Hyundai Bayon

To many people, the Hyundai Bayon might not seem like an SUV that makes sense. It sits right in the middle of the Venue and Creta, and is marginally smaller than the latter, which made us question its existence. However, Hyundai has planned ahead. 

Since the new Creta is expected to be bigger (and therefore more expensive), the Bayon will become an affordable choice for those wanting a family SUV, primarily for the city. Launched at Rs 9.49 lakh, the Bayon rivals a host of SUVs, but specifically targets the Maruti Suzuki Victoris and the Honda Elevate. Let’s dive deeper and understand the Bayon better.

While it might not be obvious from pictures, the Bayon is a fairly large SUV that has presence. It measures a little under 4.3m in length, making it ever so slightly smaller compared to the existing Creta. 

Here’s a quick look at the full dimensions: 

It’s interesting to see Hyundai’s new global design language trickle down to the Indian market. The slim lighting elements, both at the front and the rear, look modern and classy. The front bumper houses a pair of large LED projector headlamps, but there are no separate fog lamps. The bumper also features a honeycomb pattern for the air dam that houses the ADAS radar. 

From the side, two things stand out. First, the design connects well to other Hyundai SUVs such as the Exter, Venue and Creta, and this is obvious in the way the fenders flare. Second, the almost floral design of the 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels looks great. The mirrors also get a chunky design, and a slim LED strip for the turn indicators. 

It’s the rear where one might draw comparisons with the current Creta, especially due to the lighting pattern. Hyundai has added some unique touches, such as the clear-lens tail lamps on the bumper and the vertical high-mount stop lamp on the spoiler. Take a closer look at the Hyundai Bayon in our in-depth image gallery. 

Colour options on the Hyundai Bayon include 8 monotone shades: Fiery Red, Atlas White, Ecotronic Grey, Golden Bronze, Titanium Black and Classy Blue, Titanium Black Matte and Classy Blue Matte. There are also two dual-tone options: Fiery Red and Atlas White, both with a Titanium Black roof. In person, the red really makes the Bayon look sporty and muscular. check out the colour options explained story.

The design of the dashboard is shared with the global i20. The cabin feels par for the course in terms of quality, ergonomics and space. There are two colour themes: black-olive grey and all-black that give the cabin a relaxed and sporty vibe respectively.

There are no soft-touch appliques, but the dashboard is finished in textured plastic, and a fabric insert on the dashboard (just above the glovebox) keeps things interesting. Hyundai has also cleverly used ambient lighting to tie the cabin together. There are more interesting design elements, such as the semi-circular door handles and the intricate pattern on the speaker grilles that show some attention to detail. 

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the Bayon is quite easy. Even elders in the family will be comfortable since you don’t need to ‘climb’ inside the car. The 8-way powered driver’s seat makes it super easy to find a comfortable driving position, aided by the tilt adjustment on the steering wheel. Do note that the co-driver’s seat is not powered. Space here is adequate, even if you’re a six-footer and the front armrest should make longer drives comfier. 

Rear Seats

With the driver’s seat set for a 6-foot-tall individual, there’s more than enough kneeroom for another equally tall rear occupant. No dearth of footroom or headroom either, and the 2-step rear seat recline is handy. That said, a little more cabin width would’ve been appreciated. There’s enough for two adults and a kid, but a third adult (especially plus-sized) will be a tough fit. It’s best to use the Bayon as a four-seater, making full use of the central armrest.

A central headrest and rear sunblinds would’ve made the rear seat experience even better. 

Boot Space

Hyundai Bayon boot space stands at 505 litres. The boot is square and wide, and the loading lip isn’t particularly tall either, making it easy to store luggage. You could comfortably store 3-4 cabin-sized trolley bags here. A 60:40 split functionality is provided in case you need to carry more luggage.

When it comes to features, Hyundai makes sure you get a good package, and the Bayon is no exception. It gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen which features Hyundai’s new user interface. This screen has large icons, it runs smoothly, and navigating between settings is easy as well. You get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and it is paired with an 8-speaker BOSE sound system for a premium and surround sound experience.

Next to this screen is a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. The drive information here is displayed in a neat and easy to read manner. You get different views to choose from and different themes as well which change when you change the drive mode. You can change these themes yourself as well.

Now comes the feature which Hyundai has been calling the highlight of the Bayon. Since the brand is moving towards building software-driven cars, the Bayon comes with the first step, as it offers Generative AI.

