Hyundai adds an ‘outdoor version’ to Inster offer

South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai wanted to present something new at the Paris Motor Show, so this week, it premiered the Inster Cross in the French metropolis. Hyundai says it’s a version of the small city dweller “with a more outdoor look”.

The regular Inster, based on the little Casper with a combustion engine available in Korea, was presented in June. It is available with either a 42 kWh battery and an electric motor with 71 kW output or a 49 kWh battery and an 85 kW motor with a provisional range of up to 360 kilometers. Charging from 10 to 80% takes half an hour on DC charging. However, it is not yet available to order, and the prices are still unclear.

The details are as sparse for the newcomer. As with the regular Inster, there is still no information on the price and the exact sales launch, for example. Hyundai has only stated that production of the Inster Cross will start in Korea at the end of the year.

Hyundai does not provide any new information on the motorization or battery, but it can be assumed that they are essentially the same as the normal Inster. After all, the Inster Cross is not a different model as Hyundai refers to it as an “equipment line”.

More off-road

The press photos show the vehicle, which is staged in the mountains, having a more off-road design. However, it is doubtful whether the car is suitable for off-road use, and Hyundai remains silent in its initial communication.

Instead, it emphasizes the “wide, rectangular front and rear bumpers to highlight its adventurous character and embossed black cladding”.  To this end, the front and rear bumpers have been redesigned.

17-inch alloy wheels with a special design and embossed black paneling are intended to set independent accents. As Hyundai calls it, the standard roof rails are also designed to contribute to the ‘adventurous aesthetic’. A roof basket can be mounted on top.

The launch color is a special ‘Amazonas Green Matte’. Inside, the color combination is also exclusive to the Cross: grey with lemon yellow accents, which also come back on the dashboard. All seats can be folded, and there is no barrier between the front seats. The rear seats can slide and tilt backward.

Like the regular Inster, the Cross also offers a range of safety functions. These include Highway Driving Assist 1.5 with Smart Cruise Control and Forward-Collision Avoidance Assist 1.5, which keeps the vehicle in its lane at a safe distance from the car in front and adjusts the speed to the current speed limit if required.

Also included are a navigation-based adaptive cruise control system, which maintains a set speed and distance from the vehicle in front, and an autonomous emergency brake assistant, including pedestrian and cyclist detection and a turning function.