Hyundai Inster Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

The Hyundai Inster is a tempting choice for those seeking a more affordable electric car that’s also something a bit different to the norm. For many, the design will sell it. It’s genuinely different, with an abundance of stylish details, wrapped up in a distinctively boxy body. 

Inside, the Hyundai Inster punches well above its size. It’s spacious and comfortable both front and rear, and occupants aren’t short-changed in terms of technology or safety features, either. 

What could let the Hyundai Inster down is its combination of price and range. The basic car only has a 200-mile range, while even the Long Range version falls short of 230 miles on a full charge. Given prices that position it above similarly-compact small cars, this could be a deal-breaker for some. 

However, for those who want one of the most modern, stylish and comfortable city-friendly EVs, the ultra-reliable, super-dependable Hyundai Inster is definitely worth a look. 

The Hyundai Inster range opens with the 42kWh Standard Range battery. This is combined with ‘01’ trim, to create an entry-level version with a more affordable lead-in price. If you want more equipment, choose the ‘02’ trim. 

However, we much prefer the Hyundai Inster Long Range, with a 49kWh battery – which only comes in ‘02’ trim. It offers several options packs too, for an even more distinctive exterior and even more onboard tech. 

The Hyundai Inster Cross is the range-topping version. It’s not cheap, starting from almost £29,000, but it delivers the most complete Hyundai Inster experience. We’d consider stretching the monthly electric car PCP payments and choosing this model if you can. 

The Hyundai Inster has one very well-known rival – the Dacia Spring, which hit the headlines at launch for being the UK’s cheapest electric car. The Spring now has a direct rival, the Leapmotor T03, which has a similarly boxy five-door city car style, and is also built in China. Both models undercut the Hyundai Inster by a significant margin. The most expensive Hyundai Inster is nearly twice the price of the cheapest Dacia Spring. 

The Hyundai Inster’s price also puts it into competition with the bigger Citroen e-C3 and Vauxhall Frontera Electric. Meanwhile, style-seekers after a head-turning electric car will also find the new Fiat Grande Panda to be a temptingly-priced alternative – again, it manages to undercut the Hyundai Inster. 

Finally, the exciting Renault 5 is another compelling rival to the Hyundai Inster, particularly because of its standout style and ultra-desirable interior. 

The Hyundai Inster is a car that’s not been built down to a price, and it shows. The sheer quality of the interior is noteworthy, with upmarket surfaces and soft-touch trims. Compared to cars such as the Dacia Spring, it’s in a different league – in fact, there’s no comparison in terms of quality and finish. 

The Hyundai Inster is a premium car from the outside, too. The paint finish sparkles, panel gaps are even and the LED lighting looks very upmarket – both the ‘pixel’ squares front and rear, and the main LED driving lamps. 

For an added-extra special touch, the Hyundai Inster is available with matte-finish paint. This sleek satin finish is available in Aero Silver, Bikarim Khaki, Dusk Blue or, on the Hyundai Inster Cross, Amazonas Green. It adds further to the upscale feel. 

The Hyundai Inster is well equipped on the infotainment front. All models come as standard with a 10-25-inch driver display and central 10.25-inch touchscreen with standard sat nav. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration are standard too. 

The Hyundai Inster comes with a 10-year subscription to Hyundai’s Bluelink Lite service. This brings dedicated EV routing – it will automatically guide you to en route chargepoints during long journeys – and over-the-air updates. Bluelink Plus is a paid upgrade, with live and remote services – new Hyundai Inster buyers get six months for free. 

The Hyundai Inster has a standard DAB stereo, with all models getting front and rear speakers. The Hyundai Inster 02 upgrades the audio slightly by adding front tweeters. A premium audio option is not available. 

The Hyundai Inster has a front USB Type C port and front USB Type C charger. On Hyundai Inster 02 and Cross, there is a Type C charger in the rear too. The wireless smartphone charging pad is standard on the Hyundai Inster 02 and Cross.   

The Hyundai Inster is a spacious small car. The firm, comfortable front seats give an SUV-like view over the bonnet, and its tall body makes it easy to step in and out. The only way in which you really notice its diminutive nature is the closeness of the door armrest – and, of course, your fellow front seat passenger. 

The Hyundai Inster has plenty of stowage spaces, including a shelf on the dashboard that’s illuminated by cool ambient lighting on ‘02’ models. There’s a roomy wireless charging pad in the centre console – while a unique detail we love are the cupholders built into the extra-wide driver’s seat. There’s a handy armrest as well. 

Because the Hyundai Inster is a little narrower than regular small cars, it’s a four-seater only. There is no provision for a third passenger in the rear, and a third seatbelt is not fitted. For two people, however, it’s again surprisingly spacious, particularly the Hyundai Inster 02 with the standard sliding rear seat. In its rearmost position, all-round space is genuinely impressive, even for adults. The backrests also recline, a feature normally only found in much larger cars. 

The Hyundai Inster 01, without the sliding rear seat, has less rear legroom, but it’s still an easy car for even taller people to get in and out of, aiding its practicality.  

