Hyundai Inster review: a tiny EV with some seriously clever ideas

Hyundai seems determined to make its cars look interesting these days, and I’m very much in favour of that. Its enormous Santa Fe looks like it should be carrying equipment to a mountain rescue, while the little Inster looks like something you might find in the boot when you got there.

It’s a wonderfully odd little thing, with round lights, upright sides and a boxy shape that gives it far more presence than a small electric car really ought to have. It won’t appeal to everyone, of course, but I’d take this over another anonymous crossover.

The interesting design carries on inside, too, although the cleverest thing about the interior is how little of the available space appears to have been wasted.

There are only four seats, but giving the rear passengers two proper places, rather than pretending there’s room for somebody else in the middle, makes sense in a car this size.

The 02 version is particularly appealing, because its rear seats slide and recline. You can favour legroom when you’re carrying adults, or move them forwards when the shopping takes priority. The front seats fold flat, too, which introduces possibilities you wouldn’t necessarily associate with such a small car.

I particularly like that Hyundai hasn’t used the electric powertrain as an excuse to make everything unnecessarily futuristic. There are proper buttons for the climate controls, useful shortcuts, and a generous array of physical buttons - hoorah.

There’s plenty of plastic, and some of it looks fairly workmanlike, but the cheerful upholstery available further up the range gives it some personality - as does the unusual "bench" design of the front seats.

You have a choice of 42kWh and 49kWh batteries, with the latter offering an official range of up to 229 miles on the smaller wheels, but winter weather and motorway speeds will eat into it.

The narrow body is useful in town, the controls are light, and the suspension generally favours comfort. It can get unsettled by rougher surfaces, but there’s a reassuringly grown-up quality to the way it deals with ordinary driving. It's nice to see that in such a small car.

The steering could offer more feedback, and this isn’t a little electric hot hatch waiting to be discovered. There’s enough performance for getting away from junctions without a fuss, but enthusiastic overtaking isn’t its speciality.

Longer journeys are perfectly possible, although motorway noise and a charging stop will remind you that this is a small EV. A 10 to 80 per cent charge takes around half an hour under suitable conditions, which is respectable rather than remarkable.

Prices currently start at £22,995, but top-spec versions with a few options can settle worryingly close to £30,000. That’s where the Inster’s argument becomes a little more complicated.

Small dimensions are useful, but they don’t automatically make a car inexpensive, and you’re into some very tempting competition at that money.

The equipment helps. Even the entry model has two 10.25-inch displays, navigation, climate control and adaptive cruise control. The 02 adds those more versatile seats, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. There’s also Hyundai’s five-year unlimited-mileage warranty.

The Inster's greatest strength lies in its flexibility. It feels as though somebody has given serious thought to what people need from a small car, rather than simply making a larger one shorter.

It isn’t the cheapest route into electric motoring, and anyone regularly carrying five people can rule it out immediately. But if four seats are enough, and you value a car that’s easy to accommodate without feeling stripped of useful equipment, there’s a lot to like.

The looks might be what draw you towards it. The sensible interior is what makes a convincing case for taking it home.