New Hyundai Inster is a tiny electric SUV with an even smaller predicted price

The Hyundai Inster is the latest addition to the Korean brand’s ever-expanding EV line-up. Technically, the Inster is a brand-new car, but it follows a very similar design to the Hyundai Casper; a petrol-powered model which never made it onto our shores.

The Inster is an SUV with city car dimensions that shares the same cutesy exterior styling as the Casper. There’s similar round headlights, a ‘circuit board-style’ bumper and pixel-graphic tail lights, but Hyundai has extended the Inster’s body and wheelbase slightly in order to increase the amount of interior space.

Even with these extensions, the Hyundai Inster is still a pretty tiny car measuring in at just 3,825mm long, 1,610mm wide and 1,575mm tall. These compact dimensions should make it a doddle to drive and park around town, and it’s even a teensy bit practical with its 280-litre boot and the ability to fold all four seats completely flat.

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Naturally, another difference between the new Hyundai Inster and the Hyundai Casper is the lack of a three-cylinder petrol engine. Instead, the Inster is powered by a choice of two fully-electric powertrains, depending on your chosen spec.

The entry-level model is fitted with a single motor producing 96bhp and a 42kWh battery that Hyundai claims will return around 186 miles per charge. Alternatively, a Long-Range variant will also be available with a larger 49kWh battery and 113bhp motor, and this has a claimed 220-mile range. Both versions produce 147Nm of torque.

The 120kW peak DC charging speed should see both of the Inster’s batteries topped up in around 30 minutes, while a full charge from a typical 7.4kW home wallbox charger should take around six hours. In order to boost efficiency, a heat pump will be available but only as an option. There’s also a standard-fit vehicle-to-load function for hooking up external devices.

Inside, the Inster’s pixel theme continues with a smattering of squares throughout the cabin. For a bit of added customisation, Hyundai is offering a selection of door trims which it refers to as ‘garnishes’ (but please don’t try to eat them). 

On both versions of the Inster, the dashboard is dominated by twin 10.25-inch screens; one acting as the instrument cluster and the other as the touchscreen infotainment system. While we’re yet to test the Inster’s software, Hyundai has a pretty good track record of designing straightforward and responsive systems.

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Hyundai is planning to launch the Inster in Korea this summer, and says the car will then arrive on European soil “in due course”. This baby electric SUV will face some other fresh new arrivals in the budget-oriented sector of the market, too, as the Citroen e-C3 and Fiat Grande Panda make their respective debuts on the UK’s roads.

Pricing for the Hyundai Kasper is yet to be officially announced, but the brand’s European marketing boss Andreas-Christoph Hofmann has previously stated that the target figure was around £17,000. For comparison, the Citroen e-C3 starts from around £22,000, so it remains to be seen whether Hyundai will manage to undercut it.

Another version called the Inster Cross will also be added to the line-up at a later date, and this will feature a more rugged and outdoorsy appearance.