Hyundai Inster: X-ray analysis of the Korean electric crossover

Compact on the outside but spacious on the inside, the car will be available with two battery sizes and a range of up to 220 miles. Arriving in 2025

Photo by: InsideEVs

By: Francesco Barontini

Oct 27, 2024 at 3:44am ET

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The affordable electric car for Hyundai is called the Inster. It derives from the Casper, an equivalent model sold in Korea, and proposes a really interesting approach. It is compact, with an attractive design, and has good overall quality and versatility.

A city crossover with an off-road look, it will launch in the UK early next year, but we already know everything about it.

Hyundai Inster: platform and dimensions

As for the platform, according to official statements, the Inster is built on an all-new base. The idea is, however, that it starts from the base of the Casper, which is not electric, and has used a stretched version modified to accommodate batteries to shorten development time and keep costs down.

In any case, the Inster is 3.82 metres long, 1.61 metres wide and 1.57 metres high. Speaking of length, the Casper stops at 3.6 metres, so the work done by the engineers is substantial. The Inster also has a wheelbase of 2.58 metres.

Length: 3.82 metres
Height: 1.57 m
Width: 1.61 m
Wheelbase: 2.58 m
Weight: 1,300 kg

Hyundai Inster: space on board

Behind distinctive shapes and a sophisticated design lies a practical and versatile model. The car makes good use of the available centimetres and accommodates all occupants without forcing them to make too many sacrifices. Indeed, despite its compact exterior dimensions, even being in the back (it is homologated for four) impresses in terms of both height and legroom. When the five-seater, expected at a later date, arrives, sitting in the middle of the second row will inevitably require some extra constraints.

As for the boot, the Inster offers a compartment that varies in capacity between 238 and 351 litres depending on the position of the rear sofa, which slides longitudinally. Folding it down, it comes to 1,059 litres.

Luggage compartment: 238/351 litres
Frunk: n.d.

Hyundai Inster: software

As for the software, not much has yet been revealed about the Inster. Considering Hyundai's focus on entertainment, however, it is certain that at least the infotelematics will be able to accommodate over-the-air updates. No word on whether they will also affect the powertrain part.

As far as the user interface is concerned, as expected, the Inster also adopts two 10.25-inch monitors. The first, behind the steering wheel, is dedicated to digital instrumentation, the second, a cantilevered touchscreen, is dedicated to infotainment that has maximum connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and also allows voice commands.

Hyundai Inster: battery and range

The Hyundai Inster will debut on the market in two versions. There will be a choice of one powered by a 42 kWh battery or one with a 49 kWh battery. Both batteries are expected to have lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry, but this is awaiting confirmation.

With the first battery, the Inster is equipped with a front motor producing 97 PS and 147 Nm of torque; with the second, the layout remains unchanged, but power increases to 115 PS. With the larger battery, the Inster claims a range of 220 miles according to the WLTP cycle.

Hyundai Inster: recharging

Speaking of recharging, the small Korean car will offer an 11 kW on-board charger as standard on all versions, which will allow the car to be recharged in alternating current in 4 hours and 30 minutes.

In direct current, on the other hand, the Inster will be able to connect to fast charge columns accepting incoming power of up to 85 kW. In the latter case, it should be able to bring the 'State of Charge' from 10% to 80" in about 30 minutes. Not a record value, considering the performance of the Ioniq models, but still a number in line with the competition.

Hyundai Inster: prices

The Hyundai Inster first UK deliveries start in early 2025, with orders expected to open by the end of this year. The company's intentions, however, are clear.

The idea is to compete with the many inexpensive electric cars on the way - from the Renault 5 to the Grande Panda, via the Citroen e-C3 - and for this reason the attack price is set at £23,495.