April Fool’s Day may be upon us, but while some automakers are having fun with the holiday, others are using it as a cover to unveil newsworthy items. Hyundai is one of these companies that’s forgoing comedy for outright performance with the company revealing the drift-ready INSTEROID concept which is based on the company’s Inster EV.
INSTEROID is the drift machine we always wanted
While the standard Inster focuses on value and efficiency, this concept takes the humble Inster in a far more radical direction. Designed in secret by Hyundai’s European Design team, the “Roid” part of its name is a play on the fact that this is literally an Inster on steroids. The exterior gets a wild body kit with an exaggerated rear spoiler, large wheel flares, and other wild styling elements. A set of 21-inch wheels are also added and the suspension is lowered helping the concept hug the road better.
The INSTEROID is a sequel to the trail-ready Inster Cross off-road concept from last year with that show vehicle ultimately convincing Hyundai to create a production version which was unveiled a short while ago. The interior of the concept is also stripped down for track duty and while it still has the compact dimensions of the base Inster, that’s all it has in common. Engineers gave the cabin sport bucket seats, a roll cage, and a special instrument cluster. The dashboard gets a special 3D-printed fabric that’s made out of recycled yarn and with all the motion sickness that would ensue for rear passengers if they came along for the ride, Hyundai wisely pitched the rear seat and replaced it with a Beat House audio system and a special Message Grid feature for improved driver interactions with the vehicle.
Could Hyundai make a production version?
Hyundai chose to not reveal how much power it added to the concept, but chances are good that the Ioniq 5 N’s EV powertrain has been shoehorned in which is partially due to the extended bodywork as well as the fact that it would be a noticeable upgrade over the more pedestrian hardware offered by a typical Inster model. A Drift Mode is also included to help the concept get sideways when asked to do so.
The last Inster-based concept the company released did generate a production model but it remains to be seen if this concept will create a production counterpart especially as Hyundai focuses on more urgent matters including possibly making adjustments to its operations to blunt the impact of tariffs in the U.S. “INSTEROID is a celebration of pure fun – a journey where we explored new ways to ignite emotion and imagination in every detail,” said Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center. “It’s not just about how it looks, but also how it sounds and how it makes you feel. From its bold visual language to the immersive sound experience, it’s a concept that invites everyone to dream a little louder and smile a little longer.”
In the meantime, folks interested in experiencing the INSTEROID can experience it in a Hyundai-developed time attack computer game with the player starting out with a base Inster and collecting “steroid” items to help evolve it into the drift-happy INSTEROID concept (no rare candies needed.) The game will be available later this month and the actual concept will be making its analog debut at the Seoul Mobility Show which will run from April 3rd to April 13th.
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.