Hyundai Inster Cross

FIRST DRIVE SUV-style makeover for range-topping version of cute Korean city car extends its appeal - but at quite a price

- Ellis Hyde [e-mail]

ONE memorable scene in The Hobbit films that came out a couple of years ago saw Bilbo Baggins shouting “I’m going on an adventure!” as he skips out of The Shire, totally unprepared for the challenges of Middle Earth. It seems relevant now because the Hyundai Inster Cross looks like it could do the same thing at any moment.

This off-road-inspired version of Hyundai’s electric city car doesn't have four-wheel drive or locking differentials like an actual 4x4, mind you. It’s simply designed to offer a bit of rugged charisma in a dinky package perfect for tackling the congested streets of the world’s major cities.

Tweaks over the regular car include chunkier front and rear bumpers, additional cladding, skid plates and special 17-inch black alloys. The Inster Cross is available in an exclusive Amazonas Green colour, or there's the Aero Silver matte finish on our test car. This, combined with the black visor across the front, makes the car look a little like RoboCop.

The interior features a unique colour scheme, but it’s dreary grey with some lime-yellow accents on the dashboard and fabric seats. To our eyes, the funky beige and khaki-brown cabin with houndstooth seats in other versions of the Inster is much better. Partly because it helps distract from the fact that every surface in this car is made of hard plastic.