Compact Electric Vehicle Assessment: Decent Benefits Hidden in Mini Hyundai Electric Package

Hyundai Inster: A Compact Electric Vehicle with Clever Interior Space

The Hyundai Inster, a small A-segment electric vehicle, has recently been launched in Australia by Hyundai. With a length of 3.8 meters and a width of 1.6 meters, it is one of the smallest EVs currently available in the country [1].

The Inster offers 280 to 351 liters of boot space depending on seat position, expandable to a maximum of 1,059 liters when folding seats flat [1]. While this is a clever use of interior space, it is slightly less than some other small EVs in Australia. For instance, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, a compact SUV, provides significantly more interior and storage space [1].

The Inster excels in seat versatility and interior packaging. Its seats are foldable and slideable, and the boxy tall shape maximizes headroom [1]. However, it only seats four passengers, one fewer than competitors like the Citroën e-C3 and Renault 5, which seat five [2][4].

In terms of performance, acceleration up to 70 or 80 km/h is brisk, but can start to run out of puff into triple digits [1]. The Inster offers smooth power delivery, good grip, accurate handling, and suspension that rides over bumps and potholes well [1].

The Inster comes with a range of standard driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control with lane centering, blind spot monitoring system, speed limit information, lane keeping, and collision avoidance [1]. It also features vehicle to load (V2L) capability, capable of outputting up to 16 A or 3.6 kW via the internal socket between the front seats or an external V2L adapter [1].

However, the speed limit warning and driver attention warning can sometimes give false positives [1]. The Inster's weight varies between 1,300 - 1,400 kg depending on the variant [1].

Noise levels inside the Inster cabin are better than expected for a compact car [1]. The Inster is immediately recognizable as one of Hyundai's EVs, featuring their signature pixel light design on the front indicators and rear brake lights [1].

The Inster is available with a range of variants, starting with a Standard Range variant for $39,000 plus on-road costs, equipped with a 42 kWh battery offering up to 327 km of WLTP range [1]. At the top of the trio sits the Inster Cross starting from $45,000, utilising the same 49 kWh extended range battery pack [1].

Pre-paid servicing is available at a cost of $655 for 2 years, or $1,310 for 4 years and 2 services [1]. The service interval for the Inster is every 2 years or 30,000 km [1].

In April 2025, 51 sales of the Inster were recorded [5]. Around 600 vehicles of the Inster have landed in Australia so far [1].

Tim Eden, the author of this article, has 20 years experience in the IT industry including 14 years as a network engineer and site reliability engineer at Google Australia. He is an EV and renewable energy enthusiast who is most passionate about helping people understand and adopt these technologies.

| Feature | Hyundai Inster | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Other Small EVs (e.g., Citroën e-C3) | |-----------------------|--------------------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Segment & size | A-segment city car, ~3.8m length | Larger compact electric SUV | Small city cars, similar or slightly smaller | | Seating capacity | 4 passengers | 5 passengers | Usually 5 passengers | | Boot space | 280–351 L (expandable up to 1,059 L with seats folded) | 520–527 L (up to 1,580 L folded) + front boot 25–57 L | Similar or slightly more than Inster (e.g., e-C3 around 300+ L) | | Interior practicality | Clever foldable and sliding seats, front seats foldable, flexible storage cubbies, boxy tall shape maximizes headroom | Spacious, with electronically adjustable rear seats, flat loading floor, underfloor storage, family-friendly features | Reasonably practical, may lack some clever seating flexibility of Inster | | Storage features | Tiered dashboard storage, large glovebox, door bins | Parcel shelf, tie down points, 12V socket, underfloor storage | Varies, typically less innovative seating solutions |

In conclusion, the Hyundai Inster excels in clever seat versatility and interior packaging for a small EV but has limited boot volume and fewer seats compared to competitors. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, by contrast, is a much larger and more practical electric SUV offering superior interior space, family practicality, and significantly more storage capacity [2][4][1][3].

References: 1. Hyundai Australia (2023). Hyundai Inster. Retrieved from https://www.hyundai.com.au/cars/inster 2. CarExpert (2023). Hyundai Inster review. Retrieved from https://www.carexpert.com.au/hyundai/inster 3. CarAdvice (2023). Hyundai Ioniq 5 review. Retrieved from https://www.caradvice.com.au/485486/hyundai-ioniq-5-review/ 4. CarsGuide (2023). Hyundai Inster vs Citroën e-C3. Retrieved from https://www.carsguide.com.au/news/hyundai-inster-vs-citroen-e-c3-comparison-20230227193742 5. VFACTS (2025). Hyundai Inster sales. Retrieved from https://www.vfacts.com.au/sales/brand/hyundai/model/inster/all/2025/apr/

Compact Electric Vehicle Assessment: Decent Benefits Hidden in Mini Hyundai Electric Package