Hot Hyundai Inster N possible, rugged Inster Cross confirmed

A high-performance N version of the all-new 2024 Hyundai Inster hasn’t been ruled out by global executives from the Korean car-maker, who simultaneously confirmed a more rugged ‘Cross’ version of the tiny battery-electric SUV was also in the works.

Speaking to global media ahead of the Inster’s global debut, Hyundai Motor Europe product and pricing director Raf van Nuffel didn’t explicitly rule out a hotter variant of the Inster when asked directly if an N version was in the works, instead focussing on the two launch grades and the Cross that will follow.

“Today we talk about the vehicle behind us [Inster] and we can already say there also will be soon a Cross version added to that,” he said.

“The Cross version will look a bit more rugged, it will have a different wheel design, the soft parts like bumpers and so on will look also modified – some dedicated interior changes are available for that Cross version too.

“Any other version we can talk about, maybe in the future.”

While that’s a long way short of a confirmation, van Ruffel’s reference to other future variants suggests an Inster N – Nster? – performance flagship is at least being looked at, and we wouldn’t be surprised if there are some working protypes already kicking around Hyundai’s Namyang R&D centre.

Hyundai’s desire to offer the world an affordable electric N-car has been well documented, and former N-division boss Albert Biermann has essentially dedicated the rest of his tenure as executive technical adviser to delivering just such a product.

“We are intensely looking… what do we have in the pocket and how do we make the fun machine out of what we have?” he told carsales earlier this year.

“This process has been going on intensely for quite some time because for me the most important thing is to come up with a smaller, more affordable N-car… for me it’s the most important thing N has to do.”

So far the stumbling block has been the limited racetrack endurance of EVs with 400V electrical architectures, with both Biermann and N vowing not to deliver a cheaper N-car that can’t handle circuit work for extended periods of time.

Still, the Inster could be the N division’s best shot yet, since it’s considerably smaller, lighter and cheaper than the Hyundai Kona Electric, which has thus far been deemed the most likely candidate for a zero-emissions N makeover outside of the IONIQ portfolio.

With the Inster as a starting point, N wouldn’t need to worry about delivering performance to rival the i30 N hot hatch – let alone the IONIQ 5 N electric super-SUV – as it would instead compete against other hot compact EVs like the Abarth 500e and upcoming Alpine A290, not to mention pint-size turbo-petrol heroes like Hyundai’s own i20 N.

If the regular Inster is indeed priced from about $40,000 as planned, the N version could feasibly start from somewhere above $55,000.

Unsurprisingly at this early stage, however, we don’t have a timeline around when the Nster might surface. But we do know the Inster Cross will debut within the next six to 12 months.

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