Hyundai

Bayon

The Hyundai Bayon is a compact SUV that’s big on style and character. It is competitively priced and offers impressive day-to-day running costs too.

The good

Style and pricing

The bad

Clutch lacks any feel

Tech Specs

Price from

£20,530

Combined Fuel up to

53.3mpg

0-62 from

10.4 seconds

max speed up to

115mph

co2 from

119g/km

Test Drive

Hyundai Bayon – First drive (2022)

With SUV fever showing little sign of easing the latest newcomer to the ever-growing segment is the Hyundai Bayon, a compact car that is easy on the easy and easy on the pocket too.

With the likes of the Nissan Juke and Ford Puma seen as direct rivals for sales, the Bayon needs to stand out and it does just that thanks to its modern, stylish design with plenty of scope for customers to personalise their vehicle to taste.

Owners can select from generously-equipped trim levels called SE Connect, Premium and Ultimate with prices starting from just £20,530. The Bayon is powered by a 1.0-litre, three-pot petrol engine with 48v mild-hybrid technology, delivering either 100PS or 120PS. There is the choice of a seven-speed DCT automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

We tested the Bayon Premium grade car with the lower 100PS power level and 172Nm of torque paired with a manual transmission. It cost £22,730 and there were no options fitted to bump up the price. It could complete the 0-62mph dash in 10.7 seconds, topped out at 111mph and, according to official WLTP figures, could deliver a combined 47.5mpg with carbon emissions of 121g/km.

The Bayon is a stylish-looking compact crossover featuring arrow-shaped headlights with slim daytime running lights. It has a wide grille with sleek air intakes, a powerful profile along with additional arrow-shaped tail lights that are joined by a red accent bar.

Moving inside, the interior is modern and spacious with a clutter-free layout. It is let down a little by the amount of cheap-looking hard plastic, but the upholstery is upmarket and there is plenty of tech to explore too.

Creature comforts include a neat and intuitive 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen which is the main focal point and offers access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a premium sound system, plus the sat nav set-up.

Heated seats and a heated steering wheel will help to fend off the winter blues and there is a separate panel to control the air con functions which avoids driver distraction on the move. There is also a 10.25-inch digital display cluster that offers all the vital driving stats in sharp detail.

When it comes to performance, the Bayon is pleasant enough to drive with decent acceleration out the starting blocks. It fizzes through the country lanes with plenty of grip and is composed on motorways too, although noise levels within the cabin do increase as you reach 70mph.

Comfort levels are also good and although you sit slightly lower than some rival models, the visibility is okay apart from wide pillars blocking the over-the-shoulder view slightly.

I did have one gripe though and that was the clutch. It seems to lack any feel or bite so you end up hopping and bouncing down the road until you become accustomed to it. Other than that, the ride and handling impressed with drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport to alter the driving characteristics of the car

Although the Bayon is described as a compact SUV, there is ample room in the back for a couple of adults to sit comfortably provided the front seats are not pushed right back, or it would be ideal for three youngsters. There are Isofix fittings to the two outer rear seats to fit child seats.

The boot can swallow 401 litres of luggage, increasing to 1,205 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. And elsewhere, there is a central cubby box, door bins, a seat back pocket, glovebox, front cup holders, plus front and rear USB ports to stay fully connected on the move.

When it was tested for its Euro NCAP safety rating, the Bayon was awarded four out of five stars and it features the likes of autonomous emergency braking, intelligent speed limit warning, forward collision avoidance assist with car, pedestrian and bicycle detection, plus lane keep assist, tyre pressure monitoring and eCall emergency assist.

All in all, the Hyundai Bayon is another very welcome newcomer to the bustling SUV sector that offers economical pricing and running costs, while still delivering on the performance and technology fronts too.