Rooted in the success of the Hyundai INSTER—the electric, sub-compact city SUV launched last year and quickly embraced worldwide—INSTEROID elevates both sporty aesthetics and the overall user experience.

INSTER’s momentum, including its placement among the top three finalists for the 2025 World Car of the Year, provides the springboard for this radical “what-if” experiment.

Developed clandestinely by Hyundai Motor’s European design team, INSTEROID is a pure show car. Its name playfully merges INSTER and STEROID, signaling an energetic personality and a more muscular attitude.

As with the off-road-flavored INSTER CROSS revealed during INSTER’s 2024 debut, INSTEROID represents another chapter in the production model’s evolving story.

The brief is clear: question conventions, provoke emotion, and redefine what a sporty EV can be.

Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center, calls INSTEROID “a celebration of pure fun,” emphasizing that it’s about how the car looks, sounds, and makes you feel—an invitation to “dream a little louder and smile a little longer.”

Eduardo Ramírez, Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Europe, describes it as a modern interpretation of the dream car, born from unrestrained creativity and inspired by video games to deliver an emotional, engaging vision of the Hyundai brand.

Gamified performance look, with mindful materials

INSTEROID turns the INSTER’s design up a notch with a longer, wider body, track-focused wheels, and pronounced aero elements—a large wing, diffuser, and wheel-arch vents—to sharpen aerodynamics.

The cabin is purposefully pared back: bucket seats, a roll cage, and a dedicated instrument cluster create an immersive cockpit. Nearly every component is adjustable, echoing a garage-built spirit summed up by the motto, “Build it, play it, break it, repeat.” A distinct sound signature adds to the multisensory impression.

Building on INSTER’s charismatic styling, INSTEROID introduces Drift Mode for competitive thrills with an easygoing, playful edge.

Features like the integrated Beat House audio and Message Grid enable personalized interactions, while the recurring Boost icon—appearing in multiple guises—underscores the emotional bond between driver and machine.

To keep weight in check and performance high, designers integrated lightweight lattice structures. The exterior wears a soft white finish punctuated by a single bold orange accent for instant recognition.

Completing the concept narrative is a reflective race suit emblazoned with INSTEROID lettering—where car culture meets youthful expression.

True to Hyundai’s sustainability drive, the interior showcases eco-friendly materials, including 3D-knit fabric made from recycled yarns using a seamless, made-to-measure process.