Hyundai turns tiny Casper crossover into cargo carrier

Hyundai offers a wide range of crossovers around the world, varying in sizes and designs. The smallest of the bunch is the Casper. It’s a cute-looking crossover, measuring only 3595mm long and 1595mm wide. Despite its size, it seems to be a popular model in Korea. But now, Hyundai is expanding the Casper model range even more with the addition of the Casper Van.

It might be called a van, but the automaker didn’t completely redesign the vehicle. The Casper Van still looks identical to the passenger version. With that, it still looks as stylish as before. However, the changes can be found inside the cabin. The interior shows that the rear seats have been completely removed, freeing up space to fit more cargo.

With the rear seats gone, the cargo space in the Casper Van has been increased to 940 liters. For reference, the standard Casper only has 301 liters of space, with the rear seats folded flat and slid forward. Hyundai also added metal protective bars on the rear side windows and the rear windshield. There’s also a partition separating the first and second row to keep cargo at the rear.

This being a cargo version, there’s only one trim level available. It’s based on the entry-level model, meaning customers will miss out on some features such as a touchscreen infotainment system or more stylish wheels. However, it still comes with advanced safety equipment like cruise control, forward collision avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, and high beam assist.

Powering the tiny cargo hauler is the same 1.0-liter three-cylinder that produces 75 PS. The more powerful turbocharged mill with 100 PS is exclusive to the passenger version. Like all Casper models, power is sent to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic.

There’s no word yet when the Casper will be available outside of South Korea. Given its compact size, the crossover would seem like a great vehicle for Metro Manila.