I don’t want to like this car, but I can’t help myself.
It’s tiny. It’s electric. It’s over-priced. The Hyundai Inster has a lot not going for it… but then you drive it. And the longer you spend in it the more you appreciate its finer qualities.
READ MORE: Is this the best car in the world? We review the 2025 Hyundai Inster
No, a city-sized, all-electric hatchback isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I definitely understand that. Much like I understand that not everyone, and in fact very few people, will want to hand over $45,000 (plus on-road costs) for the Inster Cross I drove.
That is a very large sum of money for such a small car. Especially when you consider how much bigger the similar-priced MGS5 EV is, or the fact you can buy a GWM Ora, MG4 and BYD Dolphin for less money.
But, just by chance, I had both the Inster Cross and the MGS5 on review the same week. So I had the choice to drive either and more-often-than-not, I chose the Hyundai.
Why? Because the Inster/Inster Cross demonstrates that while these new Chinese brands are able to undercut the long-established brands on price, they still have some way to go to both match the quality of design and finish, as well as the on-road driving experience.
The Inster Cross is the hero model of the range, featuring the same powertrain as the Extended Range model, but with some unique styling elements to give it a more ‘adventurous’ look. Obviously you’re not actually having any off-road adventures with a city-sized electric hatch, but especially in the dark green of our test car, it has great proportions and kerb appeal for such a small vehicle.
Underneath its funky surface is an 84kW/147Nm electric motor paired with a 49kWh battery. It provides a claimed range of up to 360km in standard form (with a sunroof) but there is an option to add a roof basket. While that adds extra practicality (which is good given the boot is quite small) it does come at the expense of range. It drops to just 293km just with the basket attached and nothing in it, so I wouldn’t plan any long distance camping trips in the Inster Cross.
But if you play to its strengths and just drive it around town, the Inster Cross is a hoot to drive. While this isn’t a direct comparison to the MGS5, driving both back-to-back really highlighted how much more enjoyable the Inster Cross was for the person behind the wheel. It feels impressively composed and dynamic on the road, far more than any other similar-sized or priced EVs.
The performance from the electric motor, while sounding modest on paper, is impressive too. Petrol-powered cars this size typically have small engines and can labour at times, especially on hills or when needing a burst of acceleration.
That’s not an issue for the Inster Cross with the electric motor providing a smooth and steady delivery of power and torque when needed. It’s certainly not a hot hatch, but it’s above-average performance for such a small car.
Where it also stands out as above-average is interior space. As mentioned earlier, the boot is on the smaller side, but the space for people is surprisingly generous for such a tiny car. Hyundai has really done a great job of maximising interior room, so much so that you could fit four adults in the Inster without too much complaint.
So, is a spacious cabin, good performance and a fun drive enough to justify the price tag? For those looking for an affordable EV, probably not. But for anyone in the market for a ‘second car’, something efficient and easy to live with for the urban duties, then it will certainly have appeal.
Or, if you’re just in the market for a small but fun car – electric or otherwise – the Inster Cross is easy to love, even if it doesn’t make sense.
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