New Hyundai Inster Cross review: tougher looks at a price that’s hard to swallow

The driving experience is the same as the regular Hyundai Inster. It’s nippy off the line and the 113bhp electric motor driving the front wheels doesn’t start to run out of puff until you go beyond about 40mph. Visibility is great, it rides well at low speeds, the powertrain is remarkably efficient and the one-pedal driving mode is fantastic for dealing with stop-start traffic. The 10.6-metre turning circle could be better, though. 

But while the Inster Cross is a fun car to look at, it’s not so much fun to drive on a twisty road. The steering, for instance, isn’t as precise as a Renault 5’s, and rivals also feel a tad more refined on the motorway.

My biggest gripe though is that, despite the litany of buttons scattered across the dashboard, not one of them can turn off the car’s various driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and their irritating bonging. That all has to be done via the touchscreen and involves navigating through several complicated menus, which is distracting enough even before the attention-monitoring system starts telling you off for not looking at the road.

It wouldn’t be hard for Hyundai to fit an easily accessible switch for deactivating the ADAS suite. Perhaps in place of the one the Inster Cross does have for turning off the traction control, because that’s the only thing that might be used less than the Sport mode in this car. 

We’ve come to expect that any car that’s even SUV-ish will attract a price premium, but the Inster Cross starting from £28,755 is still rather excessive. For one thing, it’s £2,000 more than the mid-range 02 spec that most buyers are probably going to go for, and puts this little EV within a few thousand pounds of the Skoda Elroq, which is a proper, family-sized electric SUV. 

Luckily, Hyundai is currently offering £3,750 off the price of every new Inster, matching the maximum amount of the Government’s Electric Car Grant. Combined with other discounts, the Inster Cross is currently available from just £24,505, which is far more reasonable. However, the price cut is only set to last until the end of September, so buyers mustn’t dawdle.