This AI is powered by Perplexity and gets its voice from Soundhound. Like most in-car assistants, this AI can control basic functions like changing temperature or fan speed and operating the sunroof. But it can also help you plan your routes/trips, it can recommend restaurants and cafes, and like most AIs, you can use it to basically ask anything you want.

Most of the time, it gives you exactly what you want to know, but sometimes the answers can be irrelevant or outdated based on the training material it has. Nonetheless, for people who are tech savvy, the Generative AI in the Bayon is genuinely something that you can integrate in your daily commutes.

You also get a powered driver seat with 8-way adjustment including underthigh support. Bayon also offers front seat ventilation, a wireless phone charger, and a panoramic sunroof. Lower variants of the compact SUV get a single-pane sunroof.

Hyundai has not skimped on features in the Bayon. It gets practically everything the larger Creta does, and leaves out very little. Here are some other features:: 

• Keyless Entry

• Push-button Start/Stop

• Automatic Headlamps

• Leatherette Upholstery

• Electrically Adjustable & Auto-folding ORVMs

• Cruise Control

• Steering mounted controls

• All power windows

There are very few misses, but if we had to nitpick, a powered co-driver’s seat, powered tailgate and rear seat ventilation would’ve been great to have.

In terms of passenger safety, the Bayon has its basics clear. You get 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill hold assist, front and rear parking sensors, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, an in-built dashcam, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

It also comes with a 360-degree camera which offers a clear feed with both 2D and 3D views, and you also get a blind view monitor which displays its feed on the digital driver’s display as soon as you indicated.

Bayon comes with Level-2 ADAS Pro, which basically adds some additional features to the existing ADAS package. It used 3 radars and 12 sensors to offer features like lane keep assist, lane departure warning, high beam assist, navigation-based adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and more.

While the Bayon has not been crash tested yet, Hyundai has said that it has been engineered to match 5-star Indian standards.

The Hyundai Bayon is available with a single 1.5-litre petrol engine. There’s no hybrid, diesel or turbo-petrol engine option here. We expect Hyundai to introduce a dual-cylinder Bayon CNG variant soon. Here’s a look at the specifications:

This 1.5-litre engine has been tried and tested in the Creta, Seltos, and Carens. It’s smooth, reliable and reasonably efficient. If you have a relaxed driving style, you will appreciate the easy-going nature of this engine. Do note that this motor has never been ‘fun to drive’. It’s sufficient for everyday commutes and occasional road trips, but not exciting in any manner. 

City Performance

Driving inside the city feels easy with this engine. It picks up speeds at low RPMs, getting to high city speeds does not take much time, and you don’t really have to plan your overtakes so often. For someone looking for a car which will primarily be driven in the city, this engine offers a nice blend of performance and fuel efficiency.

Paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, you get a light clutch and smoothing slotting gears. The performance you get with this setup is enough for your daily needs, but when you drive on inclines, you do get in a position where you have to downshift to keep the momentum going.

Highway Performance

As said earlier, this engine is meant for relaxed driving, and does not offer the fun or urgency you can get from a turbo-petrol unit. You can still get to triple digit speeds, but the speed will take some time to build up, and over 80-90 kmph, overtakes will require more planning and a downshift.

There is nothing wrong with the performance you get, but you will be left wanting for more if you were looking for some excitement. However, with the IVT, Hyundai has done a good job to let you keep you from feeling sluggish.

Like most CVT, Hyundai’s IVT offers you a smooth drive experience as there are no gears to shift. But in most CVTs, you have to wait for the transmission to catch up to the building engine RPMs, which results in you having to wait a bit more to reach the speeds you want to be at.

However, the Bayon’s IVT is different. Hyundai has introduced something called Dash Mode. When you press the throttle hard enough, as if you want to quickly gain speed to overtake someone, Dash Mode mimics the gear shifts you get in traditional automatic transmissions by changing the engine RPMs. 

This allows the IVT to quickly catch up to the engine and also gives you a slight jerk which you get in traditional automatics. Because of this one feature, the rubber band effect you usually get with CVTs is eliminated here to a great extent.

Ride Comfort

If you have driven the Creta and then you drive the Bayon, you’ll instantly notice that it feels better on our roads. The suspension setup is more balanced and offers a cushioned ride quality which lets you tackle Indian roads with ease.

When driving over potholes, speedbreakers, or poorly built patches, you do not feel any sudden jerks, and the Bayon slowly gets back into position offering a more plush ride quality. There is some body roll, which is expected from an SUV body style, but it is not harsh enough to cause any discomfort or a lot of side-to-side passenger movement inside the cabin.

