Hyundai is very proud of its lineup of SUV and CUV entries but if you ask someone if they heard of the Casper, they might look at you with a puzzled expression or perhaps shrug their shoulders in a way to tell you they don’t know what you are talking about. The cute looking Casper is sold in the international market and it has already managed to build a solid following for itself. However, the base Casper was designed for tight urban markets with the company not envisioning it as an off-roader.
However, the Suzuki Jimny is proof that cute can indeed translate to rugged trail capability and Hyundai is choosing to follow suit with the official unveiling of the Casper Electric Cross.
Electric Cross adds character to the Casper
The Casper Electric is still a tiny CUV but Hyundai engineers have added plenty of rugged charm to every inch of the Casper. The cute and funky styling of the standard version has been retained, but Electric Cross models get new silver skid plates and black cladding with Hyundai even adding a pixel motif to the rear bumper. The Electric Cross gets its own 17-inch alloy wheels and full LED lighting with a handy roof rack being mounted on the roof for hauling cargo. Matte green paint is also standard and the Electric Cross gets a special graphics package too.
Slip inside and the cabin gets two-tone upholstery with the bottom half of the seats matching the matte green paint. The Casper’s interior is otherwise mostly carried over unchanged with the cabin still featuring a healthy amount of analog controls with a large screen and other tech sprinkled in for a unique and distinctive look.
Bigger battery means Caper Electric Cross gets more power
Performance for the Electric Cross is also shared with other Casper models but the main difference is that all Electric Cross models get the bigger 49 kWh battery pack instead of the base 42 kWh one which also allows the Electric Cross to get the bigger electric motor. The end result is 113 hp with range coming in at 177 miles when measured on the test cycle used for its market. Hyundai didn’t release performance figures but with the base Casper already preferring to jog its way through most of those categories, look for this to continue in the Electric Cross.
The electric pseudo-off-roader goes on sale today in Korea for 31.9 million won or about $22,000 at current exchange rates. Hyundai has no plans to bring the Casper to the U.S. with the model needing an extensive rework to even be considered eligible for U.S. standards. However, with more car buyers being priced out of the new car market by soaring prices, a model similar to the Casper with the work done to make it comply with standards might appear but only if Hyundai feels there’s room for such a model.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.