05/04/2025 This year Irish car buyers are seeing more affordable electric cars hitting the market. It has taken some time for the price to drop but thanks to Dacia with its sub €19,000 ‘Spring’ city-car and more recently ‘Inster’ from Hyundai, compact urban EVs are within the reach of many. Inster is small on the outside yet huge inside. It seats four adults with no complaints and is built as well as any model in the South Korean giant’s stable. Standard levels of kit are impressive and you can get the range-topping model that is comprehensively equipped for just €22,495.
Dacia deserves huge plaudits for bringing the access point to electric cars down to well under €20K, and while Spring is great for one or two up urban use, Hyundai has gone a bit further with Inster. The five-door hatchback really is a no-compromise electric car. It works very well in the real world, and not only that, it can go pretty far on a single charge too, up to 360km!
Outside the Inster looks cute in a chunky way. It has a sophisticated lighting design that delivers great on street presence – perfect for cutting a dash at a novena, bingo or doing the big shop 😉 The car features faux SUV-styling, kind of like a Suzuki Ignis. In reality the boxy shape makes it a tall-ish city car. This design delivers a good and command view of the road and surroundings. The compact footprint is in total contrast to when you get in – the cabin is relatively vast and unlike the Dacia Spring, it is very easy to access the rear and front front seats.
Inside you will see all the familiar Hyundai switches and materials in an up to date cockpit. The car is well put together and for a city car feels premium – yes there are some value-for-money materials used in places but at this price point the car feels almost indulgent – even the steering wheel comes from the Ioniq 5. The cabin is spacious, thanks in the main to a long wheelbase (2,580mm. This stretch between the front and rear wheels also delivers a great ride for a A-segment car. The seats are fully adjustable and can also fold flat too, and it is this cabin adaptability that scores Inster highly for me in its sector. The boot holds a variable amount depending on where you position the rear seats (280-351 litres). With all seats down there’s 1,059 litres of cargo space.
On the road, the front wheel drive Inster is a hoot to drive. The ease of use and tight turning circle make it utterly effortless to potter around in traffic. It can handle motorways too. It is a stealthy thing and almost a Q car (wolf in sheep’s clothing).
The entry model has a 97hp motor (max range of 303km), while the range topper gets 115hp and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 10.6 seconds (11.7 – 97hp). Charging is straight forward with Inster too, charging from 10% to 80% in half an hour at a fast charger. The ‘long range’ 49kWh battery has a maximum quoted range from full of 360km.
Two grades feature with Inster pricing starts from €18,995 for the Signature grade. Elegance is the range-topper at €22,495. The baby Hyundai features an impressive amount of ADAS safety kit to assist in keeping the car and its occupants safe on the road. In a nutshell, we love it! The Hyundai Inster goes straight to the top of its class! Michael Sheridan
