Jonny Hill's try and two Joe Simmonds kicks put Exeter 13-11 up at half-time after Gabriel Ibitoye's score and a Marcus Smith penalty edged Quins ahead.

Nine further points from the boot of Simmonds ensured that last season's Premiership runners-up prevailed.

But Quins made the hosts work hard when Ibitoye's second try got them to within three points late on.

Quins at least picked up a losing bonus point in a Premiership opener that suffered from both sides having players still on international duty at the World Cup.

Three of Exeter's five that remain in Japan were in action just hours earlier, when Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie helped England through to the semi-finals with victory over an Australian side that included Chiefs team-mate Nic White.

Harlequins' Kyle Sinckler was among the try scorers for England, for whom club-mate Joe Marler came off the bench.

In Devon, Ibitoye was a livewire for Quins from the outset and had a early try disallowed when his foot brushed the touchline on the way to crossing in the corner.

Smith soon gave the Londoners the lead, only for Simmonds to level things up with his first penalty on 24 minutes after a scrappy period from both sides.

Ibitoye then grabbed the game's first try, only for Hill to respond by crossing to edge Exeter ahead for the first time.

Further penalties were traded before the break, with a third successful three-pointer from Smith on 52 minutes again putting the visitors in front.

But that is as good as it got for Quins, as three more Simmonds kicks put the result beyond doubt.

Exeter Chiefs: Bodilly; O'Flaherty, Whitten, Hendrickson, Woodburn; J Simmonds, Maunder; Hepburn, Yeandle (capt), Williams, Dennis, J Hill, Kirsten, Vermeulen, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Taione, Moon, Street, Lonsdale, Kvesic, Maunder, Steenson, S Hill.

Harlequins: Brown; Murley, Marchant, Tapuai, Ibitoye; Smith, Landajo; Garcia Botta, Baldwin, Collier, Symons, Lewies, Robshaw (capt), Evans, Lawday.

Replacements: Elia, Lambert, Kerrod, Young, Dombrandt, Mulchrone, Lang, Morris.

Referee: Christophe Ridley (England).