We highway take a look at the latest addition to Hyundai’s rising household – the Bayon child SUV…
I really feel a bit sorry for the Hyundai Bayon. Not solely has it been saddled with a reputation* which suggests nothing to most UK consumers, but it surely was launched at across the similar time as Hyundai’s acclaimed Ioniq 5 EV and Tucson SUV.
In different phrases, this worthy compact crossover – which is able to do battle with the likes of the Nissan Juke, Seat Arona, Ford Puma, Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq – missed out on the launch limelight.
First impressions are blended. Let’s be charitable and describe the design as daring. An enormous grille sits beneath skinny headlights, there are sharp creases down the aspect and it has an angular rear finish with tall tail-lights and a skinny horizontal mild bar.
Inside, it’s a lot the identical because the i20 hatchback, the automobile on which the Bayon is predicated. The dashboard is engaging sufficient and sensibly laid out with prime variations getting a pair of clear and crisp 10.25-inch digital screens – a digital driver’s show behind the steering wheel and a central touchscreen which takes care of media, navigation and automobile settings.
Naturally, it’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay appropriate, whereas Hyundai’s BlueLink smartphone app permits house owners to attach with the automobile remotely, checking its location, standing and sending routes to the sat nav for his or her subsequent journey.
The Bayon vary is priced from £20,530 and there are three trim ranges supplied: SE Join, Premium and Final.
There’s just one engine out there – a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol (99bhp or 118bhp) with the selection of a six-speed guide or seven-speed computerized transmission.
The engine has 48-volt delicate hybrid help and the extra highly effective model paired with the auto gearbox is able to a 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and a prime pace of 115mph. Gasoline consumption is as excessive as 53.3mpg, whereas CO2 emissions are as little as 119g/km.
My 118bhp take a look at automobile in Final spec got here with a six-speed guide transmission and a ticket value of £24,780.
Prime trim means there’s loads of package, together with black gloss door mirrors, two-tone black roof, keyless entry and a Bose sound system, on prime of the rear view digital camera, privateness glass, heated entrance seats and steering wheel discovered on entry-level fashions.
There’s a lot of security and driver help gear too together with AEB (autonomous emergency braking), Blind Spot Collison Warning and Lane Comply with Help, Lane Maintaining Help and computerized excessive beams. Ford the report, it achieved a creditable 4 out of 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash checks.
The Bayon is surprisingly spacious inside with room for 2 adults within the again, although area to your toes beneath the entrance seats is proscribed. The boot is an affordable 334 litres, increasing to 1,205 litres with the rear seats flipped down, and there are smaller storage areas dotted across the cabin.
My solely gripe is that there’s an excessive amount of scratchy, exhausting plastic used across the cabin.
I’m glad I used to be in a position to attempt the intelligent guide gearbox, which is marketed as an clever Guide Transmission (iMT).
Apparently, there’s no bodily hyperlink between the clutch pedal and the clutch and it permits the engine to change off quickly whereas coasting, lowering emissions and saving gas.
The system appears to work properly sufficient on the transfer, although typically there’s a hesitation with the stop-start when partaking first gear in gradual shifting visitors.
That mentioned, the clutch is mild, and the gear lever has a pleasing quick throw, even when it’s a bit notchy at occasions.
The engine is extra punchy than the efficiency figures recommend, and extra importantly for a lot of, it’s clean and refined when on top of things.
You’ll be able to select between three drive modes (Eco, Regular and Sport). Eco is okay for motorway runs on cruise management (50mpg is achievable), however Regular is one of the best all-rounder and can do exactly superb, as a result of Sport merely provides weight to the steering.
With its mild controls and raised driving place, the Bayon is smart as an city crossover selection.
It might be mistaken to name its agency trip refined, but it surely’s snug sufficient.
It’s mild up entrance, so grip stage is reasonable within the moist or on a free floor, however total it handles properly and physique management is first rate. So, whereas it’s not as partaking to drive as some rivals, it ticks loads of bins for many consumers.
Verdict: The Hyundai Bayon is an sincere, competitively priced, boldly-styled new entrant within the busy compact crossover section. Effectively outfitted, simple to drive, sensible and economical, it comes with an interesting five-year limitless mileage guarantee.
*Simply so , the Bayon identify is impressed by Bayonne, the capital of the French Basque nation within the south-west of France.
Hyundai UK
