"Top-Level Driving and Safety"... GGM Casper Electric Receives High Praise from Japanese Media

Test Drive Review of Inster Published in Nikkei
Optimal for Narrow Roads and Highways
Hyundai Aims to Increase Sales in Japan Tenfold Within Five Years

Exterior view of Hyundai's compact electric car 'Inster' (Korean name Casper Electric) sold in Japan. Provided by Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company's compact electric vehicle, the Casper Electric (export name: Inster), which is being sold in Japan, has received favorable reviews from local Japanese media.

According to Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) on June 1, a reporter from the prominent Japanese newspaper Nikkei recently published a test drive review after personally driving the Inster.

The reporter stated, "The Inster seems to be the optimal vehicle for Japan's narrow roads, and I was impressed not only by its excellent driving performance but also by the inclusion of safety features such as ADAS." He further predicted, "Japanese automakers currently dominate the Japanese market thanks to their brand power, but in the future, unless they introduce vehicles that surpass the Inster in terms of price and performance, their position may eventually be shaken."

The article explained, "Hyundai Motor Company's Japanese subsidiary launched the compact electric vehicle (EV) Inster in April. Despite its compact size, it boasts a driving range of 458 km, which is more than twice that of Nissan's kei EV Sakura." It continued, "What surprised me about the Inster was its small body, to the point that it could be mistaken for a kei car. Among Hyundai's EVs, it is the smallest model, and I found it easy to drive even on Japan's narrow roads."

The article added, "I felt acceleration that was somewhere between a typical EV and a gasoline car. Even drivers who are not skilled could smoothly merge onto highways, and it did not feel underpowered for a compact car even at highway speeds." It also noted, "Hyundai is known to have established an R&D base in Japan to develop vehicles tailored to the characteristics of Japanese roads and the local market."

The roots of the Inster lie in kei cars. The base model for the Inster, Hyundai's compact car Casper, was developed with reference to Japanese kei cars, and many designers visited Japan to conduct repeated research during development.

To suit Japanese consumers, many of whom feel discomfort with the rapid acceleration of EVs, Hyundai independently adjusted the acceleration profile.

For the steering, more than 30 combinations of parts were tested to achieve a lighter and more agile feel than European or Korean models. The company also focused on safety features, such as making it easy for drivers to check the vehicle's position while driving. The advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) was optimized for the characteristics of Japanese highways, where lane widths are narrow and the distance to walls is short.

In terms of driving range, Hyundai surpassed Japanese competitors. Despite its small body, the Inster achieved a range of up to 458 km on a single charge.

Shimegi Toshiyuki, president of Hyundai Motor Company's Japanese subsidiary, explained, "We wanted to fundamentally overturn the dissatisfaction that compact EVs require frequent charging. In Japan, EVs are often used as second cars due to concerns about driving range, and Nissan's kei EV Sakura accounts for about 40% of total EV sales. While the Sakura's range is 180 km, the Inster offers about 2.5 times that distance."

Since last month, the Casper has begun delivery to customers, and Hyundai has been expanding sales by strengthening partnerships with well-known local brands. Hyundai became the first automaker to collaborate with Rakuten Car, Japan's leading e-commerce platform, to launch full-scale marketing for the Inster.

On May 9, Hyundai hosted a live broadcast introducing the Inster on Rakuten's automotive service platform, Rakuten Car.

The broadcast was held at Hyundai's Yokohama Customer Experience Center (CXC), with Shimegi Toshiyuki, president of Hyundai Mobility Japan, personally introducing the vehicle. The cumulative number of viewers reached 60,000. In April, Shimegi Toshiyuki also visited Gwangju Global Motors (GGM), where the Inster is produced, to observe the production process.

This collaboration marked the first time that Rakuten's integrated live commerce solution, Rakuten Dragon, featured content linked to a complete vehicle. The project was initiated at Hyundai's suggestion.

A Hyundai official stated, "This project was proposed by Hyundai to enhance both companies' brand value and expand points of contact." He added, "Local OEMs have also been making various inquiries after watching the live broadcast. Further collaborations are under discussion this year," he said.

Currently, Hyundai sells three models in Japan: the midsize electric SUV Ioniq 5, the Kona Electric, and the hydrogen-powered Nexo. As of last year, Hyundai sold 618 vehicles in the Japanese market.

By year, Hyundai sold 526 units in its first year back in Japan in 2022, and 492 units in 2023, indicating a slight decrease. As of April this year, total sales in Japan reached 214 units, with the contribution from Inster sales expected to be reflected starting in May.

Since re-entering the Japanese market in 2022, Hyundai has adopted a direct sales model focused on online channels and has expanded its on- and offline presence by linking CXC and showrooms. The Casper was launched in April this year and has been delivered to Japanese customers since May. Hyundai plans to use the Inster as a springboard to increase its sales in Japan by more than tenfold within the next five years. The sales target for this year is 780 units, a figure based on GGM's production target for the Inster, and one that surpasses last year's total sales.

Additionally, Hyundai is strengthening its localized brand exposure strategy by producing street content in collaboration with FM Yokohama, including citizen interviews and test drive segments.

A Hyundai official stated, "Starting with this collaboration, we plan to actively expand connections with various platforms to broaden our points of contact with local consumers."