Hyundai's Cheapest Electric SUV to Rival Tata Punch EV

Hyundai’s first locally developed electric vehicle, the Creta EV will be launched in the country in January 2025. Moreover, the company is developing an all-new entry-level electric SUV for the global as well as the Indian market. Codenamed HE1i, the new sub-compact electric SUV will be manufactured at Hyundai’s Sriperumbudur factory. 

The electric SUV will be the Indianized version of the Inster EV, which has recently been launched in the international markets. The new model will have similar dimensions to the Exter micro SUV on sale in our market. Hyundai could follow Tata’s strategy and could name the new electric vehicle Exter EV; however, final details will be revealed in the near future. The SUV gets a Casper-inspired design, a tech-loaded interior and two battery pack options. Get more details here!

Hyundai Inster EV: Platform and Dimensions

The India-spec Inster EV will be based on Hyundai's global and affordable E-GMP (K) platform, which also underpins the Casper EV. Despite being based on the Casper, the Inster EV is 230 mm longer and 15 mm wider. The boot space is also increased from 280 litres to 351 litres.

As far as the dimensions are concerned, the Inster EV measures 3,825 mm in length, 1,610 mm in width, and 1,575 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,580 mm.

Design and Features

The outer appearance of the upcoming Hyundai Inster will be similar to the global-spec Casper micro SUV. However, it will have EV-specific styling such as a closed-off front grille, fresh LED DRLs, larger LED round-shaped headlamps, and a fresh lower bumper with a silver bar surround. Its side profile will have a boxy shape with clean surfaces, squarish glass areas, and a flat roofline. The rear profile will be quite different from the Casper and Exter. It will have LED pixelated tail lights, a roof-mounted spoiler, a larger bumper, and a bigger skid plate.

Inside the cabin, it will get a 10.25-inch freestanding touchscreen infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument console, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charging dock, multi-functional steering wheel, 50/50 split for the second-row seats with slide and recline function.

ADAS Features

The Inster EV comes equipped with an ADAS suite comprising features like Parking Collision Avoidance Assist Rear, Surround View Monitor, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 1.5, Lane Keeping & Lane Following Assist, Blind-Spot View Monitor, and more.

Battery, Range, Charging Details

The India-spec Hyundai Inster EV is likely to get a 42 kWh battery pack as standard. A long-range 49 kWh battery could also come as an option. The global-spec model also gets the same set of battery packs. Both units are equipped with electric motors mounted on the front axle. The power torque figures stand at 96 bhp/147Nm for the standard battery and 113 bhp/147Nm for the long-range variant.

The EV is claimed to offer a range of 355 km on a full charge. Using a 120 kW DC fast charger, the car’s battery can be charged from 10-80 percent in around 30 minutes. It will also come with an 11 kW on-board charger as standard. Besides, the Inster EV will support the Vehicle-to-Load functionality.

Launch in India

Hyundai has plans to launch the electric version of Creta in 2025. Once it is launched, the Inster EV could arrive anytime in India, probably by the second half of 2026.

Price and Rivals

Hyundai Inster EV is expected to be priced around Rs 10 lakh to Rs 14 lakh (ex-showroom), becoming the cheapest electric car to rival Tata Punch EV.

Also Read: 3 Upcoming Hyundai Compact SUVs For India - New Venue, Inster