One of the problems up to now with fully electric cars is that they have been too expensive. Then along came Dacia with their ‘shocking affordable’ Spring EV and a starting price of €16,990. Not only was it the most inexpensive electric car in Ireland, but the cheapest new car in the country, full stop.
Then, a few weeks later, Hyundai announced that their fully electric Inster was going on sale at a starting price of €18,995. Now in Ireland we seem to be ripped off when it comes to prices of new cars, but this initial price quoted by Hyundai is cheaper than most other European markets. Hyundai obviously feel there is a market in Ireland for small inexpensive EV’s.
At the Irish launch of the Inster in February, Stephen Gleeson, Hyundai’s MD in Ireland, said that bargain price was a special offer and he reckoned we would see a slight price increase by the summer, but thankfully no change in the pricing so far.
Mr Gleeson said that the Inster was “selling like hot cakes” and that they had sold 400 units simply by putting information about the new car on their website.
I liked it and so did my wife. She has a touch of arthritis and finds it difficult to climb on board chunky SUVs but loved the Inster and had no problem getting in and out of the car.
On the dash, the 10.5-inch screen dominates, and you get some good old fashioned physical buttons underneath for the radio and climate control. It really is a very cosy interior, and the back seat is best suited to two adults or three children.
The back seats slide backwards and forward to allow more boot space. And all the seats will fold down if required. There is a nice bit of space in the boot, but it’s used for holding the charging cables. Maybe you could also squeeze a spare wheel in there also, if you would like to have comfortable feeling of knowing you have a spare on board. There is no Frunk.
Officially the range when fully charged is 350km and that’s a fairly accurate figure. If you only have a short daily commute to school or work, then you might only need to charge the car once a week.
My test car came in Henry Ford’s favourite colour, black with some nice white touches on the rear. On the back door there are 48 white images (four blocks of 12) and when you apply the brakes all 48 light up, plus ten more red lights at the top of the rear window. So nobody is going to rear-end you. Two roof-rails add to the rugged look. Definitely a black beauty.
I did see a very attractive Sienna Orange coloured car outside the Hyundai offices on the Naas Road and there is also a lovely Butter Cream Yellow colour available where the interior decor is very bright.
In Asia, Hyundai’s smallest car is called the Casper and we are told the name is taken from the Casper Skateboarding technique. Inster is a portmanteau of ‘intimate’ and ‘innovative.’
Prices start at €18,995 or €175 per month for the Signature entry level, while the Elegance version, which has a few goodies like 17-inch instead of 15-inch alloys in the entry model, is priced at €21,995. Two roof rails give the car a chunky look. Road tax is €120.
This car could change your mind about switching to electric, especially if it’s the second car being used in a house. It’s really ideal as a city runaround and at 3.8 metres long and 1.61metres wide, a joy to turn and park.
Last week the Inster was named World EV Car of the Year.
