Hyundai counts on Bayon's 'distinctive' design to make small SUV stand out

Hyundai says it has given the Bayon, its latest model for Europe, a distinctive design so that the new model stands out in the increasing crowded small SUV/crossover segment.

The Bayon, which was unveiled on Tuesday, will be Hyundai's smallest SUV in Europe, positioned below the Kona.

The small SUV segment is Europe's second largest with sales of 1.72 million vehicles last year, according to data from JATO Dynamics market researchers. The small-car segment is the largest with sales of 2.03 million.

Hyundai expects the share of crossover and SUV body styles in Europe's small car segment to grow to 60 percent in the next five years from 40 percent in 2019 in the next five years, Hyundai Europe’s head of product marketing, Andrea Mangraviti, told reporters on a web conference call.

The Bayon will compete against models such as the Renault Captur, the segment leader, Volkswagen T-Roc, Toyota Yaris Cross, Ford Puma and the Stonic from Hyundai's sister brand Kia.

At 4180 mm long, 1775 mm wide and 1490 mm tall, the Bayon's dimensions are similar to the Kona but the Bayon targets a different customer group -- urban buyers with active lifestyles. The SUV is named after the French city of Bayonne, which is a popular resort for outdoor sports such as sailing and hiking.

"Hyundai saw a demand for a model capable of navigating European cities while at the same time providing enough space to meet customers' needs," Hyundai Europe's head of marketing and product, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, said in a statement.

The Bayon's distinctive exterior design separates it clearly from its competition, Hyundai said.

Its wide front grille has three-part main lights and slim daylights. On the side, a dynamic shoulder with an arrow-shaped C-pillar gives the vehicle a wedge-shaped appearance. The side has crisp geometric angles and edges, a signature element first introduced on the Vision T concept and developed on the recent Tucson compact SUV and Ioniq 5 full-electric midsize SUV. At the rear, the Bayon's arrow-shaped lights are widely positioned to emphasize the vehicle's stance.

The Bayon is the first Hyundai SUV to be equipped with Rev Matching that synchronizes the engine to the output shaft, allowing for smoother or sportier downshifts.

Its engine lineup includes a three-cylinder gasoline unit with a 48-volt mild hybrid option and a four-cylinder, 1-2-liter gasoline engine.

Connectivity features include a 10.25-inch digital cluster, a 10.25-inch navigation screen or an 8-inch screen, three USB ports, wireless charging and Hyundai Bluelink connected services. The 8-inch display is available with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making Hyundai the first car manufacturer to introduce wireless phone mirroring into a car of this size, the automaker said.

Drivers can lock and unlock the car remotely using the Bluelink app. Functions such as heating and cooling can be controlled by cloud-based voice recognition.

Safety equipment includes lane following assistance, front collision avoidance, navigation-based smart cruise control, which uses data from the vehicle's navigation system to adjust speed autonomously when driving on a highway or expressway, and rear-seat occupant alert.

The Bayon will be built in Hyundai's plant in Izmit, Turkey, whose output currently includes the i10 minicar and i20 small hatchback.