This review is based on 7 days experience test driving the Australian Hyundai Inster standard range base model. I am a retiree in my early 70’s and had never driven an EV until late 2024.
However I have driven internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in many countries. In Africa a manual Ford Anglia and Renault 12, in North America a manual Honda Civic Station wagon (left hand drive of course, driving on the wrong side of the road you could say!), VW Golf in Ireland and Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons and Toyota Camrys in Australia.
The first thing I noticed on picking up the Inster was the unique design. I subsequently observed a myriad of design features that I had not previously noticed on the other EVs that I have reviewed.
Driving Experience & Verdict
I picked up the Hyundai Inster 2025 standard range model from Hyundai Macquarie Park on 7 July 2025 and returned it on 14 July 2025 having driven 387km in 7 days.
The Hyundai Inster is a great second car or down sizer option for seniors who don’t drive long distances anymore.
It is well designed for city running, driving through narrow streets and very easy to park because of its short length of 3.8m as well as narrow width 1.61m. As an example 3 Insters can park in the same parallel kerbside space as 2 Dodge RAM 1500s.
The Inster is not a traditional family car but a really well thought out unique pocket sized electric car.
The Inster is a pleasure to drive and the acceleration was excellent. I drove using ECO mode for the entire time, more than sufficient for my trips around town as well as on Sydney Motorway toll roads at 80-100km.
The two displays, infotainment and instrument cluster, are well located and easy to use. The adaptive cruise control feature is really useful when cruising on motorways. The M7 is currently undergoing major roadworks and this feature was really useful on my way to Windsor and back.
I use the Waze Navigation app and the Android Auto feature is connected by cable or Bluetooth. Very useful in varying traffic conditions. The car features LED headlights and interior lights.
The car does not have some other techno features available in other EVs; like multiple cameras, auto tailgate and bonnet, motorised seat adjustments, etc but to me that is positive, fewer things that can go wrong! The sound system is quite adequate for listening to music or the radio while driving.
Range and Efficiency
The standard range supposedly delivers a range of 327 kms however when I picked it up it was charged to 97% and showed an available range of 365kms.
Driving 387 kms in a week is unusual for me as it would mean that I drive 20,000 kms annually.
This was because I took the opportunity to drive to different distant locations at the edge of Sydney metropolitan area which I had not been to previously to test out the car’s ability.
I kept good records of my trips both long and short and noted that I was getting 10.2 kWh/100km to 11.3 kWh/100km.
Many medium sized EVs average 15kWh/100km or much more so the Inster is very efficient at using its small battery.
This is helped by having a built in heat-pump which enables car heating with low energy use, making the Inster particularly useful as a runabout in parts of Australia like the ACT/Canberra where drivers experience very cold winter weather.
The i-pedal feature that I have used previously in Kia and Hyundai EVs makes driving really easy, it is engaged by using the left paddle on the steering wheel and can be strengthened or weakened on the fly using the left and right paddles..
This regenerative braking feature charges the battery while braking and also driving down hills, thus increasing the range.
Charging
I charged the car using the included Hyundai 10 amp charging cable and a standard garage power socket. I adjusted the charging cable down to 8 amps (it can go as low as 6 amps) because the power socket is 30 years old.
Given that it is winter and our ducted air conditioner is running all day to maintain the house temperature to 22 degrees C, I was unable to solely recharge the car battery using solar power, something I was able to do in summer for my earlier EV reviews. The maximum I charged the battery was to 78% which gave me a range of 298 kms.
When I get closer to purchasing my own EV and trading in my Mazda petrol car, I’ll arrange for a proper 7kW single phase dedicated smart EV charger so I can take advantage of the substantial amount of spare solar power generated by the panels on my home roof. I have a 10.7kWp solar array installed.
Comfort and Space
To start with, the Inster is really small but that does not mean that it does not have sufficient room for passengers or goods!
The driver’s seat is manually 6 way adjustable including height which makes it easy for seniors like me to enter and exit compared to a lower hatchback or sedan style car. The front passenger seat is also comfortable and easy to enter/exit from according to my family and several neighbours (also seniors) who I took for test drives so they could experience what an EV was like to travel in.
I am 178 cm tall and I did not have to adjust my seat all the way back. With the driver’s seat that far back, the back seats still had lots of legroom, with space under the front seats to tuck in your feet.
If you wanted to fit four adults in the car comfortably, that was perfectly possible with the rear seats pushed right back. In addition, the back seats can be reclined, three positions are available. The car cannot accommodate five passengers.
The Hyundai Inster has space for 4 people, I tested this with a 30km round trip taking 4 adults from Rouse Hill to Freemans Reach and back. The back seat passengers reported that they were comfortable.
The boot is small with the back seats adjusted far back, but it could be increased by pushing these seats forward. I have not come across the adjustable back seat feature in the many ICE cars that I have driven or the other EVs that I have reviewed.
If you needed even more space for say large suitcases, you could fold the rear seats down, completely flat, to accommodate them. The Inster does not have a frunk, it however has roof rails should you want to carry more luggage, though this will reduce range by about 20%.
Storage space in the front row is the standard glove compartment. In addition, there is a shelf for the front passenger that can accommodate a mobile phone or two.
Next to that are 2 USB ports, a type A and a type C. In addition there is a 12V outlet. A small tray ideal for keys and even a mobile phone, is located below the middle console.
EDITORS VIEW
The Australian price of the Hyundai Inster base model at $39,000 plus on road costs is not competitive to attract financially stretched young people as a first car or young families with a child, as it is possible to purchase several other more spacious EVs for less money such as the BYD Dolphin and MG4.
However as my dad explained above it could be the perfect second car or down sizer EV for financially well off seniors. I also think the Inster could be attractive as a city car for DINK (double income no kids) couples.
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