Hyundai reveals wild Insteroid concept EV with Pac-Man interior – and it’s the exciting hot hatch that electric vehicles need right now | usagoldmines.com

• Wild concept will draw crowds at the Seoul Mobility Show
• Aggressive bodywork and hydraulic handbrake signal sporting intent
• Could this be a more affordable alternative to the Renault 5 Turbo 3E?

Hyundai has unveiled its latest, attention-grabbing concept car and it’s so wild, we had to check in with a PR representative to make sure it wasn’t some sort of April Fool’s gag.

Taking plenty of inspiration from retro video games, Insteroid is, as the name suggests, a diminutive Inster on, erm, steroids. But rather than beef it up with a raised ride height and a roof rack like the Cross variant did, Insteroid takes things in an altogether more sporting and thrill-seeking direction.

The bodywork, for example, shares elements with the equally wild, hydrogen-powered N Vision 74, with an extra-wide stance, “track-optimized” wheels and an impressive rear wing you could happily eat a bucket of Korean fried chicken from when parked up at the local car meet.

Inside, it’s an interesting mix of racy bucket seats, a roll cage and a track-inspired steering wheel and adjustable column. Hyundai says every element of the stripped-out cockpit is fully adjustable and images show that the retro-futuristic instrument cluster, which looks like it has been designed by Teenage Engineering, can be adapted and adjusted to suit the individual.

According to Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center, it also offers an “immersive sound experience” that not only comes to life when being driven, but can also get the party started when stationary.

This is aided by an integrated “Beat House” sound system and neat pixelated Message Grid on the lower bumper that acts as a digital ticker-tape for broadcasting messages to the outside world. Alternatively, it can display an interactive graphic equalizer when pumping out tunes.

Compact hot hatches are back in the limelight

Although the Insteroid is very much a concept car for now, it gives a good indication of what a small, fun and affordable hot hatch could look like – something that fills the void left by Volkswagen’s Up! GTI and the infamous Renault Twingo RS, for example.

Speaking of Renault, the French marque has also been exploring what is possible with electric motors and battery packs, pushing its latest Renault 5 to the extremes with its recently unveiled Turbo 3E model. Although most predict it will cost the same as most modern supercars.

The Insteroid features a similar hydraulic handbrake and gaming-inspired interior that Renault debuted on its drifting R5 turbo concept of 2022, but shrinks it down into an even smaller package and, should it make it to production, could feature more affordable, watered-down performance tech borrowed from the excellent Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Regardless of whether it ever makes it into showrooms or not, Insteroid is the sort of concept car that electric vehicles desperately need right now.

Wild designs, innovative features and a promise of scintillating electric performance are things that have the potential to get people talking and the next generation genuinely excited about the future of motoring.

Plus, it is tapping into a youth that is currently celebrating the Max Power era of obnoxious sound systems, Fast and the Furious-style underbody lighting and wider car tuning culture. The 90s are so in right now, just hit Instagram for proof.

If Hyundai shuns the expensive in-wheel motors of Renault’s Turbo 3E and borrows some of the more affordable elements of the Ioniq 5 N, we could well have our first wallet-friendly electric hot hatch in a high-performance Inster variant.

It can then be up to the owner whether or not they want to fit a festival-spec sound system in the trunk.

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