After a series of teasers, Hyundai has finally unveiled its latest subcompact crossover SUV called the Bayon which is touted as the smallest and most affordable crossover in Hyundai’s lineup. The Bayon has been specifically designed for the European markets.
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With its name inspired from the city of Bayonne in the southwest of France, the all-new Hyundai Bayon emphasizes the brand’s ’emotional sportiness’ design philosophy with a unique and distinctive exterior design featuring a wide grille up front flanked by large air openings on either side. Like Hyundai Kona, gets two tier front-end lighting, where the DRLs are present as a slim horizontal intake on top while the angular three-part main lights sit below.
Towards the side, there are familiar sharp polygonal creases as seen with new breed of Hyundai cars, plus a dynamic shoulder provides a classy wedge-shaped appearance. The arrow-shaped C-pillar provides dynamic and unexpected architecture. The rear end gets the arrow-like motif in the tail lamp elements mimicking the C-pillar. There are black plastic claddings along the lower sections of the body, including the front bumper, side sills and wheel arches, to the lower section of the rear bumper. The skid plates on both front & rear bumper are finished in matte silver.
In terms of dimensions, the 2021 Hyundai Bayon measures 4,180 mm long, 1,775 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall with a 2,580 mm wheelbase while riding on 15” steel, and 16” or 17” alloy wheels depending on the variant.
The interior is defined by a range of connectivity equipment, including a 10.25-inch digital cluster and a 10.25-inch AVN or 8-inch Display Audio. The 8-inch Display Audio is available with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making Hyundai the first car manufacturer to introduce wireless phone mirroring into a car of this size.
The Bayon also has LED ambient lighting integrated into the front passenger foot areas, door wells, and front door pull handle areas, as well as the storage area below the center console. A full black themed interior is standard, with optional combinations of Dark Grey with Light Grey, or Dark Grey with Safari Green stitching and inserts. Bayon also boasts an impressive 411 liters of boot space.
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Under the hood, the Bayon for base variants gets 1.2 liter naturally aspirated engine producing 84hp that comes with a 5-speed manual transmission. Then there is 1.0L T-GDi unit paired to a conventional 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT). The range topping variant gets 1.0L T-GDi engine with 48V mild hybrid system in two states of tunes– 100 hp and 120hp. This can be coupled with the 6-speed intelligent Manual Transmission (6iMT) or a 7-speed 7DCT.
The 1.0L T-GDi engine with 48V also comes with 3 drive modes (Eco, Normal and Sport) to optimize the engine response and steering performance based on driving conditions.
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Hyundai claims a best-in-class safety package for the Bayon in form of Hyundai SmartSense active safety suite which includes Lane Following Assist (LFA) for keeping the vehicle centered in its lane, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA) that alerts the driver to hazards (including car, pedestrian and cyclist detection) and if necessary, applies the brakes to avoid collision.
Also included with the SmartSense suite is Junction Turning (JT), which can apply the brakes to avoid collision with oncoming vehicles when turning across the center line at an intersection. Plus, the navigation-based smart cruise control draws data from the car’s onboard navigation system to adjust speed autonomously when driving on a highway. The suite also includes Driver Attention Warning, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert, Rear Occupant Alert, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist as well as Parking Assist for semi-autonomous parking.
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The all-new Bayon will be manufactured at Hyundai’s Izmit plant in Turkey and will be exported to more than 40 countries around the world. Although originally intended to be sold in European markets, somewhere down the line the Bayon might appear in Asian markets with a different name.
The all-new 2021 Hyundai Bayon
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com