softer suspension than the Baleno, it retains all the practical aspects of the premium hatchback. Moreover, the Fronx has increased ground clearance than the Baleno.
The Hyundai Exter, on the other hand, found 7,430 buyers in the month of August. Like the Fronx and Punch, the Exter is on sale with a 1.2L NA petrol motor. The SUV, however, gets a host of segment-first features, namely dual-cam dash cam, voice-enabled sunroof and more. The Exter is also the only car in its segment, which comes with 6 airbags as standard affair across the range. Also, it gets steering-mounted paddle shifters with an AMT. Talking of prices, the Exter starts from Rs 5.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The Punch and Fronx, on the other hand, start from Rs 6 lakh and Rs 7.47 lakh, ex-showroom.
