Hyundai INSTER Review

​Introduction and model history

So, this is the Hyundai INSTER - which has been named to try and attract Gen Z car buyers. Only nobody told them that, if that’s the case, they should have called it the TikTok or the SnapChat, since only old people like me use Instagram, these days! 

Anyway, the new Hyundai INSTER is based on Hyundai’s existing small city car - the Casper. The Casper is currently only sold in Korea (in my opinion, Casper would have been a better name to stick with!), which is also where it’s built as part of a joint venture with one of the local manufacturers. And that’s what allows Hyundai to reduce costs. 

Speaking of which, Hyundai has confirmed that the INSTER will cost from £23,495 for the 01 trim, or £26,745 for the 02 - a similar amount to its arch rivals, the Renault 5 and Citroen e-C3.  

It's not going to be fast, mind… The 95bhp, 42kWh INSTER will take 11.7sec to get to 62mph. The bigger 49kWh car gets a whopping 113bhp, for a slightly less embarrassing 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds. 

I quite like its looks - its round headlights look like eyes shining out at you. It has a friendly face and the curved panels and high bonnet give it a slightly rugged mini SUV look. You can have it in a choice of 10 colours, and you have the option of going for two tone-paint with a black roof.

Range, battery and charging 

Making a small, low-cost electric car affordable, and squeezing in a battery that offers a decent driving range is… a challenge. The most affordable versions of the Citroen e-C3 and Renault 5 both have LFP batteries with claimed range of just under 200 miles, which the entry-level, 42kWh INSTER Standard Range is on a par with as it manages a WLTP range of 203 miles. The 49kWh Long Range manages 229 miles (or 223 if you go for the higher-spec INSTER 02), which is a bit less than the 250-ish miles that the big battery variants of those same rivals.

We did find the INSTER usefully efficient in the real world, so you’ll actually get pretty close to the claimed range if you spend most of your time in town: we managed 215 miles to a charge from the Long Range model in warm weather with a mix of town and country roads. For most drivers with more varied use including motorway miles, then expect more like 140- 170 miles from the Standard Range model, and 170 – 200 miles from the Long Range, depending on conditions.

The INSTER gets a heat pump on every model, which will help with efficiency and range. You also get vehicle-to-load charging, which is another really useful feature, although it’s optional and only available on the top-spec INSTER 02. 

Peak rapid charging speed is 73kW for the Standard Range battery, and 85kW for the Long Range battery, which means a 30-minute 10-80% charging time provided you plug into a powerful enough charging station. 

A full charge from a standard 7kW home charger will take under eight hours, and standard 11kW AC on-board charger means that you can make the most of the occasional faster AC charger that you normally find in town centres, gym car parks and other ‘destination’ charger locations. 

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Practicality and boot space 

Size wise, the INSTER is what the industry calls an A-segment car, and the rest of us calls a small car or city car. At 3.8m long, it’s roughly the same size as the Dacia Spring, if a tiny bit smaller than the Citroen e-C3. But it is around 20 cm longer than the Korean-market Hyundai Casper, which is good as that should make it more stable, more practical and better suited to European tastes.

It's very clever inside; the driver and passenger seats are fully foldable, and if you go for the 02 model than the two middle row seats are also slidable and can be folded flat, so you can turn this into a tiny van if you want to! The only downside is that the INSTER only seats four, where the e-C3, Grande Panda and Renault 5 all seat up to five (albeit with quite a squeeze). 

As you’d expect, the Hyundai INSTER doesn’t have the most useful boot. There is a modest 238 litres, or those sliding 50/50 split rear seats increase boot space up to 351-litres when they’re slid forwards. There is also storage under the floor for cables, but no frunk. 

Although the INSTER has a bit less space than the e-C3 and Renault 5, it’s also more versatile thanks to the clever seats. It makes you wonder why so few electric family SUVs have useful features like sliding seats, if Hyundai can do it on a dinky little electric car like this?!

