Hyundai Bayon B-segment SUV for Europe – 1.0 litre mild-hybrid T-GDI petrol, SmartSense safety suite

After some teasing, the Hyundai Bayon has made its debut in the European market with an engine line-up that mirrors that of the Hyundai i20 N Line; a 1.0 litre T-GDI direct-injection with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance in 120 PS and 100 PS states of tune, the same engine without the mild-hybrid electrification and a naturally aspirated 1.2 litre MPi petrol engine producing 84 PS.

The range-topping mild-hybrid petrol unit can be paired with either the automaker’s six-speed intelligent manual transmission (iMT) or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, while the purely internal combustion 1.0 litre T-GDI engine can be paired with either a conventional six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The NA 1.2 litre MPi engine comes paired with a five-speed manual.

Like its fellow B-segment SUV stablemate, the Kona, the Bayon for Europe has two tiers of front-end lighting, where the daytime running lights bookend a slim horizontal intake on top while the three-part main lights just below are of an angular shape, somewhat mirroring the lines of i20 N Line front bumper. Exterior lighting is by LEDs throughout.

The rear end of the Bayon exterior continues the arrow-like motif in the tail lamp elements, with similarly angular lines where the C-pillar meets the roof. In now-commonplace SUV style, the Bayon gets black plastic cladding along the lower sections of the body, from the front bumper, through the side sills and wheel arches, to the lower section of the rear bumper. At both ends, the skid plate-style trim is finished in matte silver.

In terms of rolling stock, the Bayon gets alloy wheels in diameters of 16 or 17 inches, or a a set of 15-inch steel wheels. The Hyundai Bayon measures 4,180 mm long with a 2,580 mm wheelbase, 1,775 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, or 10 mm taller when specified with the 17-inch wheels. The largest available wheels also yield a ground clearance of 183 mm, which is more than offered by most in the SUV B-segment, says Hyundai.

Inside, the Bayon offers 411 litres of luggage capacity, while occupants get 1,072 mm of leg room in front and 882 mm of leg room at the back. The driver gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel while infotainment comes courtesy of either a 10.25-inch AVN screen or an eight-inch Display Audio unit, the latter offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. A full black cloth interior is standard, with optional combinations of dark grey and Safari Grey, or dark grey with Safari Green stitching and inserts.

Hardware connectivity is offered via two USB ports for the front row and one for the back row, with one of the USB ports in the front offering data transfer to enable the connecting of phones to the car’s infotainment system. A wireless charging pad is available for compatible devices, too.

The Bayon also gets Hyundai Bluelink, the automaker’s suite of connected car services that includes Connected Routing and a new User Profile feature. Also new in the latest generation of Bluelink is calendar integration, which enables the driver to mirror their Google or Apple calendar in the infotainment unit.

The Bayon’s navigation system can also import an address from a scheduled appointment if one is listed, says Hyundai. Also included as part of Bluelink are live parking availability information, online voice recognition, a Find My Car function, remote locking, unlocking and viewing of vehicle status through the Bluelink app, security as well as maintenance notifications.

Hyundai claims a best-in-class safety package for the Bayon with the inclusion of the Hyundai SmartSense active safety suite. Here, the new B-segment SUV gets Lane Following Assist for keeping the vehicle centred in its lane, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist that alerts the driver to hazards (including car, pedestrian and cyclist detection) and if necessary, applies the brakes to avoid collision.

Also included as part of the SmartSense suite is Junction Turning, which can apply the brakes to avoid collision with oncoming vehicles when turning across the centre line at an intersection. Meanwhile, navigation-based smart cruise control draws data from the car’s onboard navigation system to adjust speed autonomously when driving on a highway.

The pack 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.

The Hyundai Bayon comes in a palette of nine exterior colours, which includes Aurora Grey Pearl and Phantom Black Pearl, while a two-tone scheme is available with Mangrove Green Pearl (pictured), Polar White, Sleek Silver Metallic, Elemental Brass Metallic, Dragon Red Pearl, Aqua Turquoise Metallic and Intense Blue Pearl when paired with a contrasting Phantom Black roof paint finish.