Handling

Bayon is not meant to be driven in a sporty manner, and the handling you get is exactly what you need for your daily commutes. It has a light steering and a small turning radius, which makes it easy to maneuver inside the city.

On highways, it handles undulations very well and sudden lane changes do not startle you. However, around a corner it is not fun to drive, as it does not hug the road to give you some thrills. Instead, it remains predictable, and will require slight steering corrections.

The Hyundai Bayon is available in seven variants: HX 2, HX 3, HX 3+, HX 5, HX 6, HX 8 and HX 10. 

Hyundai Bayon HX 2

• Exterior features LED projector headlights with LED DRLs, LED tail lights, 16-inch wheels with covers, rear spoiler, shark fin antenna and LED stop lamp. 

• Dual-tone olive and black interior theme is standard with fabric seats and a three spoke steering wheel. 

• Adjustments include manual driver seat height movement and adjustable front headrests. 

• Limited features with power windows, manual AC, rear AC vents, and electrically adjustable outside rear-view mirrors. 

• No infotainment system or speakers. Driver gets a TFT display. 

• Safety kit gets 6 airbags, hill-start assist, electronic stability program, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX mounts and central locking as standard. 

Hyundai Bayon HX 3

• No improvement in exterior styling. 

• Interior doesn’t feel empty with addition of 10.25 inch infotainment system. 

• Adds wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 6 speakers, and steering mounted controls for entertainment. 

• Functional improvements include keyless entry with push button start/stop. 

Hyundai Bayon HX 3 +

• Roof rails and bigger 17-inch styled wheels improve the styling quotient. 

• Only adds a single-pane electric sunroof to the package. 

• No changes in the safety kit. 

Hyundai Bayon HX 5

• Entry-level variant for the CVT automatic transmission. 

• Dual-tone pack gets black rear spoiler, roof, and ORVMs with an all black interior theme and red accents. 

• Automatic headlights, auto AC, rear parcel tray, connected car technology, wireless phone charger, cruise control and electrically folding ORVMs offer better convenience. 

• Paddle shifters and drive mode selector are CVT (IVT) only features. 

• Rear defogger is the only addition in the safety kit. 

Hyundai Bayon HX 6

• Premium exterior styling features dual LED projector headlights, LED turn indicators, puddle lamps, and 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels. 

• Improved interior feel with fabric, leatherette steering wheel and gear knob, and ambient lighting. 

• Gets a panoramic sunroof, sliding front armrest and lamp for the boot area. 

• Better safety kit with a rear wiper and washer. 

Hyundai Bayon HX 8

• No styling revisions outside. 

• Interior features leatherette seats for a more premium experience. Also gets 60:40 rear seat split. 

• Improved second row with adjustable headrests, a rear central armrest with cupholders and two step recline. 

• 8-way powered driver seat, front ventilated seats, and 360 degree camera are the feel-good additions. 

• Better safety package with a dashcam, all-wheel disc brakes, front and side parking sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system (IVT only). 

Hyundai Bayon HX 10

• No changes outside. 

• Dual curved 12.3-inch displays make the interor feel modern. 

• 8-speaker BOSE sound system and generative AI voice assistant improve the in-cabin feature experience. 

• Advanced safety kit with auto inside rear view mirror and a suite of Level-2 autonomous driving features like lane centering assist, autonomous emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. 

CarDekho Says

• While the base variant is priced aggressively despite getting an LED lighting setup and all the basic functional equipment, you’ll still have to get an aftermarket infotainment system and speakers added to the package. If the budget is extremely tight, only then opt for it. Otherwise, stretch to the HX 3 variant for a better overall package. 

• The HX 5 seems like the most sensible choice with its genuinely important functional and safety improvements. It is also the entry-level variant for the automatic transmission. Recommended. 

• If you have a use case for the rear seats, pick the HX 8 variant as it adds adjustable headrests and an armrest too. It also adds some feel good features in the mix. 

• The top-spec variant is a discretionary purchase. Choose if you want an SUV that packs advanced tech features. 

Hyundai’s Bayon has all the makings of a superhit. It has the presence, quality, space, and tech that an SUV must have in this price point. The engine is proven to be reliable and fuss-free, which is a plus too. 

We will drive the Bayon shortly and get you a detailed review. Till then, you could check how to book the Bayon and what delivery timelines look like.