Hyundai has officially confirmed that its upcoming small SUV will be called Bayon. The name had already been hinted at by recent test mule sightings, and Hyundai has now made it official through a teaser. The company says more details about the new SUV will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the India launch expected next month. When launched, the Bayon will sit between the Venue and Creta.
The name reveal also explains an interesting detail seen on a Bayon test vehicle earlier this month.
The prototype was covered in unusual white camouflage with the text “BRING IT ON” printed on it. The camouflage also carried words such as Innovation, Transformation, Conversation, Reflection, Expression and Evolution. Interestingly, the word “ON” was repeatedly highlighted in red.
At the time, this looked like a possible hint towards the Bayon name, which itself ends with “ON”. That guess has now turned out to be correct.
Hyundai’s official name reveal campaign ends with the tagline “Intelligence ON”, confirming that the repeated “ON” references on the test vehicle were part of the pre-launch campaign.
Hyundai says the Bayon name comes from Bayonne, a city in France’s Basque. According to the carmaker, the name reflects the city’s distinctive character and dynamic spirit.
Bayon is already an established Hyundai nameplate in international markets. India will be getting the second-generation model. It has reportedly been developed with the requirements of Indian customers in mind.
Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Tarun Garg said the Bayon represents a new approach to intelligent and intuitive mobility. He described the SUV as more than just a new product, saying it represents a “new mindset”. Hyundai is expected to reveal more information about the SUV shortly.
While Hyundai has only confirmed the name so far, the earlier spy shots have already given us a fairly good idea of the SUV’s design. It will have a upright stance with a relatively flat roof. There will be prominent roof rails, squared-off wheel arches and conventional door handles (no flush-type units!). The overall proportions look more SUV-like. The first-generation Bayon sold in markets including Europe, had a crossover-like design.
At the front, the test mule appears to feature a wide lighting signature (DRLs and connecting light bar) positioned close to the bonnet. The main headlights are placed lower down on the front fascia. The car also gets an upright rear windscreen, roof-mounted spoiler and more.
The upcoming Bayon is expected to get a technology-packed, modern cabin. It will likely get two integrated displays, one serving as the instrument cluster and the other as the infotainment touchscreen. It will also get Hyundai’s new steering wheel with the four-dot logo. Features like a 360-degree camera, sunroof, connected-car technology and ADAS will also be on offer. The availability of these will differ with variants. As with most Hyundai models, the Bayon is also likely to offer plenty of variants to choose from.
Powertrains details of the Bayon remain sparse for now. It is, however, expected to get petrol and CNG engines. The company is expected to offer a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine on the SUV. Reports also suggest that a new 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine is under development for use on the Bayon. The company may also introduce a hybrid powertrain in the future. Both manual and automatic transmissions will likely be on offer.
Hyundai will position the Bayon in between the Venue and Creta. It will allow Hyundai to target customers who find a sub-4-metre SUV too small but do not want to spend as much as they would on a Creta.
For now, Hyundai is keeping most technical details under wraps. But with the name officially confirmed and several test mules already spotted, the Bayon’s India debut is not far away. The launch is expected next month.