Interior, Design/Styling and Technology

The INSTER is pretty cute up front, with houndstooth cloth, an illuminated open tray and map pockets in the doors. Rather like the Volkswagen ID cars (the ID.2 will be another rival to the Hyundai when it finally arrives) there’s a gear selector set behind the steering wheel, which frees up space on the centre console. That, and the flat floor, makes for a clear space between the dash and front seats so that it feels airy and spacious for a small car.  

Standard equipment includes a 10.25-inch TFT ‘Supervision Cluster’ (also known as a driver’s readout) and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a good system that’s familiar from othe Hyundai models, and includes over-the-air updates, charger search function, in-built satnav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Motors, Performance and Handling 

We’ve already mentioned that the INSTER isn’t going to be fast, but it is actually peppy enough for a little car like this, and it feels great in the city. For a recap, the 95bhp, 42kWh INSTER will take 11.7sec to get to 62mph while the bigger 49kWh car gets a whopping 113bhp for a slightly less embarrassing 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds. 

I’ve only driven the big battery car, all around the fabulous streets of Seoul in Korea, and out on some of Korea’s huge motorways, too. The INSTER held its own, and felt capable even at motorway speeds, even if the wider stance and better performance of the Renault 5 makes it feel a bit more at home at higher speeds. The INSTER is actually quieter at motorway speeds than the Renault, though – a bit less wind noise – and because it’s a narrower car it feels even more well suited to narrow, awkward streets and car parks. 

Ride comfort is good in the INSTER, too. There’s lots of body lean, sure – you’d expect that given that this is quite a tall, narrow car on soft suspension. But it soaks up bumps well and is generally 

There are five levels of brake regen’, including three standard modes that you toggle through with the paddles, a heavier ‘i-Pedal’ one-pedal mode for around town, and you can also switch it off altogether. 

Running Costs and Pricing 

Prices will start from £23,495 for the INSTER 01 42kWh, which gets decent equipment including that 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with over-the-air updates, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – although you do have to plug your phone in via the USB connection to get your phone apps mirrored on the screen. 

You'll also get 15-inch alloy wheels, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, climate control and heated door mirrors. You'll also be able to get the 01 with the bigger, 49kWh battery. 

The INSTER 02 starts from £26,745, and gets the 49kWh battery (plus the more powerful electric motor) as standard. It also adds LED lights, roof rails, 64-colour ambient lighting, heated front seats and wireless phone charging. It's a shame that you have to go for this top-spec trim to get the sliding, fold-flat seats that I love so much, and you also have to pay for the 02 before you can add the Tech Pack, which brings the vehicle-to-load charging (with sockets inside and outside the car). For all of those reasons, plus the bigger battery, I’d say that the 02 is worth the extra money and will definitely be more pleasant to live with.

There’s loads of driver assistance tech on every INSTER, of course; you’re basically getting exactly the same kit that you find in the much larger and more expensive IONIQ 5 and 6. It’s got the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assistant, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-spot monitoring, driver attention warning, a rear-view monitor and that adaptive cruise control that I mentioned, to name just a few. While it’s too early to know about Euro NCAP safety scores, the amount of ‘big car’ equipment and safety assistance bodes really well for the INSTER.

As for monthly prices, you'll be able to get the INSTER 01 from £250 per month while the 02 will be around £300 per month. Of course, that’ll depend on your deposit and finance contract terms, but current deals suggest that you’ll get close to these monthly figures even with a very reasonable deposit or part-ex of £5,000 on a three-year contract with an 8,000 mile annual limit.

The INSTER gets a five year, unlimited mileage warranty, which is usefully better than you get on most of the little Hyundai’s rivals. The battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles. 

Verdict 

The Hyundai INSTER is a hugely likeable and very capable little electric car. It’s affordable, cute, efficient and oh so clever! A lot of people may find the better pace and bigger boots of the INSTER’s rivals sways the choice, but I really think that the INSTER is a better city car than any of them, and the tech and interior ingenuity is definitely a big selling point. Mostly, I’m just happy that buyers suddenly have such a great range of affordable EVs to choose from, and while others may be objectively a bit better, I’d take the quirky little Hyundai INSTER every time.

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