MUMBAI :

Hyundai Motor Company retails several all-electric cars across the world, including a few in India. Some of their popular EVs presently on offer are Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. The carmaker recently unveiled an all-new entry-level electric car in the form of the Inster EV at the Busan International Mobility Show 2024 in Seoul. Hyundai has stated that the all-electric Inster hatchback will be sold globally and it could also hit Indian roads soon. Here’s a closer look at the Inster EV’s design, features, and powertrain specs…

Inster EV will go on sale in Korea first, followed by the European, the Middle Eastern, and Asian Pacific markets. The company has not officially announced its launch in India yet but we expect Inster EV to launch in the first half of 2025 in India. Furthermore, there will also be an additional variant, namely Inster Cross in coming months with a more rugged and more outdoor-focused design. Inster EV will lock horns with the likes of Citroen eC3 and Tata Punch EV upon its launch in the Indian market.

Based on the petrol-powered Hyundai Casper which was unveiled in 2021, the Inster EV comes with extended length and wheelbase. The Casper measures 3,500mm in length while for the Inster, the platform has been lengthened by 230mm of which 180mm has been increased in the wheelbase. Inster EV will be positioned between A-segment city cars and B-segment compact cars.

Some of the notable design highlights of Inster EV include Signature LED DRLs, Pixel-graphic turn signals, LED projector headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, strong fenders, circuit board-style bumper and a bold skid plate. The all-electric hatchback will be available in single-tone as well as dual-tone color schemes with a contrasting black roof. Buyers can choose from an array of colors such as Atlas White (Dual-tone), Tomboy Khaki (Dual-tone), Bijarim Khaki Matte, Unbleached Ivory, Sienna Orange Metallic (Dual-tone), Aero Silver Matte (Dual-tone), Dusk Blue Matte, Abyss Black Pearl, and Buttercream Yellow Pearl.

Hyundai has incorporated sustainable materials in the interior upholstery, which has been offered in Black, and Khaki Brown and Newtro Beige two-tone with full cloth trim. The hatch will come with all the bells and whistles in the form of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Wireless charging, Heated front seats and steering wheel, 64-color LED ambient lighting, One-touch sunroof, Hyundai Digital Key 2 Touch (NFC) accessibility, and Split 50/50 folding second-row seats with slide and recline. The Inster EV will also boast of Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, allowing bi-directional charging without requiring additional equipment. It can be used to charge devices such as electric bicycles, scooters and camping equipment.

Inster EV also gets Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) tech as standard with multiple advanced features such as Surround View Monitor (SVM), Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist Rear (PCA-R), Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 1.5 (FCA 1.5), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Safety Exit Warning (SEW) and Smart Cruise Control (SCC) w/ Stop and Go.

Inster EV will be sold with a 42 kWh battery as standard while an optional long-range variant with 49 kWh battery pack can be availed too. The standard variants will deliver top power of 96 bhp and peak torque of 147 Nm while the long-range grades will return max power output of 114 bhp and highest torque of 147 Nm. In terms of the range, Inster EV will have segment- leading projected range of 355 km on WLTP cycle on a single charge. The top speed for standard and long-range trims will be 140kmph and 150kmph, respectively. The 0-100kmph sprint time for Inster EV standard and long-range will be 11.7 sec and 10.6 sec, respectively.

Inster EV can be charged from 10-80 percent in nearly half an hour with a 120 kW DC High-Power charger. Hyundai is offering an 11 kW on-board charger as standard, which will take 4 hours to fully charge the standard variant while the long-range variant will be fully charged in 4 hours and 35 minutes.