Extreme Hyundai Insteroid EV unleashed

Hyundai has pulled the drapes off the all-new Insteroid, an unhinged new battery-powered concept loosely based on the baby Inster EV packing Ioniq 5 N levels of power.

Debuted at the Seoul motor show, the 2025 Hyundai Insteroid is actually closer related to the Ioniq 5 N than the cute Inster EV it resembles, and that’s because it’s based on the former’s accomplished e-GMP architecture.

Helping to compensate for the larger footprint, the Inster’s body has been stretched around the 800V platform and fitted with a set of rally-style wheel arches that house broad 21-inch alloy wheels.

Taking its name from a blend of Inster and steroid, the new Insteroid’s looks are claimed to be inspired by the gaming world, rather than motorsport, although a lot of tech from the latter has crept in.

That explains the jutting front splitter, huge rear diffuser and the centrepiece of the Insteroid's dramatic styling – its triple-layer F1-style rear spoiler that features a drag-reduction system (DRS).

The active aero extends to electrically adjustable wheel arch extractors, while the charging port has been relocated to the rear window.

If you're wondering about the ‘23’ decals, they’re a reference to how many times the ghost-like cartoon character ‘the Boost’ is dotted around the car.

The motorsport theme continues inside the cabin with a pair of bucket seats, a harness and full roll cage, plus a delightful set of retro dials that broadcast the speed, lap time and power boost.

The steering wheel sports a Boost Race, Track and Go button.

The Insteroid features its own drift mode and has a pair of speakers within the tail lamps that emits driving sounds, just like the Ioniq 5 N, from which is also sources its powertrain.

With its much more advanced platform and dual-motor set-up, the Insteroid packs a mighty 478kW/770Nm instead of the Inster’s usual 71-84kW, with the whole thing sustained by an 84kWh battery.

Hyundai hasn’t released any performance claims, but the new Insteroid should be capable of a 0-100km/h sprint of around 3.0 seconds based on what we’ve seen from the Ioniq 5 N.

Sadly, any production version all-wheel drive Inster N has already been ruled-out, with the Korean car-maker's performance division not even consulted for the concept's creation.

Instead, Hyundai hopes its Insteroid concept will enthuse younger buyers about Hyundai's future EVs.

Related: Wild Hyundai Insteroid concept looks rally ready

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