Is there a future for the small car? Hyundai’s design boss reckons so

The humble compact car has had a bruising time of late. A push into bigger, more premium hardware has meant the smaller stuff – often harder to make money from – has suffered.

But there’s hope for the little guys yet, at least according to Hyundai’s design boss SangYup Lee. TopGear.com asked if he saw a future for the small car.

“I see that. Obviously this is my personal opinion,” he said. “But why are cars getting bigger? Because a customer wants more for what they pay for.

“Cities are getting bigger, and the bigger they get the more complicated they get. So I see the small premium car will come, but not at the moment. I don’t know [when that time will come]. When the time needs a car like that, we’ll make it happen.”

Time will tell how the new, entirely adorable little Inster electric city car performs, but Hyundai has of course continuously declared its desire to offer a vast spectrum from the big things right down to the little ‘uns.

“Let’s say you live in London or New York City,” Lee said. “Really crowded. It creates a lot of issues. Do we really need a big car to show off to others? You’re limited. So I’m not only talking about small vehicles, I’m talking about micro mobility and so on. Mobility in general.

“Once again, it’s about how you discover latent needs.”