Hyundai's Gaming-Inspired Insteroid Concept

This unassuming-looking vehicle, which most Americans haven't seen… …is the Inster, a compact EV that Hyundai rolled out in their home market of South Korea last year. For an EV, it's not particularly quick—0-62 mph in 10.6 seconds—but it offers a decent 229-mile range and tops out at 93 mph. Most importantly, it's affordably priced (it starts at the equivalent of USD $25,000), and demand has been strong in both Korea and Europe; the company projects it will double their EV sales in Europe this year.Following their early market success, Hyundai decided to let their design team have some fun with the car. To further cement the car's connection with the youth market, the design team was asked to cut loose and create the Insteroid (Inster + steroid), a gaming-inspired version. The Insteroid seems designed for the track, but has an obscenely large sound system in the rear. Most notably, the Inster's fairly staid instrument cluster… …has been replaced with this deconstructed design, which mimics the way that data is conveyed to gamers on-screen: "It's not just about how it looks, but also how it sounds and how it makes you feel," says Hyundai SVP Simon Loasby, who heads up the Hyundai Design Center. "INSTEROID represents a modern take on the idea of a dream car," says Eduardo Ramírez, Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Europe. "It is designed to inspire and create enthusiasm. This project allowed us to fully embrace unrestrained creativity, drawing inspiration from video games to create an emotional and engaging vision of Hyundai's brand." While there's no word on production plans, one thing is for sure: The regular Inster won't be coming to U.S. shores--tariffs or no tariffs. In order to share the road with our monster SUVs, U.S.-market cars need to adhere to safety standards that small cars like the Inster have difficulty meeting. Europe and the rest of the world, however, will be awash in Inster-mania.

Apr 7, 2025 - 16:23

Hyundai's Gaming-Inspired Insteroid Concept

This unassuming-looking vehicle, which most Americans haven't seen…

…is the Inster, a compact EV that Hyundai rolled out in their home market of South Korea last year. For an EV, it's not particularly quick—0-62 mph in 10.6 seconds—but it offers a decent 229-mile range and tops out at 93 mph. Most importantly, it's affordably priced (it starts at the equivalent of USD $25,000), and demand has been strong in both Korea and Europe; the company projects it will double their EV sales in Europe this year.

Following their early market success, Hyundai decided to let their design team have some fun with the car. To further cement the car's connection with the youth market, the design team was asked to cut loose and create the Insteroid (Inster + steroid), a gaming-inspired version.

The Insteroid seems designed for the track, but has an obscenely large sound system in the rear.

Most notably, the Inster's fairly staid instrument cluster…

…has been replaced with this deconstructed design, which mimics the way that data is conveyed to gamers on-screen:

"It's not just about how it looks, but also how it sounds and how it makes you feel," says Hyundai SVP Simon Loasby, who heads up the Hyundai Design Center.

"INSTEROID represents a modern take on the idea of a dream car," says Eduardo Ramírez, Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Europe. "It is designed to inspire and create enthusiasm. This project allowed us to fully embrace unrestrained creativity, drawing inspiration from video games to create an emotional and engaging vision of Hyundai's brand."

While there's no word on production plans, one thing is for sure: The regular Inster won't be coming to U.S. shores--tariffs or no tariffs. In order to share the road with our monster SUVs, U.S.-market cars need to adhere to safety standards that small cars like the Inster have difficulty meeting. Europe and the rest of the world, however, will be awash in Inster-mania.