Hyundai Teases Insteroid "Dream-Car" Concept, an Inster EV on Steroids

Hyundai unveiled the Inster EV last October as a minion rival to the similarly-sized Dacis Spring EV. Unlike Dacia's electric supermini, the Hyundai Inster is infused with technology, although this also means it is much more expensive. Considering the Inster is only 150 inches (3,825 mm) long, it's hardly anyone's dream car. That's why Hyundai doubled down with the Inster Cross, a lifestyle-oriented variant that cosplays as a rugged crossover.

I don't know whether the Inster is a very successful EV, but Hyundai is considering offering it a boost by announcing another concept based on it. This time, it gives the little fellow an extreme makeover with elements inspired by racing video games. It calls it a "dream-car" concept, quotation marks included, which makes it seem more of a joke than it is. And to make everything super weird, it named it Insteroid, as in Inster on steroids.

We're not sure whether Hyundai is previewing this year's April Fool's joke with the Insteroid concept, but that would be highly unusual. Instead, it's more likely that the Korean carmaker is preparing the concept for the Seoul Mobility Show, which is set to open the gates to the public on April 4. It's safe to say that the Insteroid is purely a show car built on the foundation of the Inster production model, and it will not enter production.

Hyundai speaks about the "funky, youthful, and muscular nature" of the upcoming concept. The Insteroid is packed with fun details to "boost the emotional experience of electric cars." Hyundai has replaced many elements in the original Inster, "from the control buttons to the instrument cluster, the rear spoiler to the brakes," to match Insteroid's playful character.

The teaser pictures show a racing game-inspired model that looks more like a Lego car than a life-sized product. A huge rear spoiler and diffuser dominate the car, while the wheel arches featuring air vents and the 21-inch wheels make it look menacing, albeit in a funny way. Signature Pixel LED lights complete the image of the concept, which looks like the results of an imagination exercise.

The Insteroid name was recently discovered in a trademark filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Although it wasn't clear what it was for, many speculated about a bigger Inster. Well, the concept that Hyundai just announced confirms the speculations. However, the Insteroid will not be bigger, but it certainly has a huge personality. 

Hyundai unveiled the Inster EV last October as a minion rival to the similarly-sized Dacis Spring EV. Unlike Dacia's electric supermini, the Hyundai Inster is infused with technology, although this also means it is much more expensive. Considering the Inster is only 150 inches (3,825 mm) long, it's hardly anyone's dream car. That's why Hyundai doubled down with the Inster Cross, a lifestyle-oriented variant that cosplays as a rugged crossover.

I don't know whether the Inster is a very successful EV, but Hyundai is considering offering it a boost by announcing another concept based on it. This time, it gives the little fellow an extreme makeover with elements inspired by racing video games. It calls it a "dream-car" concept, quotation marks included, which makes it seem more of a joke than it is. And to make everything super weird, it named it Insteroid, as in Inster on steroids.

We're not sure whether Hyundai is previewing this year's April Fool's joke with the Insteroid concept, but that would be highly unusual. Instead, it's more likely that the Korean carmaker is preparing the concept for the Seoul Mobility Show, which is set to open the gates to the public on April 4. It's safe to say that the Insteroid is purely a show car built on the foundation of the Inster production model, and it will not enter production.

Hyundai speaks about the "funky, youthful, and muscular nature" of the upcoming concept. The Insteroid is packed with fun details to "boost the emotional experience of electric cars." Hyundai has replaced many elements in the original Inster, "from the control buttons to the instrument cluster, the rear spoiler to the brakes," to match Insteroid's playful character.

The teaser pictures show a racing game-inspired model that looks more like a Lego car than a life-sized product. A huge rear spoiler and diffuser dominate the car, while the wheel arches featuring air vents and the 21-inch wheels make it look menacing, albeit in a funny way. Signature Pixel LED lights complete the image of the concept, which looks like the results of an imagination exercise.

The Insteroid name was recently discovered in a trademark filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Although it wasn't clear what it was for, many speculated about a bigger Inster. Well, the concept that Hyundai just announced confirms the speculations. However, the Insteroid will not be bigger, but it certainly has a huge personality.