New urban-friendly Hyundai Inster EV will offer up to 350km of range, and it’s coming to Australia in early 2025
The small, affordable electric-car market is hotting up, and the latest entrant is looking to turn things on its head.
The Hyundai Inster is equipped with a 42 kWh battery as standard, but it’s the larger 49 kWh layout that’s set to steal the headlines.
Hyundai says the ‘Long Range’ car is capable of a rather conservative (and estimated, at this stage) 4.1 mi/kWh (15.1 kWh/100km). The standard car will do 290 km on a charge.
The base car gets a 72 kW (96 bhp) electric motor, while the Long Range version is boosted to 84 kW (113 bhp), making it capable of 0-100 km/h in 10.6 seconds.
Top speed stands at 140 km/h or 150 km/h depending on whether you opt for the Standard or Long Range model, though torque is rated at 147 Nm across the board.
All cars get a 120 kW maximum DC charging rate, which Hyundai says makes the Inster good for a 10-80 per cent top-up in 30 minutes.
The city car will charge at 11 kW (AC) where conditions allow, meaning a full charge of the bigger battery is possible in four hours and 35 minutes. The charge port (both AC and DC) is located on the nose, and it will also feature Vehicle to Load (V2L) technology.
The Hyundai Inster’s body and wheelbase have been stretched slightly compared with the petrol Casper – presumably to accommodate the new car’s EV powertrain.
Measuring 3,825 mm long, 1,610 mm wide and 1,575 mm tall, the Hyundai Inster is markedly more compact than the smallest EVs currently offered in Australia – the BYD Dolphin (4,070mm long), GWM Ora (4,235mm) and MG 4 (4,287mm).
Hyundai claims 280 litres of boot space, or 351 litres with the sliding rear seats pushed fully forward. The upright stance should provide decent headroom inside.
The Inster’s design is distanced from other Hyundai EVs, thanks to its unique proportions and bold front end. Much of the look has been lifted from the petrol-powered Casper, so the only real tie-in with the brand’s Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Kona EV models is the pixel-style lighting signatures to the front and rear.
Cladding along the sills and wheelarches gives the Hyundai Inster more pseudo-SUV style than the Casper, complemented by a set of roof rails and silver scuff plates at both ends. As on the Casper, the rear door handles are hidden in the C-pillar.
Inside, the Inster features a “walk-through” front cabin with fold-flat seating for all four seats. There’s no centre console as such; instead, the front seats merge into a kind of bench, with a pair of cupholders nestled within, plus a fold-down armrest to create some separation.
Exact specifications haven’t been announced, but Hyundai says “most equipment and technologies will come fitted as standard” with some of the “enhanced convenience and design features available optionally”.
A choice of 15-inch steel wheels or 15 or 17-inch alloy wheels will be available, alongside big-car features such as an opening glass roof and 64-colour ambient lighting. The suite of safety kit isn’t lacking either, with Hyundai listing features like an around-view monitor, blind-spot warning and autonomous emergency braking.
The dashboard boasts twin 10.25-inch displays with navigation and wireless phone charging; heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are also available.
The switchgear is all familiar Hyundai fare – there are plenty of physical switches for things like the climate control and media functions – and the Inster inherits the Ioniq models’ illuminated spots on the steering wheel, which light up when the car is charging.
Hyundai will offer an extensive palette of exterior colours, and customers can choose from either black, or Khaki Brown and Newtro Beige two-tone interior trim.
The maker says the Inster features plenty of sustainable materials, including paint made from tyres, plus recycled bottles and bio-polypropylene material “extracted from sugarcane” in the cabin.
Hyundai says the Inster will first launch in the brand’s home market, before going on sale in Europe “in due course”.
Will the Hyundai Inster come to Australia?
The Hyundai Inster is indeed confirmed for Australia, arriving in early 2025.
How much will the Hyundai Inster cost in Australia?
Pricing is unclear, although our colleagues at Auto Express are anticipating a £22,000 starting point over there, which converts to just over $40,000 AUD.
Buyers will be hoping Hyundai can pull the price closer to $35,000 – given the larger ‘small EVs’ listed above are all priced just under $40K in Australia.
The company has also confirmed a “more rugged, outdoor-focused” Inster Cross model will join the range in the future, including Australia.
Richard Ingram & Automotive Daily / Mike Stevens