The Inster is Hyundai’s first electric light SUV and although it may have the appearance of being a lightweight, it packs plenty of metaphorical punch. The Inster also takes my 2025 award for ‘Car that makes me smile just by looking at it’, thanks to its fun futuristic design inside and out.
The Inster range is manufactured in South Korea, with this bold, adventurous looking example being the Inster Cross, an outdoor lifestyle-focused variant tailored to customers seeking an adventurous, rugged look in their EV. Distinctive design elements for Inster Cross include enhanced bumpers, reinforced skid plates, 17-inch alloy wheels, black side cladding, roof racks, and an optional roof basket pack, combine to create a blend of style and functionality. I did note though that the ride of the Inster was a bit firm and bouncy, most likely due to the Inster’s short wheelbase.
I particularly liked the distinctive round pixel headlamps with round LED daytime running lights and pixel-graphic turn signals, as I thought they were very cute and were one of the main reasons I smiled whenever I looked at the Inster. Another reason was the optional Amazonas Green Metallic Matte ($1,000), which really suits this outdoor-inspired electric vehicle.
The Inster Cross is an Extended Range version of the Inster with 84.5kW of power and 147Nm of torque motor with a Single Speed Reduction Gear transmission, driving the front wheels only. This sounds like a modest amount of power for a 1,400km vehicle, but it offers enough poke for around town driving or near city outdoor adventures. The drive modes available include, Eco, Normal, Sport, and Snow, with the colour on the 10.25-inch full digital instrument cluster changing depending on the mode selected. For my week with the Inster I drove it in Normal mode.
The 49kWh Lithium-Ion battery (manufactured in Indonesia) provides a claimed range of up to 360km (WLTP) and for my time I used 14.2kWh/100km giving me a real-world range of up to 345km. Adjustable regenerative braking also lets the driver tailor the flow and efficiency of their drive using paddle shifters, for an enhanced battery boost in traffic or a smoother cruise on the open road.
Up to 120kW DC fast-charge capability enables a charge from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 30 minutes. AC charging, up to 10.5kW, using a wall mounted box at home at home from 10% to 100% will take approximately 4 hours and 35 minutes. The charge port located at the front of the vehicle, and it says “start charging” when you plug the vehicle in and charging has commenced.
The cleverly crafted cabin provides optimal comfort with a bench-style front seat, compact centre console, and steering column mounted gear selector that all open up the space. There are two rigid cup holders between the seats, one larger than the other and only narrow storage cubbies in the front doors. There is one USB-A, one USB-C and one 12V socket in the dash with a cubby for your phone here. Below this are the single zone climate controls that retain physical buttons for their operation and below them is a wireless phone charger cubby. In the bottom cubby there is one 250-volt 16 amp AC plug and I would have liked a shallow storage cubby where the transmission tunnel is for my handbag as there was nowhere convenient to place it.
The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen has physical as well to select from the main menus and can be connected to your phone using wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via a USB-A cord. Media sources include DAB/FM, AM radio, Bluetooth, USB music, USB video, Sounds of Nature, and smartphone. Over The Air update technology means the vehicle navigation software can be kept up to date without leaving home.
Inster is also equipped with Bluelink connected car services as standard, provided complimentary for the first 5-years of new vehicle ownership and transferrable to subsequent owners within this 5-year period. Key Bluelink features include Automatic Collision Notification, Emergency Call (SOS) function, Connected Routing – live traffic updates, Alert services including geo-fencing, valet, speed & time alerts, Remote control of climate and vehicle functions, Navigation send-to-car, Voice recognition for POI lookup, vehicle controls, Live Weather information, Vehicle diagnostics, Find my Car, and Vehicle Status.
A minimalistic and modern interactive pixel lights on the steering wheel add a further futuristic feel and communicate info such as charging status and driving mode at a glance. And to warm your hands in winter, the steering wheel is also heated, and for enjoying the spring weather, a sunroof with a manual blind.
