Hyundai recently teased its upcoming micro electric SUV based on the Casper on its social media handles. Called Inster, this new battery-powered crossover has now broken covers globally ahead of its debut in several international markets including South Korea, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East.
The electric SUV made its maiden public appearance at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show in South Korea today. Inster will launch first in Korea this summer, followed by other markets in due course. An A-segment sub-compact EV, the Inster is aimed at consumers looking for a small electric car to tackle the urban challenges.
Hyundai Inster: Design & Styling
Visually the Inster is very similar to the Exter, however, the battery-powered crossover is actually bigger than its combustion-powered sibling. The Inster measures 3,825mm, 1,610mm, and 1,575 in length, width, and height respectively. In addition, it offers a wheelbase of 2,580mm. In comparison, the petrol-powered Casper measures 3,595 mm in length, 1,386 mm in width, 1,575 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,400 mm.
Therefore, the Inster dimensionally is closer to the India-spec Exter. This should offer better interior space than Casper. In terms of design, Inster features a comparable split headlamp design on the front facade, with sleek LED DRLs serving as indicators and circular projector LED headlights encircled by new LED DRLs. The sealed-off nose also houses a charging port, much like the Tata Punch EV.
The side profile appears boxy thanks to a flat roofline. Squared wheel arches and roof rails add a hint of rugged SUV appeal. Hyundai will offer either 15-inch steel, 15-inch alloys, or 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels for the Exter range. At the rear, Inster gets Hyundai’s distinctive EV pixel graphics for the tail lamps and indicators.
Colour choices on offer with the Inster include Atlas White, Tomboy Khaki, Bijarim Khaki Matte and Unbleached Ivory, as well as several new hues, such as Sienna Orange Metallic, Aero Silver Matte, Dusk Blue Matte, Buttercream Yellow Pearl, and Abyss Black Pearl. Some exterior paint schemes will be available in two-tone combinations with a contrasting black roof. Its exterior is wrapped in black high- gloss recycled paint, replacing the carbon black pigment traditionally used in black paint with a colouring made from recycled waste tires.
Hyundai Inster: Interiors & Features
Like the exterior, cabin interiors of Inster also utilise sustainable materials like Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from bottles and bio-polypropylene material extracted from sugarcane. Interior trims can be had in either Black, or Khaki Brown and Newtro Beige dual-tone with full cloth trim.
When it comes to features, Inter boasts of a a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, in-built navigation, a wireless charging pad, heated fron seats, 64-colour LED ambient lighting, a one-touch sunroof, and a Hyundai Digital Key 2 Touch (NFC) accessibility. In addition, buyers can also opt for a front bench seat.
The Inster also packs a comprehensive Level 2 ADAS package comprising safety features such as Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Safety Exit Warning (SEW), and Driver Attention Warning (DAW), to name a few. Further, Hyundai is offering External and internal Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality that allows bi-directional charging to take place, to and from external devices.
Hyundai Inster: Powertrain specs
Inster is available in two derivatives: Standard and Long Range. The former gets a 42 kWh battery that returns a peak range of at least 300 km (WLTP) on a single charge. The latter gets a 49kWh battery pack which promises a range of 355 km (WLTP) on a single charge. Both variants send energy to a single front axle mounted motor generating 71.1 kW (96 bhp) in the base variant and 84.5 kW (114 bhp) in the Long-Range iteration.
Peak torque is identical at 147 Nm. Top speeds are rated at 140 kmph and 150 kmph for the standard and Long Range variants, respectively. On using a 120 kW DC fast charger, the battery can be replenished from 10 to 80 percent in around 30 minutes. In addition, Hyundai will offer a 11kW AC onboard charger which takes 4 hours; and 4 hours 35 minutes to charge the batteries completely.
