[Auto] Hyundai Bayon coming in 2021 as i20-based crossover.

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The forthcoming Hyundai Bayon crossover will share its underpinnings and engines with the Hyundai i20 supermini, and our exclusive images suggest how the new model might look. The new car will be revealed in spring 2021, arriving in showrooms before the end of the year.

 

Sitting below the current Kona SUV in Hyundai’s line-up, the Bayon will be a rival to the Ford Puma and SEAT Arona, themselves heavily based on small hatchbacks. The Bayon will be more expensive than the i20, which starts from around £18,500; a starting price in the region of £20,000 seems likely.

 

Using the same underpinnings as the i20, the Bayon will also share its engines and most of its interior. The i20 is currently sold with a 99bhp 1.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine, although in other markets the car also gets a naturally aspirated 83bhp 1.2-litre engine, and a 118bhp version of the turbocharged 1.0-litre engine. We don’t expect an electric or hybrid model, despite petrol and diesel cars being banned in the UK by 2030.

 

 

There doesn’t seem to be much space for a new model to sit below the Kona, so it’s possible that the Kona will morph into an electric-only model. The Hyundai Kona Electric impresses with its near-300-mile electric range and the company has struggled to keep up with demand on occasion, so it may focus its efforts on the battery-powered model. The Kona Electric has also been recently facelifted.

 

As the Hyundai Bayon and Kona would be similar in size, Hyundai will further separate the two models when the next-generation Kona arrives in 2023, with the new model growing in size with more interior space and a larger boot.

If the i20 is anything to go by, the Hyundai Bayon will get two screens inside - one for the infotainment, and a digital instrument cluster. Entry-level cars will get an eight-inch infotainment screen, while higher-spec models will get a crisp 10.25-inch screen.

 

Our exclusive pictures are based on camouflaged spy shots, while Hyundai has only released one shadowy teaser image, which seemed to show the badge next to a slim rear light. The brand has confirmed that the Bayon will be a crossover SUV, so you can expect black plastic body cladding and a slightly raised ride height.

 

The Bayon name is inspired by the French city of Bayonne. Bayonne is located in south-west France, near the Atlantic coast and the Pyrenees mountain range, and attracts tourists interested in outdoor pursuits. Hyundai says this fits with the ‘lifestyle character’ of the new car.