Hyundai Bayon joins line-up as brand’s baby SUV

Hyundai has revealed details of the Bayon, a new crossover SUV set to go head-to-head with the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, Kia Stonic, Ford Puma, Citroen C3 Aircross and Peugeot 2008 in the packed B-SUV segment. Sitting below the Santa Fe, Tucson and Kona in Hyundai’s SUV line-up, the Bayon is related to the i20 supermini and has been designed specifically for the European market. Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, vice president of marketing at Hyundai Motor Europe, explained: “As the SUV body type continues growing in popularity throughout the world, Hyundai saw a demand for a model capable of navigating European cities while at the same time providing enough space to meet customers’ needs.” The Bayon’s design has some hints of the larger Kona with slimline headlights and the liberal use of sharp, interconnected creases along its sides. Hyundai says it sits higher than most rival B-SUVs and has a deep grille with contrasting bumper and black wheel arch trims to emphasise its place in the brand’s SUV range. The cladding extends along the door sills and around to the bumper which sits beneath a sharply angled tailgate and arrow-shaped lights. The interior has been designed to maximise passenger space and be a “serene” space with neutral colours and trims that tie in with the nine exterior paint finishes and, Hyundai claims, help the driver focus. All Bayons feature a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and can be specified with either an eight- or 10.25-inch touchscreen for the car’s media and navigation functions. All models feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with connected routing navigation, three USB sockets, wireless phone charging and a Bose premium stereo available depending on trim level. Safety equipment ranges from autonomous emergency braking with junction assist and lane keeping assist to more advanced lane follow assist, high-beam assist, driver attention warning and rear cross traffic alert. The Bayon is offered with a single 1.0-litre petrol engine featuring 48V mild hybrid technology. The turbocharged three-cylinder comes in 99bhp or 118bhp tunes and with the option of a six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT auto transmission. To help improve efficiency and cut emissions, the six-speed intelligent manual can disengage the engine from the transmission when cruising, either leaving the engine idling or cutting it out completely until the throttle is pressed. The manual also features rev matching technology for the first time outside of Hyundai’s performance range. Pricing and an on-sale date are still to be confirmed but expect the Bayon to be priced competitively with rivals, which start at around £18,000.