A bio artificial leather-appointed interior is offered in Inster Cross, in a choice of Obsidian Black or this Dark Grey/Amazonas Khaki. Both front seats have manual adjustment for recline and forward/back with the driver’s seat also having height adjustment. The front seats are heated and ventilated and both functions worked well. The cooled seats were even quiet when operating because the vent is located towards the bottom of the seat so not near your ears.
The two rear seats have a 50:50 split-fold, slide and recline, for maximising space and versatility, in fact all four seats can be folded flat. The Inster has two ISOFix/two rear tether child seat restraint points and a flat rear floor with a single mat covering its entirety. The rear doors only have narrow cubbies in them and the Inster really needs to have moulded drink bottle holders in the arm rest as there are no cup holders for rear seat passengers. They also don’t have rear air vents and there is just one USB-C port between the front seats.
To access the small boot, you have a manual power assisted tailgate and room for a couple of school bags or a small shop and for a large shop you will need to fold the rear seats down. The charging cables are stowed under the boot floor along with the V2L plug that allows owners to charge or power devices such as electric bicycles, scooters and camping equipment anywhere they go. Below that boot area is another space where the tyre repair kit is located.
The Hyundai Inster has a four-star ANCAP (2025) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 70% and a Child Occupant Protection score 83%. Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. A centre airbag, which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes, is also standard.
The Hyundai Inster is fitted with an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system capable of functioning at highway speeds, and a lane support system with lane keep assist and emergency lane keeping functionality. ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in all test scenarios, as well as in most AEB Junction scenarios, where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle. The AEB system does not react to when crossing the path of another vehicle, and hence AEB Crossing tests were not conducted. The AEB system is effective in mitigating collisions in the Head-On travelling straight scenario, but not in the lane change scenario, where an oncoming vehicle moves into the path of the subject vehicle. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance in lane keep assist scenarios, and ADEQUATE performance in the more critical emergency lane keeping scenarios. The overall ANCAP Safety Assist score for the Hyundai Inster is 69%.
Inster Cross also features additional ADAS systems including Blind-Spot View Monitor that displays on the driver’s dash when you indicate and a surround view monitor combined with a standard rear view camera and front and rear parking sensors. For convenience you have auto lights, auto high beam and auto rain sensing wipers as well.
iCare is Hyundai’s commitment to owners, making sure their car ownership is as enjoyable, easy and extensive as imaginable. Expert service and support are provided with Hyundai’s Lifetime Service Plan so customers can enjoy exclusive service pricing with no hidden fees. The first 1.2month/1,500km service for the Inster is free with the next four services at a 24 month/30,000km schedule currently $668 each. Premium Roadside Support Plan and Sat Nav Update Plan is included while the vehicle is serviced by Hyundai. All that and the reassurance of Hyundai’s five year/unlimited km vehicle warranty and eight year/160,000km high-voltage battery warranty.
The Hyundai Inster Cross was one of the most surprising vehicles that I drove in 2025. It’s cute looking and somewhat unassuming and delivers everything you would want from a small city runabout electric vehicle. The Hyundai Inster Cross with sunroof is priced from $45,000 excluding dealer delivery and on-road costs and as tested with the matt premium paint this Inster was $46,000 plus additional costs.
Participating Hyundai dealers are currently offering the Inster SUV Standard Range 71.1kW Motor with a 42.0kWh battery for $35,990 driveaway. Price available for new stock vehicles (with no added options) purchased and delivered between 31st December 2025 and 30th March 2026 (While stock lasts. Not available to fleet, government or rental buyers, or with other offers). Or you can build and price your Hyundai Inster online or visit your preferred Hyundai dealer for more information.
The best decisions start with a comparison and Compare The Market are proud to have helped 23 million Aussies look for a better deal on their insurance. Find out here if Compare the Market can help you save too!
| Pros | Cons |
| It’s a happy car | Ride is a bit firm and bouncy |
| The high spec of technology included | Doors need drink bottle sized cubbies |
| Retains physical buttons for infotainment and climate controls | Needs rear air vents |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.