By Ian Strachan.
Hyundai’s crossover compact SUV, the Bayon, isn’t an obvious contender for choice lists. Which is a shame, as this pleasing car is economical, comfortable and very well-equipped and deserves to be noticed.
Despite describing itself as an SUV, the driving position is quite low – not much different to a hatchback. But the Bayon is a practical vehicle with lots of loadspace, which is why Hyundai has given it a sports utility moniker. It has 411 litres of luggage capacity which can be increased to 1205 by dropping the rear seats.
I test drove the petrol-driven 100 bhp manual Bayon in top-of-the-range Ultimate spec. This one litre turbo-charged three-cylinder engine is a more than adequate unit for the smallest SUV in Hyundai’s line-up. It can get a little raucous when worked hard, but pulls well throughout the range, and you can expect to get more than 50 miles to the gallon in mixed driving. My test car had a crisp six-speed manual gearbox.
The Hyundai Bayon is certainly pleasing on the eye, with a crisp, elegant profile. Its good looks are helped by smart 17-inch alloys, roof rails and a front LED light bar. My test car came in a striking Mangrove Green – unusual, but I got to like it.
The Bayon handles nicely and feels exceptionally sure footed. In fact the overall ride and handling of this vehicle is very impressive indeed, with comfortably soft suspension.
You get plenty of extras on the Bayon Ultimate that many manufacturers would charge you extra for, including a 10.25 inch touchscreen for satellite navigation and the Bose premium sound system with Bluetooth and AppleCarPlay, a wireless phone charging pad, and a range of safety aids including lane keeping assist and a speed limit warning. You also get climate control, cruise control, nicely trimmed seats, steering wheel mounted controls, heated steering wheel, front and rear fog lights, rear parking camera and front and rear parking sensors.
The Ultimate spec that I tested also includes electric tilt and slide sunroof, interior ambient mood lighting, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights and heated electric door mirrors.
The Hyundai Bayon Ultimate comes with an on the road price of £25,280, which is competitive in its sector. The range starts at £22,480.
This is an impressive car that will certainly give more established cars in the sector a run for their money, particularly among drivers who are not marque-obsessed.
