Hyundai Teases the Insteroid, a Concept That Looks Straight out of a Video Game
The video-game-inspired Insteroid concept is based on the , a compact EV SUV sold in Europe and Asia.
The Insteroid concept features insane motorsport-influenced styling, with a massive rear wing, boxy wheel arches, and pixelated LED rain lights.
Hyundai is expected to officially unveil the new concept early next month as a show car.
The video game landscape has changed quite a bit since Asteroids was released in 1979. High-poly 3-D models, hyper-realistic graphics, and sophisticated physics engines have turned video games into a medium for transforming fantasies into virtual reality. With its new Insteroid concept, Hyundai aims to flip that script by building a real-life concept so wild that it looks like it could only exist on a virtual racetrack.
The Insteroid appears to be the antithesis of the humble 113-hp Inster EV SUV that it is based on. While the standard Inster is a budget-conscious foreign-market electric crossover best used for inner-city transport, there's nothing humble about the Insteroid's visual styling. Hyundai says that the Insteroid name is a combination of the words "Inster" and "steroid," and it certainly looks more 'roid than Inster.
Its aggressive exterior mixes visual elements reminiscent of 1980s WRC and modern Formula 1 cars, with Audi Quattro–style boxed wheel arches and a rear wing that could have come straight off of Max Verstappen's championship-winning F1 racer from last year. In Hyundai's dimly lit teaser photos, the silhouette of a roll cage can be seen through the Insteroid's windshield, and a roof scoop sits atop its lid. Pixelated LED rear rain lights are another playful accent that blends the barrier between virtual and reality.
The Insteroid's interior presumably matches its sporty exterior, with control buttons and an instrument display designed specifically for the video game-inspired concept. It is unclear whether the Insteroid features the same 103-hp electric powertrain as the standard Inster (if it features a powertrain at all), but Hyundai will likely discuss those details when they unveil the concept early next month. With the Insteroid set to remain a show model, the only time that you are likely to drive it is if it appears in Gran Turismo.
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