Automobile manufacturers are catering to all SUV segments including CNG. We decided to pit two of the latest compact SUVs in the market in their CNG avatar, the Hyundai Exter and the Maruti Suzuki Fronx and find out which one comes packed with features.
Hyundai Exter CNG vs Maruti Fronx CNG: Safety
Hyundai hits the ball out of the park when it comes to safety as the Exter comes standard with six airbags. Also, all seats come with seat belt reminders. The Fronx does offer six airbags but that’s only for the top model. The CNG variants come with twin airbags. Like in Exter, all the seats in the Fronx come with 3-point seat belts and ISOFIX seat anchors.
Hyundai Exter CNG vs Maruti Fronx CNG: Rear parking camera
Hyundai has taken a step further when it comes to convenience and ensures that one can safely park their car without getting any scratches or even a dent. The Exter comes equipped with both a rear parking camera and sensors. Hence, one can see where they are reversing the car and know the actual distance. The Fronx gets the tried-and-tested parking sensors that use ultrasonic technology. It detects and calculates the distance between the vehicle and an object. Keep in mind, end of the day the person behind the wheel’s judgement call remains the most important.
Hyundai Exter CNG vs Maruti Fronx CNG: Tyre pressure monitoring system
Apart from the entry-level variant, the Exter comes standard with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). It is actually a first in the segment. TPMS reads out the tyre pressure, sends a warning if it’s low and reads out the distance to empty range. This is a very important feature as the tyre is the only contact patch on the road for a vehicle. Hence, tyre pressure and maintenance are critical as it affects braking and plays a major part in improving fuel efficiency.
Hyundai Exter CNG vs Maruti Fronx CNG: Infotainment system
The Exter sports an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system which comes with a voice command function along with smartphone connectivity — wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Apart from this, the Exter comes packed with six speakers. The Fronx gets a 7-inch touch screen but for more convenience, the system gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The CNG trim comes with four speakers. Both the Exter CNG and the Fronx CNG do not get wireless phone chargers.
Hyundai Exter CNG vs Maruti Fronx CNG: Engine specs and price
The Exter is available in two CNG variants — S CNG and SX CNG. The S is priced at Rs 8.24 lakh and the SX at Rs 8.97 lakh, ex-showroom. The Exter is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine and has an output of 68bhp and 95.2Nm. The Fronx, on the other hand, is also available in two CNG trims — Sigma and Delta. The former is priced at Rs 8.41 lakh and the latter at Rs 9.27 lakh, ex-showroom. The Fronx CNG gets a 1.2-itre powertrain and churns out 76bhp and 113Nm of torque. Both the vehicles are mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
