The Hyundai Bayon is a Kona designed by ex-Lambo designer

Hyundai Motor has today revealed the Hyundai Bayon, an all-new SUV which for now is only available in Europe. As a B-segment SUV, the Bayon will be the latest and smallest member of Hyundai’s expanding SUV family.

Highlights

On the outside, the front styling carries the same bold, distinctive design of modern Hyundais. Split headlamps and a wide stance gives is a muscular presence. 

To the rear, there are arrow-shaped lights to underline the pillar dynamics, adding a wide stance. In addition, a thin horizontal line connecting the taillights further emphasises width. Full LED lights and indicators complete its modern look.

Geek fact: The person in charge of overseeing the Hyundai Bayon's design is Luc Donckerwolke. Ring a bell? He's the man who penned the Lamborghini Murcielago. 

Curiously, the Bayon appears to occupy a similar slice of the Hyundai Kona's marketplace. The table below illustrates the dimension comparison between the Bayon and Kona.

On the inside, the Bayon is clean, roomy and futuristic at the same time. The centerpiece of the interior is a 10.25-inch digital cluster paired together with a 10.25-inch AVN or 8-inch Display Audio. Smartphone connectivity, wireless charging and a Bose Premium sound system complete the toys in the cabin. 

What else?

The Bayon is loaded with every safety tech you'd expect from a modern car. There are to list down one by one here, but here are some noteworthy ones:

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) 
• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
• Lane Following Assist (LFA)
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
• Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA)
• Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW)
• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
• Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse (PCA-R)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Warning (RCCW)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)

Powertrain options?

At the top of the line-up is a 1.0-litre turbocharged T-GDi engine with 48V and 120 or 100 PS. This can be coupled with the 6-speed intelligent Manual Transmission (6iMT) or a 7-speed dual clutch transmission (7DCT). A 1.2-litre MPi engine with 84 PS paired with 5-speed manual transmission is available as well. Interestingly, the Bayon is the first Hyundai SUV to come equipped with Rev Matching (for both transmission options).

Conclusion

As of now, it is unsure if the Bayon will be sold outside Europe, seeing how similar in size it is to the Kona. However, the Kona is also available in Europe as well, so this is indeed a curious situation. What about you? Do you think the Bayon is special enough to pick it ahead of the Kona?