Hyundai Bayon is a compact crossover which will sit below the Kona UV in the company line-up
In the European market, Kona happens to be the go-to offering from Hyundai when it comes to compact UV. The other crossover in the budget segment which was available at Hyundai showrooms was the Hyundai i20 Active (which was available with the previous generation model).
For some time around, there have been rumors of Hyundai considering a new crossover for the European continent but till date, there was no official confirmation.
However, Hyundai has now teased a photograph of a new B-segment crossover which will be baptized as ‘Bayon’. This new crossover will sit below the Kona in Hyundai’s line-up and will land up becoming the new entry level budget-friendly crossover SUV from Hyundai.
Bayon Meaning
Hyundai has also shared some more details regarding the Bayon moniker. The South Korean auto giant has stated that the name has been derived from the city of Bayonne which is located in Southwest France. Coincidentally, it isn’t the first time that Hyundai has chosen a brand name which is related to a city (reference – Hyundai Tuscon).
In the teaser, Hyundai has just shared some parts of the derriere of the Bayon. We get to see LED tail-lights which seem to have been inspired by a boomerang. Also, it seems that the car in the teaser has been painted with a teal coloured paint, which could possibly become an exclusive paint option for the Bayon (as the teal paint option isn’t available with other models from Hyundai).
Hyundai has been tight lipped about more details about the Bayon but as per the word in automotive circles, there is a high probability that the Bayon will be mechanically related to the i20. It makes sense as well because the i20 Active from the 3rd generation i20 has been discontinued. Hence, the new Bayon could perfectly fill the gap left by the discontinuation of the i20 Active.
In terms of dimensions, the Kona too is pretty compact with an overall length of 4205 mm. The 2020 i20 happens to be 4040 mm in length for Europe. As the Bayon will be slotted under the Kona, we believe that the Bayon too will be around the length of the i20.
We don’t think Hyundai will be working upon a new powertrain fro the Bayon but would mostly offer the same powertrain options which are available with the i20/Kona (might be offered in a different state of tune though).
Indian Launch
As far as Indian launch is concerned, we aren’t very sure if the Indian showrooms of Hyundai will ever get to see the Bayon. Hyundai already has the Venue and the Creta which cater to the needs of customers looking out for compact SUVs. However, the Bayon could do well as an i20 Active replacement, but even if Hyundai does plan on bringing it to India, it will happen only in the second half 2021.