HYUNDAI has finally taken the wraps off its' eagerly-anticipated all-electric city car, the Inster - and when it arrives in the UK it looks set to shake up the market for mini-sized EVs with a starting price of not much more than £20k.

For that buyers can expect a well-equipped, four-door, four-seater supermini with a decent sized boot and a choice of two power packs - standard and long range.

The entry-level version will come with a 42kWh battery and a 96bhp electric motor providing an estimated range of up to 186 miles. The long-range version gets a bigger, 49kWh battery and a more powerful, 113bhp motor, providing an anticipated range of up to 220 miles on a single charge.

Charging from 10 to 80 per cent is said to take around 30 minutes ‘under optimal conditions' when using a 120 kW DC high-power charging station.

The boxy styling is based on the Casper mini car, which is only sold in Korea, but the Inster is bigger and with its' height, bulbous wheel arches, side cladding, roof rails and front and rear skid plates it looks more like a mini-SUV than a city runabout.

While it may be small, the Inster will come with much of the advanced high-tech driving and convenience features which Hyundai buyers are accustomed to in the Korean brand's bigger models.

Hyundai claims that its' new urban EV will offer the most complete technology package in the segment, including comprehensive advanced driver assistance systems including a surround view monitor, rear parking collision avoidance assist, blind-spot view monitor and forward collision avoidance assist.

Other advance technologies will also be available, depending on spec, including lane keeping and lane following assist plus blind-spot and rear cross traffic collision avoidance, smart cruise control and a host of other driver assistance features such as parking distance warning and a rear-view monitor.

The cockpit features a 10.25-inch digital cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation and a wireless charging dock that forms part of a compact centre console designed to create a greater sense of spaciousness.

In fact, the front row seating provides walk-through access while all the seats can be folded flat - including the driver's seat - for increased flexibility. A front bench seat option and heated front seats and steering wheel are also available. The second-row seats are split 50/50 and slide and recline.

the Inster will be launched first in its native Korea this summer, followed by Europe and the UK later this year or early 2025 and there's the promise of an additional member of the Inster family, the Inster Cross, at some point in the future, featuring a more rugged, outdoor-focused design.