Having teased a game-inspired concept based on the new Inster last month, Hyundai has duly revealed the so-called Insteroid show car at an influencer event in Seoul. As you can see, the aggressively styled EV (does Hyundai have another setting?) is intended to be catnip for Gen Z, and hangs its cap heavily on a video game vibe. Having said that, there isn’t a soul among us that doesn’t appreciate the sight of a steroidal box-arch grafted onto a compact car, so there’s arguably something for everyone.
Plus, of course, if anyone has earned the right to let its imagination run wild in the ‘Dream Car’ EV space, it’s Hyundai. Not only does the Insteroid take plenty of visual and thematic inspiration from the WRC, it also follows on the heels of other notable battery-powered concepts, including the bonkers RN24. “Insteroid is a celebration of pure fun – a journey where we explored new ways to ignite emotion and imagination in every detail,” reckons Simon Loasby, Head of Hyundai’s Design Centre.
Naturally, it’s also about promoting the car beneath the wing spoiler and wheel arch air vents, although no variant of the Inster is ever likely to feature a stripped-out interior with bucket seats, nor the Drift Mode that has inevitably been incorporated into the running gear. Hyundai doesn’t waste time telling us specifically what that running gear comprises, though it does point out that the concept comes with a unique sound signature, one intended to make an ‘unforgettable impression’.
As you might expect, there are the usual concept-related claims made for invocation and sustainability – the release mentions ‘lightweight lattice structures’ and a 3D knit fabric inside crafted from recycled yarns – and Hyundai doubles down on its ‘Build it, play it, break it, repeat’ motto by suggesting that every interior element is fully adjustable for that garage-built machine vibe, but mostly it’s about inviting everyone ‘to dream a little louder and smile a little longer’. Who can argue with that?