2025 Hyundai Inster Cross is a baby EV ready for adventure

The Hyundai Inster is already one of the cutest and quirkiest electric vehicles (EV) on the market, and the Korean brand is dialling up the adventure with the Cross variant revealed overnight.

Scheduled to commence production later this year, the 2025 Hyundai Inster Cross adds more rugged and adventure-inspired styling elements and equipment options, giving it a distinct look and feel compared to the standard car.

Key changes include a more rectangular bumper design front and rear, with embossed black cladding; front and rear skid plates; side rocker panels; and unique 17-inch alloy wheels. Roof racks come standard too.

The Inster Cross will also be available (at least in Europe and the UK) with an optional roof basket which the company says will be able to “transport everything needed for everyday errands, outdoor sports, and camping trips”.

A model-exclusive Amazonas Green Matte exterior colour (pictured) will be offered on the Inster Cross, in addition to five other colours already available on the standard Inster: Atlas White, Unbleached Ivory, Aero Silver Matte, Abyss Black Pearl and Tomboy Khaki.

Hyundai notes “some” of these colours will be available with a black two-tone roof, but stops short of naming exactly which ones.

It’s unclear whether the Inster Cross will be available with just the 49kWh Long Range battery pack – which likely is the variant that offers the “up to 360 kilometres of all-electric range” in the European press release – or whether the Cross will also be available with the smaller 42kWh Standard Range battery as well.

Inside, the Inster Cross will offer exclusive grey cloth upholstery with lime yellow accents, complemented by lime yellow accents across the dashboard.

All seats will be able to be folded flat, with walkthrough access to the front row. The two rear seats can be reclined and folded in a 50:50 split, and can also slide fore and aft individually.

Hyundai has also confirmed the Inster Cross will be decked out with its driver assistance suite, like the standard model.

Highlights include Highway Driving Assist 1.5, which combines adaptive cruise control and lane centring with navigation data; and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 1.5, which CarExpert understands pertains to the autonomous emergency braking system with vulnerable road user and junction turning functions.

The Hyundai Inster Cross has already been confirmed for an Australian launch, though it’s unclear whether it will launch alongside the regular Inster lineup in early 2025 or be slightly behind. The local division has indicated a first quarter 2025 arrival for the Inster Cross since initial publication.

CarExpert understands Hyundai Australia is planning to offer the Inster in both Standard Range and Long Range battery variants as well as offering the Cross.

It’s unclear whether both battery variants will be offered in multiple trim levels like in the UK. We’d wager the adventure focused Cross for Australia will be a Long Range offering only.

Further details of the local lineup will be revealed closer to the Australian launch in the new year.

The Hyundai Inster Standard Range is powered by a 71.1kW/147Nm electric motor on the front axle hooked up to a 42kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, good for a 0-100km/h time of 11.7 seconds and a WLTP driving range claim of 327 kilometres.

Meanwhile, the Long Range ups battery capacity to 49kWh and gets a more powerful 85.5kW/147Nm electric motor on the front axle, cutting 0-100km/h to 10.6 seconds and upping range to 360-370km (WLTP) depending on the alloy wheel specification.

Regardless of trim, the Inster can be AC charged at up to 11kW or DC fast-charged at 120kW, charger and conditions permitting, which should see 10 to 80 per cent charge replenished in “around 30 minutes”. The Inster runs on a 266V electrical architecture.