Hyundai Inster: The Ideal Electric City Car

The Hyundai Inster is generating a lot of excitement as a small and practical electric car, specifically designed to meet the needs of residents in major cities. Despite its compact size, which might be its most prominent feature, this distinctive car possesses a great deal of charm and practicality that makes it a beloved choice.

Inster is South Korea's response to the increasing influx of small and affordable Chinese electric vehicles dominating global markets, such as BYD Dolphin, MG4, and GWM Ora. Although Inster is smaller (but taller) than these competitors, it boasts impressive qualities like ample rear legroom and reliable driver-assistance technologies. It represents a paradigm shift in the entry-level EV segment, especially in markets like Australia.

Among the aspects that might hinder the Inster's widespread adoption is its relatively high price for a small car. Although it offers excellent driving range and high efficiency for its battery size and overall performance, you might find cars that provide a better overall experience, such as the MG4, within the same price bracket.

However, the Hyundai Inster possesses unique characteristics that the MG4 lacks, such as elegance, sophistication, and a compact yet practical design. The Inster appears to be an iconic car, not necessarily resembling a Mini Cooper S or Mazda MX-5, but it gives the impression of an electric car designed for a specific lifestyle, rather than just a means of transportation.

The Hyundai Inster is designed to keep pace with current demands, and despite some challenges, it is considered one of the best electric cars available in its segment.

Key Hyundai Inster Specifications:

• Country of Manufacture: South Korea
• Prices (approximate):
  • Inster / Inster 01 (UK): £23,505 / AU$39,000
  • Inster Extended Range / Inster 02 (UK): £26,755 / AU$42,500
  • Inster Cross: £28,755 / AU$45,000
• Range (WLTP):
  • Inster / Inster 01 (UK): 327 km
  • Inster Extended Range / Inster 02 (UK) / Cross: 360 km
• Battery Size:
  • Inster / Inster 01 (UK): 42 kWh
  • Inster Extended Range / Inster 02 (UK) / Cross: 49 kWh
• Power / Torque:
  • Inster / Inster 01 (UK): 71 kW / 147 Nm
  • Inster Extended Range / Inster 02 (UK) / Cross: 85 kW / 147 Nm
• Maximum Charging Speed: 10.5 kW AC / 120 kW DC (in the UK, Inster 01 up to 73 kW, Inster 02 and Cross up to 85 kW)
• Advertised Recharging Speed (DC): 10% to 80% in 30 minutes
• Drivetrain: Front-Wheel Drive (FWD)
• Dimensions: 3,825 × 1,610 × 1,610 mm (Length × Width × Height)
• Boot Capacity: 280 liters / 1,059 liters (with rear seats folded)

Hyundai Inster Interior Design and Features:

The Hyundai Inster achieved its slender design by eliminating the middle seat in the second row and offering a smaller-than-usual battery. The largest available battery capacity is 49 kWh, a size that might not seem large compared to some other electric cars, making it both a strength and a weakness, depending on the user's perspective and driving needs. Although the total range per charge might be lower, the DC fast-charging capability is sufficient in the UK (73 kW for the Inster 01 and 85 kW for the Inster 02/Cross) and impressive in Australia (120 kW for all three models).

This car appears to have been meticulously designed to enhance comfort for residents in densely populated urban areas. As it is based on the petrol-powered Hyundai Casper (which first appeared in 2021), Hyundai has invested years in creating a highly compact and practical design. The Inster focuses on providing smart solutions for urban mobility, leveraging the Casper platform, which has proven effective in offering interior space despite its small exterior dimensions, and adapting it to meet the requirements of modern electric vehicles.

Despite its compact exterior design, the Inster offers ample and smart interior space. In the front, Hyundai has added convenient storage compartments, including a practical phone holder (ideal for wired Android Auto/Apple CarPlay applications) and a shelf extending across the dashboard below the infotainment screen. There is also a practical pocket below the central column and a wireless charging pad, although wireless charging may sometimes be interrupted due to phone movement or overheating.

The Inster lacks a center console between the driver and front passenger seats, but this design contributes to providing a large and open space. There is a central armrest that can be folded up and down over the cup holders, and it is connected to the driver's seat; when raised, this design creates a sofa-like seating area that extends from edge to edge in the front row, giving a feeling of spaciousness and flexibility.

This feature reveals one of the Inster's best aspects: the ability to move the front seats all the way back, allowing for easy sliding from one door to the other. This is a highly practical feature if parking space is tight on the driver's side, or for moving inside the car to avoid rain when getting out. It's a great addition that enhances the car's practicality in crowded urban environments.

The rear seats are equally comfortable. Similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the rear row can slide back and forth on rails, allowing you to give rear passengers more generous legroom, or alternatively, expand the boot capacity when needed. For a small car like this, this feature is a game-changer, and although cars like the BYD Dolphin and MG4 might offer more rear legroom, neither provides the Inster's unique flexibility. The boot also has a manual flap in the floor that reveals additional storage space, which can be used for emergency tools and a home EV charger.

These practical aspects combine to make the Inster, regardless of its limited range, a very good car overall. The car has proven its efficiency on long journeys; on a trip with the extended-range model from Sydney to Newcastle (approximately 160 km north), the car provided perfectly adequate space to carry all the essentials for a family trip, including a child seat. After overnight charging at home, the range was sufficient for the return journey with 40% charge remaining upon arrival, confirming its reliability for out-of-city trips.

Overall, the Hyundai Inster strives to assert that it is much more reliable than its size suggests. The car might feel cramped if full of passengers, and it might handle road bumps less comfortably at times, but it will handle weekend trips with ease, provided charging points are available during the absence. Given the battery size, charging doesn't take long. Its range isn't the best, but it's efficient given the car's efficiency and fast DC charging speed.

Aesthetically, the Inster might appear attractive from all angles externally, but its most beautiful aspects are found inside. Lower-priced models come with Houndstooth fabric upholstery, an appealing design that gives the interior a comfortable, home-sofa-like feel. While artificial leather seats are standard in the Cross trim (the top model), the fabric pattern gives the car a unique and endearing character.

In addition to the pleasing aesthetics, small details on the interior door trim evoke Phillips head screws, giving the car a distinctive character. The same can be said for the wheel design across all three trims (which varies from car to car), which appears to have been meticulously and thoughtfully crafted.

There's also a significant amount of refinement in the operating system. Hyundai's software, sometimes known as the ccNC (Connected Car Navigation Cockpit) operating system, still offers a better interactive user experience compared to what you'll find in other similarly priced electric cars. Although there have been some criticisms of previous versions of Hyundai's system in other cars like the Kia EV5, in an economical car like the Inster, these points can be overlooked given the car's overall appeal and practicality. The ccNC system offers an intuitive user interface with support for over-the-air (OTA) updates and advanced connectivity features, enhancing the daily driving experience.

If you're not a fan of Hyundai's operating system, the car offers full support for wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There's a USB port to access these features above a shelf on the passenger side of the front seats, giving you a practical place to put your phone while charging, although this spot is far from the wireless charger, which might cause some confusion.

The Inster also features numerous physical buttons for climate control, changing tracks, and radio modes, a feature many prefer, as many modern cars completely disregard physical buttons. This enhances ease of use and reduces distraction while driving.

Finally, Hyundai's driver-assistance systems have been particularly refined since the Ioniq 5 (released in 2021). Lane Keeping Assist is robust and superior to the Inster's direct competitors, with physical buttons on the steering wheel to adjust cruise control. Other advanced safety features in the Hyundai Inster include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, as well as Highway Driving Assist (HDA) in some higher trims, which enhances driver confidence and passenger safety.

