UK Drive: The Hyundai Inster is a cleverly packaged urban EV

What is it?

The city car segment has rapidly shrunk in recent years, and that’s largely because of the rapid uptake in EVs and SUVs.

However, Hyundai thinks differently and to try and kickstart a dying sector, it has introduced a small, urban city car that is battery-powered – welcome to the Hyundai Inster.

A compact five-door hatchback with rugged SUV elements to make this little car stand out from the crowd. Plus, with it competing with the likes of the Citroen e-C3 and Renault 5, the little Inster has a few tricks up its sleeve.

What’s new?

The Inster is Hyundai’s smallest electric car on sale in the UK and comes purely with electric power.

But it’s what’s inside that counts, with the Inster promising class-leading interior space with cleverly packaged seating, a tall roofline and lots of cubby spaces to make everyday life that little bit easier.

It comes in three different flavours, and there is a more rugged ‘Cross’ variant for those wanting the off-road look.

Plus, with its funky exterior design, the car looks like nothing else out on the road and incorporates Hyundai’s new pixel-themed headlight design.

What’s under the bonnet?

There is a choice of two battery packs with the Inster, but it’s the Long Range 49kWh unit that we’re driving.

In terms of performance, the single electric motor produces 113bhp and 147Nm of torque, while 0-60mph is dispatched in 10.4 seconds and the car will run onto a top speed of 93mph.

Our test car comes fitted with the larger 17-inch alloy wheels, which Hyundai claims cause the electric range to drop from 229 miles to 223 miles on a single charge. The car is compatible with up to 80kW DC rapid charging, allowing for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up to take 30 minutes.

What’s it like to drive?

The Inster is in its natural habitat around town, due to its compact dimensions and handy one-pedal driving function, which takes the strain out of stop-and-start city driving.

Visibility is excellent due to the large glass area and you sit fairly high up, giving you a clearer view of the road ahead.

Out on the open road, the car can hold its own, too. The car can easily cruise at 70mph on the motorway without any struggle and its efficiency of 5.1 miles/kWh is excellent.

The handling is more than acceptable enough for a car of this type, although you wouldn’t describe it as engaging with an inert steering feel. The ride also tends to skip and hop over the rutted surfaces in the road and there is a bit of tyre roar at higher speeds.

However, the car still feels eager and energetic out on the road, giving it a fun and youthful character.

How does it look?

The car’s design has a very distinctive look, and that’s due to the pixel front headlights and circular LED daytime running lights.

The side profile features flared wheel arches and the hidden rear door handles give the car a sportier three-door appearance.

At the back, the pixel theme is carried over to the rear tail lights and there are circular reflector lenses mounted in the bumper, which also feature the indicators and reverse lights.

To finish off, our test car comes as standard with the roof rails, giving it that mini-SUV look.

Also, there are lots of quirky colours on offer with our test car finished off in Aero Silver Matte paintwork, but you can also get Sienna Orange and Buttercream Yellow.

What’s it like inside?

It may sound like a cliche, but the Inster does feel like a Tardis inside.

At the front, there is a bench-like seat design allowing for more shoulder space and the addition of two cup holders makes taking drinks with you a lot easier. There are handy little pockets located on the dashboard, as well as a shelf and hooks to hang bags and other little nooks and crannies.

There are several different accessories too, with our test car featuring the door card photo garnishes, which are translucent plastic storage holders to hold photos, which just adds that little bit more style to the interior design.

Also, Hyundai keeps the tradition of physical buttons for almost everything, including the climate, radio and the steering wheel controls.

The boxy design means that rear seat space is positively cavernous, with so much legroom, it feels you could fit another row of seats in front of you, and the headroom is excellent as well.

Boot space stands at 238 litres, but the rear bench can slide back and forth to create even more room, taking overall space to 351 litres. Furthermore, the 50:50 split rear seats fold flat, giving you a total of 1,059 litres. Best of all, is that the front seats can fold completely flat as well, turning the Inster into a micro campervan and making it one of the most versatile city cars on the market.

What’s the spec like?

All models are very well equipped, with the entry-level ‘01’ model coming in at £23,495. It includes an efficiency-boosting heat pump, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, keyless entry with push-button start and 15-inch alloy wheels.

We’re driving the ‘02’ model, which pushes the price up to £26,745 and boasts 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, LED rear tail lights and LED front headlights.

If you want a more rugged version, then Hyundai has you covered with the Inster Cross, which is priced from £28,745 and includes skid plates, black wheel arch cladding and lime green accents on the interior trim.

For an additional cost, all models can be specified with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which allows electrical appliances to be plugged in using the car’s battery.

Verdict

Hyundai has struck gold with the Inster. This little Korean hatchback beats the competition when it comes to interior space, practicality and efficiency.

A Renault 5 might be a little sharper to drive, and the e-C3 is slightly cheaper, but the Inster is better equipped, has a cheekier charm and looks fantastic out on the road.

If you’re looking for your first EV and want an urban city car that stands out from the crowd, then the Inster is the perfect car to have parked on your driveway.