Our Spy Photographer Nabs the Hyundai Casper EV in Europe, Engineer Scoops Him Back

You see, the company plans to launch a tiny electric crossover in the Old Continent, and it might just be the Casper to get the battery-electric treatment. We covered a prototype last fall that was nabbed in Europe, and it obviously featured an EV powertrain, given the charging port located in the middle of the front bumper and the lack of tailpipes.

More recently, our vigilant spy photographers have immortalized another tester, which was doing its thing in Scandinavia's freezing temperatures. Not much has changed visually, but that charging port is a bit more visible this time around, and the vehicle is now showing more skin, as it doesn't feature the trippy vinyl stickers around the side windows, on the front quarter panels, and side skirts.

On a more disappointing note, it still has the thick black camo on the front, rear, and doors, complete with some fake cladding, so making out the styling differences compared to Korea's ICE-powered Casper is almost impossible. Still, we reckon it will gain new front and rear bumpers and perhaps revised lighting units. Don't mind the front light bar, as it was there to allow the engineers to avoid wildlife during the night testing phase. The wheels are identical to the previously snapped prototype.

Speaking of the latter, it partially revealed the cockpit, which features a larger infotainment screen above the central air vents. Chances are the digital gauge cluster is also new, and we could also see a three-spoke steering wheel instead of the two-spoke one equipping the ICE models. We expect it to feature a revised center console, too, and dedicated sub-menus in the dual screens with an emphasis on its electric nature.

Korea's Casper comes with two gasoline engines, a base 1.0L naturally aspirated mill rated at 75 hp (76 ps/56 kW), and a turbo lump that produces 99 hp (100 ps/74 kW). Both feature a four-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, and the EV should also be FWD. It is yet unknown how much power it has and how far it can travel on a full charge, but it should offer similar numbers to other tiny EVs. Moreover, it won't face much competition in the segment at first, as vehicles such as the Volkswagen ID.1 are still in the making.

We expect the Hyundai Casper EV to debut later this year or perhaps in early 2025, and besides Europe, where it is expected to have a sub-€20k (~$21,500) starting price, it might also launch in Australia. Don't hold your breath for a possible U.S. arrival, as it won't happen.