Areas for Improvement in the Hyundai Inster:

One of the main criticisms leveled at the Hyundai Inster is that its price is not competitive enough, but in my opinion, this largely depends on the target market. While the MG4 starts from £26,995 / AU$34,990 and the BYD Dolphin from £26,205 / AU$29,990, the Inster starts from £23,505 / AU$39,000. Therefore, the price is only an issue in some markets, similar to the Chery Omoda E5 I recently tested. However, keep in mind that the UK has a large number of cheaper electric cars on the market – such as the Dacia Spring (£14,995), the Leapmotor T03 (£15,995), and the BYD Dolphin Surf (£18,650). Some analysts in Australia believe that the Hyundai Inster's price of AU$39,000 is considered high compared to some competitors that offer greater range or additional features for approximately the same price, making it less attractive to buyers looking for the best value for money in a market filled with increasing options.

To be clear, I believe the Inster's price is ideal for the UK market. Its suite of features, including its range, operating system, elegance, and driver-assistance tools, makes its asking price highly attractive and well-competitive within this segment.

In Australia… I wish the price were lower. These prices are recommended retail prices without shipping costs, and with that added, they approach the cost of electric cars with far more features. Australian market reviews show that consumers often look for electric cars that offer a good balance between price, range, and features, and they might find that the Inster, despite its appeal, falls into a price category that could push them towards other options offering greater advantages.

In fact, I believe the MG4 is a better car overall, with a better rear-wheel drive system and a range of trims that cater to a wider market with different requirements, but the Inster exists to be more comfortable and practical for specific uses. I don't think it necessarily needs to be cheaper than the MG4, considering the car's refinement, but I do believe Hyundai should be more realistic in my local market. This is a significant amount of money for a car with only slightly more storage space than a 3-door Mini!

Moving on from pricing, I was slightly disappointed with the driver's seat adjustment. One of my shorter friends, when sitting in the seat, wished it could rise higher, but unfortunately, its manual adjustment could only go so high. This could pose a challenge for some drivers in finding the ideal driving position.

Additionally, it's somewhat strange that none of the trims include automatic seats. This isn't a deal-breaker for the Inster, but with other affordable electric cars offering this feature (at least in more expensive trims – even if only for the driver's seat in some cases), it's on my wishlist for an Inster update. Also on this list would be wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, or at least converting the connection to USB-C, to enhance ease of use and reduce cable clutter.

On a broader note, I genuinely wished the Inster had rear-wheel drive. I understand, car enthusiasts don't need to tell me, front-wheel drive is more cost-effective on a large scale – but this isn't a truly cheap car, is it? As I mentioned earlier, this is an area where the MG4 has a clear advantage – the latter feels significantly better on the road, and the additional acceleration in the MG4 is a bonus, giving it a sportier driving dynamic.

I don't have any other major criticisms, except that it would have been great to have a surround-view camera in the Extended Range/Inster 01 model – although these models do have a capable rear camera. Surround view is included in the Cross trim, but many other features in the Cross don't really appeal to me, such as the fake leather seats I mentioned earlier (the Houndstooth pattern adds much more character). An options package to add things like a sunroof, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel could be very useful for better customizing the car to consumers' desires.

Should You Buy the Hyundai Inster?

I love the Hyundai Inster – among the cars I've tested in 2025, it's my favorite electric car so far and may well rise to be my favorite EV of all time. However, its small size is undeniably divisive, making it attractive to people looking for a small, practical car (such as those living in the city) and unsuitable for those looking for a larger daily driver requiring more interior space.

I encourage you to consider the Inster if you're shopping at the entry point to the world of electric cars. Hyundai's cheapest mass-market car competes with its affordable Chinese rivals (and most of their features), surpassing them with a more premium experience. It might lack some extra technology, but it compensates with charm and style.

If you're shopping for an electric car at this price point, I highly recommend the MG4 and its various trims for a car with a better road feel, or the BYD Dolphin if you want a car packed with technology. Otherwise, if you can get a good price, the Hyundai Inster might be the electric car you've been waiting for to meet your urban mobility needs efficiently and stylishly.