The Hyundai Insteroid is a hot new take on the Inster EV and it’s wild
This crazy concept car is based on the all-electric Hyundai Inster but takes the design to a whole new level
The Hyundai Insteroid is a brilliantly over-the-top reimagining of the Inster, Hyundai’s rather more modest production EV. Unveiled at a Night Garage Party in Seoul, the beefy-looking design is a real head-turner – and every bit as mad in the metal as it looks in these pictures.
Designed by Hyundai’s European creative team, the Insteroid features a raft of super cool design features. Most notable of these is the widened body, which sits on top of four enormous wheels and tyres that are ‘track-optimized’. The partially enclosed wheel arches topped with air vents allow for better cooling potential.
At the front, there’s a formidable spoiler, but this is easily outdone by the huge wing out at the back, supplemented by a diffuser down at the bottom. The whole thing works to great effect thanks to a subtle but striking combination of soft white, bright orange and black. Bold graphics help to top it all off. Hyundai even added a synthesized performance soundtrack to help almost bring the car to life.
While the exterior looks wild, the inside of the car is pretty impressive too, even though it’s quite spartan and light on home comforts. Hyundai has focused on a gamification approach for the design, so the central attraction revolves around the instrument cluster that delivers driver information in the form of zany graphics, including a digitized version of the car’s gaming-inspired Boost icon.
Behind the driver, squeezed into the boot area of the car, is a bespoke Beat House sound system. Meanwhile, just below the tailgate is a Message Grid, which contains multiple LEDs that can be used to present personalised notes to people following the Insteroid.
Hyundai designers have also used this concept car to showcase the company’s focus on using more sustainable materials. The interior might be fairly low on comfort, but where fabrics are needed, they’ve been replaced by 3D-knitted coverings created from recycled fabrics.
“Insteroid is a celebration of pure fun – a journey where we explored new ways to ignite emotion and imagination in every detail,” said Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center. “It’s not just about how it looks, but also how it sounds and how makes you feel. From its bold visual language to the immersive sound experience, it’s a concept that invites everyone to dream a little louder and smile a little longer.”
The concept creation might not have any working mechanical bits, so there’s no performance spec to back up the crazy design as yet, but thanks to an appearance at the Seoul Mobility Show, the Hyundai Insteroid is a masterstroke when it comes to profile-building.
Rob Clymo
