Affordable Electric Mini SUV Revealed, Former President Moon Jae-in among First Buyers

Hyundai's upcoming pure electric version of the mini SUV will soon be introduced to the European market in 2024.

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According to Carscoops, Hyundai is planning to introduce the Hyundai Casper EV model in Europe with an expected starting price under 20,000 euros (equivalent to less than 524 million VND). This car could even benefit from additional electric vehicle subsidies, further pushing the price down to under 18,000 euros (less than 470 million VND).

Currently, the new Hyundai Casper EV in Europe is undergoing testing and enduring cold weather in Europe with harsh winters.

The Hyundai Casper was first introduced in 2021 and is the smallest high-riding model of the Korean brand with an overall length of 3,595mm, about 400mm shorter than the Hyundai Venue A-SUV model.

Casper is also Hyundai’s first “online” car. It received a record-breaking 18,940 orders on the launch day. The total number of orders is 26,000 – a figure that not only breaks the record for orders for all Hyundai internal combustion engine models, but also more than doubles the production target of 12,000 cars in 2021.

Casper is also referred to as the “Presidential car” after the President’s office revealed that former President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, was one of the first people to pre-order the car on the first day. He is expected to use the car after retirement.

Notably, Casper was confirmed by Hyundai to have a pure electric version, expected to enter production in 2024.

Adding more information about the plan to introduce an affordable urban electric car in Europe in 2024, which the Korean automaker has announced, many sources believe that the upcoming mini electric car is the Hyundai Casper EV.

This prediction is further supported by a series of test drive photos that have just been taken. Despite the thick camouflage layer, the car in the photo still reveals the overall design, front/rear light clusters, and window shape similar to the Hyundai Casper model. The presence of the charging port on the front bumper and the absence of the exhaust pipe indicate an electric drive system with zero emissions.

Inside the cabin, the Casper EV is equipped with a larger central screen than the gasoline version. The digital instrument cluster has also been redesigned.

The Hyundai Casper EV can be upgraded in terms of vehicle quality, safety, and overall improvement for their products to meet the demands of more discerning European customers and comply with stricter safety regulations.

The Casper is based on the K1 architecture with various versions serving as the platform for Hyundai i10, Grand i10 Nios, and Aura along with Kia Picanto and Ray.

Hyundai has confirmed that the Casper EV will be equipped with the integrated Drive Module (iDM) sourced from BorgWarner, capable of generating up to 181 horsepower (135 kW/184 PS), although this figure may be reduced for production.

Information about the battery pack has not been revealed yet, but the expected range will focus on urban driving similar to its competitors.

Hyundai France Director Lionel Keogh said that the Casper EV will have a price of around 20,000 euros, significantly lower than Hyundai’s most affordable product at the moment, the Kona EV, starting at 36,400 euros in the German market.

When the Hyundai Casper EV is sold on the market, it will give many competitors cause for concern, such as the Fiat 500e, the next-generation Fiat Panda, and the upcoming VW ID.1.

Reference: Carscoops, Electrek