What To Expect From Hyundai’s All-Electric Inster

By Jeremy Taylor & Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby

3 months ago

This all-electric model has paint made from old tyres and door panels manufactured from sugarcane

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What To Expect From Hyundai's All-Electric Inster

Hyundai’s ultra-cool city car is about to shake-up the EV market with sustainable features that aren’t just greenwashing. Here’s what you need to know about the Hyundai Inster.

Car Preview: Hyundai Inster

JT – How was your rail trip to Amsterdam Fashion Week to discover the sustainability of the forthcoming Inster – another fantastic-looking car from Hyundai?

J-TP – What a machine! The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N took the 2024 World Performance Car title, marking the company’s fourth World Car Award win for the IONIQ 5 line-up in the last three years. Let’s hope the Inster can do just as well.

So, what’s so special about the Inster? I admit, it really does look cool.

Well, it’s slightly longer than the petrol i10 but will become the smallest electric car in the Hyundai stable. The first deliveries are expected in January and prices are expected to be less than £25,000.

Which will put it on collision course with the new Renault 5 electric car. Being French, that EV naturally is equipped with a baguette holder and will cost roughly the same.

The Hyundai doesn’t have that kind of retro appeal to fall back on, but it will manage 220 miles on one charge pf the 42 kWh battery and offers more practicality, thanks to a higher roofline that frees up interior space.

But it does have old-school round headlights, and what a funky interior!

Yes, but let’s discuss sustainability first. At my Inster workshop, I learnt that the Hyundai has black gloss paint made from recycled tyres and bio-polypropylene door panels extracted from sugarcane.

Recycled plastics are used throughout the interior, right?

Yes – and the Amsterdam trip was to show how that material fabric could be used to make an exclusive collection of clothing. Very clever.

Whether you like a plethora of safety features or not, the Inster has all the latest driver aids. That includes lane-keeping assist, blind spot mirrors and parking sensors both front and rear.

I read it can also convert into a mini camper van?

That’s correct. The rear seats slide back and forth, but all the seats will also fold completely flat to create a cosy bed for two. Wireless phone charging, a 10-inch screen and digital keys are also included.

At least it has physical buttons for the climate control!

I thought you would like that. A key rival for the Dacia Spring and Skoda Epiq EVs, we can’t wait to test it.