Forget three-tonne SUVs – this is what electric cars should be about. Cheap, emissions-free motoring in urban areas.
The Hyundai Inster will soon go on sale and, when it launches, it’ll be priced from £23,495.
Compared to the £14,995 Dacia Spring and the sub-£16k Leapmotor T03 – and petrol city cars like the £16,030 i10 – the Inster might look expensive. But it’s more car than the Dacia, with a much more powerful motor and a longer range, and it’s far more characterful than a T03 or i10.
Hyundai’s finance offering pegs the entry-level Inster at £249 per month with a £500 manufacturer deposit contribution, or £296 for a top-spec bigger-battery model. A top-spec i10 isn’t far off that, according to the brand’s finance calculator.
Two trim levels are available. The entry-level Inster 01 is stunningly well equipped for such a small car, with 15-inch alloy wheels, two 10.25-inch screens – a touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera and climate control.
If you feel the need to jump up to the 02 trim level, you’ll gain 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, privacy glass, roof rails, 64-colour ambient lighting, heated front seats and wireless phone charging. Optionally, you can add a black contrast roof and a Tech Pack to the 02 trim level – comprising Vehicle-to-Load charging functionality and the ability to unlock the car with a smartphone. 02 trim is only available with the bigger battery and costs £26,745.
Battery sizes are 42kWh and 49kWh, with 97hp and 115hp electric motors respectively. Hyundai promises a range of up to 229 miles for the 49kWh battery with 15-inch wheels. The smaller battery should return up to 189 miles.
What’s more impressive is that the Inster gets a heat pump as standard, which makes the car more efficient in the depths of winter. The Vehicle-to-Load function lets you power other electrical devices like laptops and e-scooters from the car’s battery.
The Inster – badged as the Hyundai Casper in its home market of Korea – boasts chunky SUV styling and cute details, like the oversized round headlights.
Top-spec cars also get sliding rear seats, which increases the available boot space from 238 to 351 litres. Fold-flat front seats are fitted to 02 cars, too, allowing you to use the Inster as a teeny tiny campervan.
Want to see the Inster as soon as possible? It’s on a UK tour of 86 Hyundai dealerships until December.
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