Hyundai Bayon

Hyundai Bayon: what it is

Hyundai has sold cars either side of the Rs 12 lakh mark in India for years without a model built specifically for it, filling the space with top Venue trims and discounted Creta variants instead. The Bayon is the car that occupies that gap on purpose. It is a compact SUV with Creta-adjacent dimensions and Venue-adjacent running costs, and it launched on 26 October 2026.

Prices and variants

Nineteen variants run from HX 2 at Rs 9.99 lakh to HX 10 Petrol CVT DT at Rs 18.15 lakh, ex-showroom. The ladder is HX 2, HX 3, HX 3 Plus, HX 5, HX 6, HX 8 and HX 10, with dual-tone paint (badged DT) adding roughly Rs 15,000 wherever it is offered. Eleven variants are manual and eight are CVT.

Engine and gearbox

There is a single powertrain: a 1,497cc four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol producing 113.18 bhp at 6,300 rpm and 143.8 Nm at 4,500 rpm. Buyers choose between a six-speed manual and a CVT automatic. Hyundai has not announced a turbo-petrol, a diesel or a CNG option.

The claimed fuel economy is 18.6 kmpl, and unusually it is the same figure for both the manual and the CVT.

Space and practicality

At 4,245 mm long the Bayon is a compact SUV by Indian tax definitions, but the 505-litre boot is the number that separates it from most rivals, which sit between 350 and 450 litres. Ground clearance is quoted at 205 mm unladen, enough for the broken approaches and tall speed breakers that catch out lower cars.

Safety and features

Six airbags are standard on every variant. Hyundai also offers Level 2 ADAS, electronic stability control, hill-start assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system, with a panoramic sunroof on the higher trims. Hyundai states the Bayon has been engineered for a five-star crash rating; no independent Bharat NCAP or Global NCAP result has been published yet, so treat that as a design target rather than a score.

Rivals

Hyundai positions the Bayon against the Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara and Tata Sierra. The Seltos offers a turbo-petrol and the Grand Vitara a strong hybrid, neither of which the Bayon answers. Where the Bayon makes its case is the entry price and the boot.

Should you buy one?

If you want size, ground clearance and luggage space without paying for performance you will rarely use, the Bayon is well judged. If you want a turbo-petrol or a torque-converter automatic, the range as launched has no answer for you. Prices quoted are ex-showroom; confirm the on-road figure with your authorised Hyundai dealer.