The Hyundai Casper is a stylish mini SUV that costs less than P600,000*

*The price in its home market of Korea

Earlier this month, Hyundai caught our attention with the reveal of a brand-new mini SUV called the Casper. It’s a promising little thing with a fun design and an ultra-compact form factor that would be perfect for urban driving environments. Now, we know it’s going to be very affordable as well.

The South Korean car manufacturer has released details surrounding the upcoming Casper, including pricing details to go along with additional images.

First, the price: It will start at 13,850,000 Korean won and top out at 18,700,000 won. Converted, that’s roughly between P590,000 and P800,000. Hyundai’s mentioned an ‘Active’ variant, though the company has yet to reveal this particular one’s price tag.

You get two engine options here. The first is a 1.0-liter MPI gasoline, and the second is a 1.0-liter turbo, though their exact outputs have yet to be revealed by the manufacturer. The latter option will be equipped in ‘Smart,’ ‘Modern,’ and ‘Inspiration’ Casper units, while the turbo goes to ‘Active’ versions.

We also get a proper look at the model’s interior and, so far, we’re really liking what we see. The interior is equal parts stylish and quirky, with a cozy vibe that’s kept together by a simple layout and color scheme. There’s a flat-bottom steering wheel, digital instrument cluster, as well as a nicely implemented floating touchscreen setup.

Our favorite bit about the cabin, though, might be the seats. They come in a two-tone finish with a neat little armrest separating the front passenger and driver. All of them, including the driver’s seat, also fold down flat-a setup that could put this mini SUV above others when it comes to interior flexibility.

We’re also pleased to see that the entire lineup checks the right boxes when it comes to safety. Even the most affordable ‘Smart’ variant comes equipped with seven airbags and some advanced safety aids like lane keeping assist and forward collision avoidance assist.

This is something we definitely want Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI) to consider introducing to the Philippine market, where we can see it competing with the likes of the Suzuki S-Presso. Dig the idea? Let HARI know in the comments.