The quirky Hyundai Casper isn’t coming to Australia in this form but an all-electric version could be on the cards…we test drive the model in its homeland to see what’s on offer.
The Casper may be the smallest car in Hyundai’s stable, but it packs quite a visual punch. And the SUV-style city car is a big seller on its home turf in South Korea where we’ve tested it to see what’s on offer. There are no plans to launch this tiny car in Australia, but reports suggest that a potential EV version could be coming soon, and that might well be on Hyundai’s radar given the proliferation of electric cars in the local line-up.
The Casper’s squat, punchy stance is reminiscent of the Suzuki Ignis, but Hyundai has packed a unique character into its diminutive proportions. With its boxy arches, oversized fog lights and jacked-up ride height, the design is certainly quirky.
We drove the most powerful Casper available – the turbocharged petrol version, which is distinguished by a pair of extra intake holes in the front bumper. They’re said to be inspired by the 993-generation Porsche 911 Turbo S, but parallels with the 296km/h supercar end there – the Casper uses a 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor that offers 73kW.
All Caspers drive the front wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission, operated by a gear lever sprouting from the dashboard. The cabin isn’t exactly plush, but it feels robust and suits the car’s affordable brief. The crisp fully-digital dashboard is a welcome surprise, as are heated seats and a ventilated driver’s seat. The main infotainment screen is perched awkwardly atop of the dashboard, but the system copes well enough with basic tasks.
While the Casper’s funky exterior design hasn’t seeped into the cabin, flashes of orange and fabric trims do add some visual appeal, and there’s genuine versatility on offer here. The front seat bases connect to form a single bench, and the sliding rear seats can be adjusted to provide either more legroom (just enough for one adult behind another) or boot space. With camping in mind, all four seats can be folded flat to provide a large sleeping area.
These cost-effective innovations bring real value to the package, but the Casper’s biggest test is out on the road. Unfortunately, the first hundred metres or so unearth a few holes in its dynamic repertoire. Thankfully, these primarily relate to the powertrain, and would be easily rectified by an all-electric model.
With just four ratios to work with, the Casper tends to hang onto gears and shifts can occasionally send a shunt through the driveline. Performance isn’t brisk by any account, but there’s easily enough shove for city driving and motorway cruising – despite the engine’s coarse note at high revs encouraging a gentle right foot.
The Casper’s light steering and jacked-up ride height make it easy to spot gaps and thread the car through traffic, and it feels right at home in town. The suspension lacks sophistication over some deep potholes and sharp road imperfections, however, with the occasional thud as it runs into its bump stops.
It’s important to note that a Casper EV would require a bespoke suspension tune by virtue of a lower centre of gravity, heavier kerb weight and altered weight distribution, so conclusions we can draw about a potential electric version are limited – and local ride and handling improvements are exactly what Hyundai Australia excels at. More polish would be welcome, and the model we drove didn’t feel particularly direct at speed, bobbing around slightly over undulations.
As it stands, the Casper feels ripe for a fully-electric powertrain to do justice to what is a quirky, desirable urban runaround. If Hyundai does indeed launch a battery-powered version in Australia with a touch more engineering finesse, its adorable looks and clever interior could see it land very well indeed.
Yousuf Ashraf