Photography- Vaibhav Dhanawade
Roadtrips are always fun. This time though, we decided to go a step ahead and make ours a special one. Over the years, Hyundai’s Great India Drive has given us an opportunity to club driving, an activity we enjoy the most as petrolheads, to exploring our vast country and discover something new about it. This year’s GID turned out to be extra-special though. 2023 marked 50 years of Project Tiger, the biggest and most successful conservation program for the large cat globally. And as our national animal, the tiger has always been a subject of immense interest, besides which I was excited to get to drive through the Nilgiri mountain ranges and also spot a tiger hopefully, in the Mudumalai National Park.
Our choice of wheels was Hyundai’s newest SUV, the Exter. It is the smallest SUV in Hyundai’s line-up, but contrary to popular belief, that adds a certain charm to it. One reason behind this is that the Exter combines the character of an effortless urban SUV with an adventurous streak unlike anything else at its price point, offering a very unique all-round experience. It’s design also makes the Exter stand out, especially in this ‘Ranger Khaki’ paint scheme that complements the Exter’s suitability as an outdoorsy SUV.
We started out from Coimbatore, first heading towards the picturesque hill station of Ooty that sits tucked away in the southernmost section of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu. The early morning traffic getting out of Coimbatore was a surprise, but the Exter felt effortless thanks to its direct steering and compact dimensions. The Exter is also on offer with a AMT (including paddle shifters, an industry- first!), but we were driving the manual version that has a light clutch which ensured driving at crawling speeds was a breeze.
We also crossed several villages where we found ourselves surrounded by scores of two- and three- wheelers, but the Exter ensured I was able to keep my cool by offering an excellent view from behind the wheel. It was also staying true to its character, allowing me to negotiate through the unruly traffic with utmost ease. Soon after Mettupalayam we started climbing uphill and the highway turned into a set of narrow twisties. As we ascended, we were also greeted by some stunning views as the clouds seem to have come down to greet us. This is also where the Exter’s 1.2-litre, four cylinder petrol engine showcased its strengths, helping make it feel perfect for the driving conditions. With 83PS and 114Nm on tap and a particularly strong bottom end grunt, the free-revving engine ensured I could accelerate quickly and didn’t need to shift down too often either. The slick-shifting 5-speed manual gearbox kept me enthused too. Effectively, coupled with its small size and direct steering the Exter’s affable powertrain helped me overtake other vehicles and squeeze through gaps without breaking a sweat.
Passing through the picturesque tea estates in Coonoor was a joy and spotting the toy train was an added bonus. That’s besides the bonuses offered by the Exter in the form of its extensive feature list which includes an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, fully-digital instrument cluster with switchable themes and multi-lingual support, voice commands in multiple languages, electric sunroof, in-built navigation and more. The Exter’s striking design was turning heads too, especially with the unique H-shaped LED DRLs at the front and gloss black applique at the rear. And while it is a compact SUV, the Exter’s interiors make it feel like a much larger SUV belonging to a segment above, thanks to the spaciousness coupled with high quality plastics and upholstery. The large glass panels and sunroof add to the cabin’s airiness, besides accentuating its suitability as an SUV for explorers.
Soon after crossing Ooty we headed down towards Mudumalai. The SUV made light work of the narrow downhill sections, helping us descend effortlessly, while the clean forest air outside gave us an opportunity to roll our windows down to breathe the fresh air and listen to the sounds of nature. But guess what, the Exter lets you enjoy the same even with its windows up. Its infotainment system packs in a range of ‘sounds of nature’, from those of sea waves to sounds from jungles, making for a soothing feel, irrespective of where you are driving to ensure you are never far from the calmness of nature.
Mudumalai is one of the biggest tiger reserves in India and is spread across an expansive 32,000 hectares. It is home to around 162 tigers, a highly commendable number. Sitting at 1,140m above sea level the park features a network of fair weather tracks and observation towers. Wildlife is visible along the highway too, making for a convenient option for those short on time. We spotted throngs of deer out for grazing, who seemed unperturbed by the vehicles whizzing past, barely metres away. The sight made me smile, since such a peaceful co- existence of human beings and animals is rare.
We also spotted a lone Sambar and hundreds of monkeys, even before going in for our jungle safari. The Exter in fact felt perfectly at home even inside the forest, especially with its compact footprint, ease of driving and 185mm ground clearance. The safari was quite an experience and we spotted various wildlife, including some rare sightings like the Indian bison, a sloth bear, some hyenas and Indian langurs sitting on a grand Indian fig tree enjoying the fruit. But unfortunately, the king of the jungle, the tiger, seemed elusive. We were told the latest spotting was that of a tigress a couple of days ago, which raised our hopes, but all we managed to spot was a pugmark!
The Mudumalai forest reserve is reputed as a safe haven for Indian Tigers and over the years, their numbers in the national park have grown steadily as its environment is ideal for them to thrive. This is besides the fact that the Indian government’s Project Tiger has expanded from just nine tiger reserves to as many as 53 Tiger reserves over the past five decades. In fact not just tigers, these reserves have also helped other endangered flora and fauna to thrive. Of course, one cannot ignore other environmental advantages of Project Tiger either, like curbing and controlling carbon dioxide levels, micro-climate enhancement, aiding rainfall and many more.
Project Tiger was setup in 1973 and it is noteworthy that thanks to it, India plays a pivotal role in tiger conservation globally today. Our nation is also home to 75 percent of the world’s tiger population — a fact worth roaring about! And exploring the jungles the way we did with it, the Hyundai Exter was feeling like a playful and energetic little tiger cub, ready to roar. It may be Hyundai’s smallest SUV but defies confinement to concrete jungles and is certainly excellent for exploring new places, or heading out into the wild like we did with it!
