Wait, what the heck is the Hyundai Casper? It's a diminutive crossover just 141.5 inches (3595 millimeters) long, powered by three-cylinder gas engines. It came out in 2021 and spawned a fully electric version last year when the EV was launched in Europe under a different name – Inster. At home in South Korea, there's a new rugged derivative of the zero-emission model, which is just as adorable but with added ruggedness.
The Casper Electric Cross is tiny compared to another electric Cross model launched earlier this week, the Volvo EX30 Cross Country. The funky styling of the standard version has been primarily retained but combined with new silver skid plates and black side cladding to toughen things up. Hyundai also designed a new set of 17-inch wheels and applied a pixelated theme to the rear bumper.
The changes on the outside also include full LED headlights as standard, a roof rack, exclusive matte green paint, and updated graphics for the taillights. Inside, Hyundai opted for two-tone upholstery by matching the bottom of the seats with the green body. Like the regular Casper, also sold as a van in Korea, it has plenty of physical buttons supplementing the large center screen.
The Casper Electric Cross comes with a 49-kWh battery pack that provides enough juice for 177 miles (285 kilometers) on the local test cycle. If you're in a hurry, it takes half an hour to replenish the battery from 10% to 80%. For extra range, the regular Casper Electric with smaller 15-inch alloys can travel 196 miles (315 kilometers) on a single charge. In Europe, the Inster has a maximum WLTP rating of 230 miles (370 kilometers).
By having a bigger battery instead of the standard 42-kWh pack, the Casper Electric Cross also gets a more potent electric motor. It produces 113 hp instead of 95 hp, while torque remains unchanged at 108 pound-feet (147 Newton-meters). Performance isn't mentioned, but Europe's Inster Long Range does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 10.6 seconds and tops out at 93 mph (150 km/h).
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 Casper Electric Cross
Source: Hyundai
