The Hyundai Casper has long been on our wish list of cars we want to see on local roads, whether in gasoline or EV form. We recently saw the Casper Electric, aka the Inster, at the Seoul Mobility Show 2025, and considering the rising popularity of small electric cars like the BYD Seagull, we couldn’t help thinking again that it would be a worthwhile addition to Hyundai’s lineup in our market.
And now that the little crossover has been hailed the 2025 World Electric Vehicle of the Year by the World Car Awards, we really feel it deserves broader availability across the globe.
Out of 31 EVs, the final battle came down to the Porsche Macan Electric, the Kia EV3, and the Inster. This win is Hyundai’s third in this category, after the Ioniq 5 in 2022 and the Ioniq 6 in 2023, with the Toyota Prius breaking the back-to-back streak in 2024.
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“The Hyundai Inster has been a winner with customers since we introduced it. It’s very gratifying that the experts on the prestigious World Car Awards jury feel the same way,” said Jose Muñoz, president and CEO of Hyundai. “The combination of compelling design, range, enjoyable driving characteristics, intuitive infotainment, and technology that customers appreciate is emblematic of Hyundai’s approach of delivering exceptional value to our customers.
“The fact that our global portfolio is successful both commercially and critically speaks to the hardworking people throughout the Hyundai value chain who are delivering some of the best vehicles on the road today.”
The gasoline Casper and the electric Inster share the same frame and body. For propulsion, the Inster has a single motor that puts out either 95hp or 113hp, and 147Nm of torque. There are two battery options available: a 42kWh unit with a claimed range of up to 300km, or a 49kWh unit that can go up to 355km.
For all the World Car Awards winners this year, check out the list below:
World Car Awards 2025 winners
- 2025 World Car of the Year – Kia EV3
- 2025 World Electric Vehicle of the Year – Hyundai Inster aka Casper Electric
- 2025 World Luxury Car of the Year – Volvo EX90
- 2025 World Performance Car of the Year – Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
- 2025 World Urban Car of the Year – BYD Seagull/Dolphin Mini
- 2025 World Car Design of the Year – Volkswagen ID. Buzz
More photos of the Hyundai Inster aka Casper Electric:
