Name: Hyundai Bayon (2021 – present) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Hyundai Bayon
Rating: 69

Summary

The Hyundai Bayon is the smallest SUV/crossover in the Hyundai range, which is essentially a taller and boxier version of the Hyundai i20 hatchback.

While the Bayon’s bigger brother, the Kona, has a wide variety of powertrain options to choose from – including the Kona Electric and Kona N performance model – the Bayon has only two 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines to choose from, either 99hp or 120hp; both being fitted with mild-hybrid assistance. The Hyundai Bayon is available with either a six-speed manual or a seven speed automatic.

The Bayon has received a mixed bag of reviews from the UK media, ranging from very good to fairly average ratings. Auto Express concludes that the Bayon is “bang on target” for what a compact SUV should be, explaining that “It nails its brief of being practical, it’s well equipped, packed with features, comfortable and easy to drive.”

Top Gear add that it would fit into everyday life with ease, but sum up their review by commenting that the Hyundai Bayon “manages to be pretty good at everything without being exceptional at anything.”

Carbuyer come to a similar conclusion, explaining that the Bayon does not have any defining features that help it stand out it what is already a very competitive compact SUV/crossover market, and therefore it faces “an uphill struggle against rivals like the Ford Puma and Renault Captur.”

As of January 2024, the Hyundai Bayon holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 69%. It scores highly for its low running costs and CO₂ emissions, while its safety rating is also good – especially for a small car. The score is dragged down somewhat by poor media reviews, and we don’t yet ave reliability data, but the Bayon should be a very affordable car to own.

More Hyundai Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Bayon highlights

Good fuel economy
Generous amount of tech as standard
Roomy and practical interior
Simple and comfortable driving experience

Bayon lowlights

Digital clutch takes some getting used to
Bland performance
Interior trim has some cheap plastics
Low driving position divides opinion

Key specifications

Body style: Small SUV/crossover
Engines: petrol, mild-hybrid
Price: From £20,530

Launched: Autumn 2021
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Hyundai Bayon is a fine small SUV, with striking looks, impressive levels of refinement and useful on-board tech.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The new Hyundai Bayon feels like a small SUV that’s bang on target. It nails its brief of being practical, it’s well equipped, packed with features, comfortable and easy to drive – it even arrives with value on its side. All this while making a splash with those looks.”
Read review

Auto Trader+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Hyundai Bayon is a stylish compact crossover with a generous specification but faces an uphill struggle against rivals like the Ford Puma and Renault Captur.”
Read review

Autocar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“This is a complete, well-priced, practical and dynamically respectable compact family car.”
Read review

Car+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“Looking at the Bayon from a purely rational viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. The 48v enhanced engines are refined and pull well from low revs, while the ride is comfortable. It’s also more spacious inside than many rivals and benefits from Hyundai’s five-year warranty. Sensible stuff.”
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Car Keys+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Bayon is an honest car. It’s practical and affordable, as well as loaded with kit and surprisingly spacious. Though it might not be the most involving car to drive, it never makes any pretences about needing to offer this.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Hyundai Bayon is a stylish and feature-laden addition to the small SUV market.”
Read review

Carwow+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Hyundai Bayon is a good city runaround, but it does lag behind the pack for practicality.”
Read review

Company Car Today+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“Sensible and mainstream addition to Hyundai’s line-up that doesn’t do anything new but fills a gap in an important segment of the market.”
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Honest John+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“A cheaper alternative to the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Ford Puma. Expected to start in the region of £20,000.”
Read review

Parkers+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Hyundai’s latest SUV is packed with tech and is a comfortable steer.”
Read review

The Sun+

Model reviewed: Range overview
“Hyundai Bayon Ultimate is OK to drive but the interior lets it down.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual Ultimate
Score: 8 / 10
“Simple, capacious and reasonably economical, the Hyundai Bayon is a B-segment crossover with the accommodation of a C-segment car. Considering the equipment levels, the price is pretty good and for simple value for money with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty, the Bayon gets the job done.”
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Top Gear+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“Manages to be pretty good at everything without being exceptional at anything, but it’ll be a doddle to live with.”
Read review

What Car?+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Hyundai Bayon doesn’t offer the high-up driving position of many small SUVs, which is likely to put some buyers off. It’s comfortable, well equipped and roomy in the back, though.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 4 stars
Date tested: October 2021
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 76%
Child protection: 82%
Vulnerable road users: 76%
Safety assist: 67%

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

Model tested: Bayon 1.0 T-GDI 48V

Overall score: 2.5 stars
Date tested: July 2022
Read the full Green NCAP review

Clean Air Index: 3.4 / 10
Energy Efficiency Index: 5.4 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 4.1 / 10

Green NCAP tested the emissions of the Hyundai Bayon in Summer 2022, awarding the car a two-and-a-half star rating. These scores apply only to the mild-hybrid versions of the Bayon, not the petrol-only variants.

Addressing this mild-hybrid system, Green NCAP commented that it “is not enough to balance out the problems of the three-cylinder (petrol) engine”, and that “in all tests it produced particles that are close to exceeding the limits at which positive points are scored.”

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of January 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Hyundai Bayon to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Bayon, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Diesel models	53 mpg	B	52 – 53 mpg	B – B

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Diesel models	120 g/km	A	119 – 121 g/km	A – A

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	15	A	10 – 18	A – A

Service and maintenance	Cost	Score
Year 1	£172	A
Year 2	£466	A
Year 3	£752	A
Year 4	£948	A
Year 5	£1,236	A
Overall	£3,574	A

The Hyundai Bayon is a very affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Servicing and insurance bills should be very competitive, while fuel consumption is also very good for day-to-day driving.