Hyundai just unveiled a concept car so wild, we had to double-check it wasn’t an April Fool’s prank. Meet the Hyundai Insteroid — a pixel-blasting, bass-thumping, video game-inspired EV that looks like it crash-landed straight out of a retro-futuristic racing sim.
And yes, it’s real.
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A Small Car with Big Attitude
As the name hints, the Insteroid is a pumped-up version of the Hyundai Inster — except instead of bulking up with roof racks and chunky tires like the Inster Cross, it goes full cyberpunk track monster.
We are talking features like:
- Oversized stance
- Track-ready wheels
- A massive rear wing (yes, big enough for your fried chicken bucket)
It borrows a lot of visual cues from Hyundai’s wild hydrogen-powered N Vision 74, blending them with playful, retro styling that screams “1990s arcade drift mode.”
Inside the Cockpit: Part Racer, Part Raver
The interior is just as bonkers.
You’ll find:
- Racy bucket seats
- A full roll cage
- A steering column that looks ripped from a Formula E car
- A modular retro instrument cluster (with Teenage Engineering vibes)
Hyundai says everything inside is fully adjustable, and while the tech looks like it belongs on a Tokyo drift circuit, it’s also designed to party.
Yes, party.
The Insteroid features an integrated “Beat House” sound system that comes to life when you’re parked. A pixelated “Message Grid” on the lower bumper can display scrolling text or double up as a pulsing graphic equalizer when the bass drops.
This Concept Is Fun — and That’s the Point
According to Simon Loasby, SVP at Hyundai Design Center, Insteroid delivers an immersive sound experience — both on and off the road. And while it’s strictly a concept for now, it clearly fills the fun-sized EV hot hatch gap left by the Volkswagen Up! GTI and Renault Twingo RS.
Speaking of Renault, Hyundai’s playful use of gaming-inspired design and hydraulic handbrakes mirrors what Renault attempted with its R5 Turbo 3E — but Hyundai does it in a more compact, potentially more affordable form.
If the Insteroid borrows the performance DNA of the Ioniq 5 N instead of Renault’s complex (and costly) in-wheel motors, this could be the EV equivalent of an accessible tuner car.
Whether or not it hits showrooms, the Hyundai Insteroid is exactly what the EV world needs: something outrageous, fun, and distinctly un-corporate.
Because sometimes, saving the planet should come with a roll cage, a bass drop, and a pixelated ticker scrolling “SEE YOU ON THE TRACK” across the bumper.
