Hyundai is entering the electric city car market with the Inster, which has a good range and promises a competitive price, all with a nice design.
If Hyundai is in a good position in the electric segment, the Korean initially focused on compact (Kona) and family vehicles (Ioniq 5 then 6). Good news, its electric offering is expanding with an entry-level proposition, called Inster.
The vehicle is not completely new. This is the 100% electric version of the Casper, launched in 2021 in South Korea. The electric Inster, which will be available from us, is however a little larger. It still remains a small size on the market scale, with a length of 3.82 meters, 10 cm less than the new R5.
If the Inster is not neo-retro like the latter, it can highlight a nice design, with its large round headlights, its swollen fenders and its mini-SUV appearance. The light signatures in the form of pixels connect the model to the Hyundai electric family.
The Inster has a large wheelbase of 2.58 m, which allows it to improve its rear habitability. Good point: the car is equipped with a sliding bench seat. We can thus promote legroom or trunk volume, which varies from 280 to 351 liters. The modularity is careful. The bench seat folds 50/50 forming a flat floor. You can also fold the passenger seat back.
Although the Inster is a small car, it is not low-cost, with a technological driving position. We can see in the first images digital instrumentation and a large 10.25-inch touch screen. It also receives ambient lighting with the possibility of choosing from 64 colors.
Two technical variants are announced. The starting model receives a 97 hp engine with a 42 kWh battery. Hyundai promises at least 300 km of autonomy. Then there is a 115 hp version with a large 49 kWh battery. The range in the WLTP mixed cycle is announced at 355 km, a record for a small city car. As standard, the vehicle receives an 11 kW AC on-board charger. In terms of fast charging, the power can go up to 120 kW.
The Inster will arrive here at the beginning of 2025. The brand has not yet announced a price, but representatives of the manufacturer had mentioned around €22,000 for the entry ticket. Hyundai therefore intends to strike hard for this electric entry-level and come and play spoilsport against the Dacia Spring and Citroën ë-C3.
