Meet Casper. Casper is your new friend and, well, he’s a bit of a cheeky character. Okay, yes, Casper is just a car, but Hyundai has created a whole backstory filled with mention of ‘character’ and ‘personality’ to explain how he – sorry, it – will appeal to young urban buyers, so let’s just roll with it. Besides, Casper really is quite adorable.
The Hyundai Casper was launched last year as the smallest car the firm offers in its gargantuan domestic Korean line-up and is best described as a crossover version of the Hyundai i10 city car. It uses the same platform (also shared with the Kia Picanto), but at 3595mm long is actually 100mm shorter than its sibling. It’s narrower too, although predictably higher.
Hyundai designer Simon Loasby describes the Casper as “combining the character of a Fiat 500 and a Jeep” – and it’s certainly more befitting of that description than the Fiat 500X, a car that actually is a mix of a 500 and a Jeep. It’s distinctive too, with split front headlights, a sleek rear LED light panel and even a smiley face moulded into the C-pillar. Casper likes to smile, it seems.
The interior perhaps isn’t quite as slick, with designers unable to hide the relatively cheap plastics and basic materials. But there are some dynamic flashes on the trim and a decent infotainment screen, even if it does look slightly ungainly poking out the top of the dashboard.
The Casper isn’t just a beefed-up hatchback like, say, the Toyota Aygo X but a ‘proper’ crossover – and its small size is to meet Korea’s ‘light car’ class. There certainly isn’t much like it in the UK, save for perhaps the Suzuki Ignis. And, yes, you can’t buy a Casper in the UK. But why? After all, the Brits and other Europeans love small cars, and crossovers are hugely popular.
It’s not like Hyundai has abandoned the city car market, unlike many rivals. The Hyundai i10 and its Kia Picanto sibling are the only two proper examples left in the UK market, and Hyundai has shown laudable commitment to the class.
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Haha! Casper! Cute!
Can't believe you Poms don't get the Staria. it's awesome. Looks as revolutionary in traffic as the 1990 Tarago did back in the day.
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As a Suzuki Ignis owner I find the Casper quite appeal it has style that the i10 doesn't like the Aygo X it has that kind of appeal to younger drivers and would be an ideal entry point for the Hyundai range, The Staria is also quite stylish like a shrunken Arrival van with windows