New Hyundai Inster Cross is a tiny go-anywhere EV you can actually buy

• Rugged exterior package for Hyundai Inster
• All-electric city car with 223-mile range
• Production begins later this year

The new Hyundai Inster hasn’t even hit UK showrooms yet, but the South Koren car maker has already given the tiny electric city car an off-road-ready makeover – this the Hyundai Inster Cross. It gets a host of rugged upgrades to appeal to customers who need something small enough for urban driving, but tough enough for the odd off-piste adventure.

Despite the concept car looks, Hyundai has confirmed that the Inster Cross will be put into production, with sales expected to begin early next year. There’s no official pricing yet, but we’d expect the Cross variant to command a small premium over the regular Inster.

What rugged features does the Hyundai Inster Cross have?

Unlike other tiny-yet-rugged cars of the past, like the Fiat Panda 4x4 and the Suzuki Jimny, the Hyundai Inster Cross doesn’t get four-wheel drive. Instead, it uses the same front-mounted 113bhp electric motor setup as the regular Inster.

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While that will limit its all-terrain capabilities somewhat, the Inster Cross does get a few upgrades that should prove helpful if you venture off the blacktop. The front bumper is all-new, with a chunkier design and a skid plate underneath for added protection. There’s another skid plate at the back, too, along with more substantial black cladding around the body.

Perhaps most useful will be the giant roof rack. It comes fitted as standard to all Inster Cross models, providing a handy storage space for your camping gear. A set of unique 17-inch wheels, lime interior accents, and a new green paint colour round off the styling tweaks for the Inster Cross.

So far, only the ‘Long Range’ battery setup from the regular Inster has been confirmed for the Inster Cross. This uses a 49kWh battery to return up to 223 miles of range in the Inster Cross, which represents just a six-mile deficit to the regular model – not bad given the chunky roof rack. A 10 to 80% recharge should be achievable in around 30 minutes, thanks to 150kW DC charging.

How much does the Hyundai Inster Cross cost and when can I buy one?

Pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet for the Inster Cross, but it is likely to cost marginally more than the regular model. When equipped with the Long Range battery, the Inster starts from around £25,000, so we expect the Inster Cross to cost closer to £28,000 when it goes on sale.

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