The standard Hyundai Inster 01 has a 280-litre boot. This is somewhat smaller than rivals such as the Citroen e-C3 – which is, of course, also a larger car on the outside, too. Even the smaller Dacia Spring has a larger boot than the Inster, though. 

The Hyundai Inster 02 has a sliding rear seat. This allows the boot to expand from 238 litres to 351 litres, depending on how much rear passenger space you need. Both Hyundai Inster versions have a split-fold rear seat, which expands to 1059 litres. The seats fold fully flat with the boot floor and there’s also a fold-flat front passenger seat, too. 

Special mention to visibility within the Hyundai Inster. The big side windows give a superb view out, with the low sides helping you position it accurately in town. The high bonnet is again helpful here, while the cut-off rear (and standard parking camera) means reverse parking is a breeze. 

The Hyundai Inster 01 features a 42kWh Standard Range battery combined with a 97PS electric motor. 0-62mph takes 11.7 seconds and it has an 87mph top speed. 

The Hyundai Inster 02 comes with a 49kWh battery combined with a 115PS electric motor. 0-62mph performance is better, taking 10.6 seconds, and it has a 93mph top speed. Both versions have the same 147Nm torque figure. It’s more than you normally get in petrol-powered city cars, giving the Hyundai Inster a feeling of having easy-going, more relaxed pulling power. 

The Hyundai Inster Cross combines the same Long Range battery and 49kWh battery with the more SUV-style exterior. 

Instead of a regular gearlever, the Hyundai Inster has a rotary stalk on the right of the steering column. Twist forward for drive, backwards for reverse, and press a button on the end for park. Tactile to use, it’s the same controller as on the Hyundai Ioniq 5. 

The entry-level model with the 42kWh battery has a range of up to 203 miles on a full charge, while the more powerful long-range version with the 49kWh battery has a range of up to 229 miles. 

As mentioned, the Hyundai Inster is very refined in town. Swapping out a buzzy petrol engine for a smooth, silent electric motor gives it grown up refinement that’s a match for bigger EVs. 

The Hyundai Inster isn’t completely silent-running, though. The suspension can make a bit of noise when driving over bumps and rough road surfaces, particularly with the larger 17-inch alloy wheels of higher-grade models.

Also noticeable is the emergence of wind noise at motorway speeds. This is due to the boxy shape, but it does mean you have to crank up the stereo as speeds rise – and you’ll notice you have to raise your voice when speaking to passengers. 

The Hyundai Inster has not yet been crash-tested by independent organisation Euro NCAP. It does, however, have plenty of safety technology as standard. This includes front, side and curtain airbags, a driver status monitor in-car camera, front collision avoidance assist and intelligent speed assist. 

The Hyundai Inster also has high-tech Highway Drive Assist 1.5. This adaptive cruise control system helps maintain a set distance from the car in front, even if they slow down or speed up. The driver simply sets the speed limit and the car does the rest. It is further aided by lane keep assist, and intelligent speed limit assist. 

The Hyundai Inster Cross also has an ingenious blind spot view monitor. When the driver indicates, a live camera feed of the blind spot flashes up in the driver display – in the right dial if you’re indicating right and vice versa. It’s a feature normally seen on premium Genesis models, and is extremely useful in spotting vehicles that might otherwise be hidden. The presence of this tech alone is reason enough to pay extra for a Hyundai Inster Cross. 

The Hyundai Inster is likely to be a very reliable small electric car indeed. Hyundai is a world leader in terms of EV tech, meaning the technology is both simple and well proven. Using technology from bigger, more premium cars in the range also bodes well. 

The Hyundai Inster has the firm’s generous five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty. There’s also an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty for the battery. 

The Hyundai Inster may not be quite as cheap to insure as some of its lower-priced rivals. The Hyundai Inster should be cheap to run though, thanks to the efficiency of its electric drivetrain. Its reliability is likely to prove a boon, too. 

The Hyundai Inster currently enjoys free road tax. This changes from April 2025, but the first year rate will only go up to £10. More frustrating is the fact electric cars will now be required to pay the same flat rate charged on petrol and diesel cars – meaning the annual road tax on a Hyundai Inster will be £195. 

For company car drivers, the Hyundai Inster boasts the ultra-low Benefit-in-Kind tax rates enjoyed by all electric cars. It will be attractive to fleet drivers thanks to its generous levels of standard equipment. 

The Hyundai Inster is available in three simple trim levels, called 01, 02 and Cross. 

The Hyundai Inster 01 features 15-inch alloy wheels, climate control, electric folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors and camera, keyless entry with stop-start button, 10.25-inch touchscreen with sat nav plus steering wheel remote control buttons. 

The Hyundai Inster 02 adds larger 17-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, full project LED headlights and LED rear lights, heated front seats, sliding and reclining rear seats, rear privacy glass, heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, extra stereo speakers and wireless smartphone charging. 

The Hyundai Inster Cross is broadly the same as the 02. It adds the ‘cross’ exterior design pack, which comprises chunky front and rear bumpers, side skirts and a different design of alloy wheel. Also included are an electric sliding glass sunroof, rear parking guidance system, blind spot collision avoidance and the clever blind spot view monitor. Reverse parking collision avoidance is standard too.