Hyundai has reimagined its new Inster small electric car as a futuristic hot hatch with aggressive styling and a stripped-out interior, taking inspiration from video gaming.
Named a portmanteau of 'Inster' and ‘steroid’, the Insteroid follows last year’s RN24 Concept, which was described as a ‘rolling lab’ for future hot Hyundai EVs.
It wears a wide-hipped, box-arched bodykit, a roof scoop and a huge rear wing, mimicking the look of Hyundai’s World Rally Championship machines.
Inside, the Insteroid is stripped out and fitted with deep-set bucket seats, a roll cage and a hydraulic-style handbrake, hinting at the car’s performance intent.
It isn’t strictly business, however: it’s fitted with a bulky ‘Beat House’ sound system, complete with a tube-style amplifier, and there are a number of Space Invader-style aliens placed in view of key touchpoints.
Hyundai has yet to publish technical details for the Insteroid, but the RN24 uses a 641bhp dual-motor set-up borrowed from the Ioniq 5 N. That allows the 1880kg drift car to dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 3.4sec, while its 84kWh battery yields 278 miles of range.
“The Insteroid represents a modern take on the idea of a dream car,” said Eduardo Ramírez, chief designer for Hyundai Europe. “It is designed to inspire and create enthusiasm.”
Although Hyundai officially states the Insteroid is conceptual, its existence (like that of the RN24) suggests there's an appetite within the company to produce a hot version of its smallest EV.
Indeed, Hyundai acknowledges that the “Insteroid is another step in the hot-selling production model’s journey”, following the beefed-up Inster Cross that’s due to arrive in dealers shortly.
Hyundai product planning boss Paolo Gnerro last year told Autocar that further variants of the Inster would be considered “in the life cycle” of the model – but also that any such models would need to be demanded by customers.
Gnerro said: “To be honest, I am a car enthusiast. Whatever comes which is adding a bit more spice, not only in terms of sportiness but in abilities, I like it. [But I am] not the market: the market is king and we need to see what is going to happen."
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What is it with 'ster names these days, Inster, Bigster, Cyberster, Roomster etc and, why do car manufacturersand focus groups think they are good names?
Well it is Aprilo 1st!