The Hyundai Inster has made waves on InsideEVs, particularly from our American readers. I’m jealous that its chances of coming to the U.S. are slim to none, especially after watching a video from YouTube's Fully Charged Show. They got a thorough walkaround of an Inster, and the whole package looks mighty impressive.
The Inster isn’t a totally new vehicle. Mostly, it’s the same as the ICE-powered Hyundai Casper, but with some mild styling changes to accommodate and signify its newfound status as an electric car.
The front fascia is about the same as the Casper, save for a new silver grille lower valance, and a blocked-off grille that now has space for a charging port. The rest of the vehicle is mostly the same too, save for the 7.1 inches added to the wheelbase to accommodate the 42 kWh or 49 kWh batteries the car can be equipped with.
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Hyundai’s smallest EV isn’t very big at all, the presenter Jack Scarlett admits that even with the extra bit of length, the Inster is smaller than other dinky EVs like the Dacia Spring, Citroen e-C3 or Jeep Avenger, with only the Fiat 500e being the only car shorter than this car.
Yet that wheelbase addition goes a long way to enhancing the roominess of the car. When Scarlett, who claims to be 6’6” sits behind his driving position in the Inster, he’s amazed that he fits so well. Scarlett also mentions that right now the Inster is a four-seat car, but a five-seat version will be offered as well.
Despite not being a ground-up, dedicated EV platform, it doesn’t appear that the Inster has any sort of packaging compromises compared to the gas-powered Casper. The Inster still is full of the same tricks as the Casper, all of the seats in the cabin can fold flat, including the driver’s seat. The front seat still has the same pseudo-bench seat as the gas model. Overall, it’s a pretty charming interior.
The dashboard is slightly different, though. The gear selector has been replaced with a rotating stick e-shifter as customary for modern automatic transmission Hyundai products, and moved to the column. The displays now have EV-specific data and information. As a whole, Scarlett is impressed with the level of quality and roominess that the Inster provides in such a small package.
For Europe, the Inster will be Hyundai’s smallest and most affordable EV yet, likely starting at or below $25,000. Unfortunately, there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that the Hyundai Inster will come here to the U.S. But, if it did, it looks like it would be a mighty fine, surprisingly charming budget offering. At any rate, more options for us like this, please.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
