zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
Let's Hear It For The Hyundai Casper, The Cutest Micro SUV You Can't Have
Let's Hear It For The Hyundai Casper, The Cutest Micro SUV You Can't Have-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:29

Image for article titled Let's Hear It For The Hyundai Casper, The Cutest Micro SUV You Can't Have

That adorable bundle of form and function you see above is the Hyundai Casper, a tiny SUV the South Korean automaker this morning. Details are sparse at the moment, but it seems as though the Casper is destined at least for South Korea and India. Certainly not the U.S., which is a shame for yours truly. Having now seen it, I want one in every color.

The Casper is small. How small? It’s 141.5 inches long and 62.7 inches wide, according to India’s . For reference, the measures 143.5 inches long and 64.7 inches wide. The Casper is about 8 inches too long and 5 inches too wide to qualify as a kei car, but in still images it may as well be one.

The is the smallest crossover Hyundai’s willing to sell over here, and that car’s 20 inches longer than this one. But the faceless Venue doesn’t share the Casper’s cute-but-unamused-about-it exterior, or eye-catching grille and lighting design. The Casper is sort of like a less ugly that’s also been hit by a shrink ray, or a cross between a Fiat Panda Wild 4x4 and a .

Image for article titled Let's Hear It For The Hyundai Casper, The Cutest Micro SUV You Can't Have

There’s so much to like! In what few pictures Hyundai’s released, the grille can be seen in silver or black, which is a cool touch; that burnt orange-and-aluminum combo is perfect. I love how the side windows don’t quite match or meet in a predictable way, and the decision to paint the B-pillar body color makes the Casper much more interesting in profile. The curvy glass of the hatch fits so perfectly. How about those taillights, echoing the triangular grille pattern?

The Casper is built on Hyundai’s K1 platform, which is also used for the i10 supermini. Like the i10, it’ll be offered with a choice of 1-liter three-cylinders; a base engine producing about 76 horsepower, and an optional turbo-equipped one making 99 HP. Apparently an all-electric version is in the pipeline, too.

And before you make assumptions about the origin of this little guy’s name, apparently it’s not a reference to the friendly ghost, but rather a skateboard trick — something Hyundai also released today. Reservations are opening for customers in South Korea this month, and the automaker plans to release more information on the vehicle in the coming weeks.

I don’t know how Hyundai does it. These days, if there’s a car to build or a category it hasn’t served yet, it finds a way to fill that gap. Soon you’ll be able to get a Veloster, an or even a with the same high-output turbo-four; this is also the same company that will sell you a three-row SUV. At this rate, I expect Hyundai to keep introducing progressively smaller and larger vehicles at opposite ends of the spectrum until it has both the Cozy Coupe and Chevy Suburban buyers covered.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
May 13, 2025
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
May 13, 2025
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
May 13, 2025
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
May 13, 2025
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
May 13, 2025
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
May 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved