New Hyundai Bayon to launch in 2021 as entry-level crossover

Hyundai has released the first official details of a new entry-level SUV that will arrive in 2021 to rival the Toyota Yaris Cross and Ford Puma.

Designed primarily for the European market, the crossover has been named Bayon in reference to the French city of Bayonne, a hub for outdoor sporting activities, which Hyundai says highlights "the lifestyle character" of the new model.

It will be the smallest model in Hyundai's SUV line-up, sitting underneath the Kona, which has recently been redesigned and updated for 2021.

Given the model's size and positioning, it can be expected to share much of its mechanical make-up with existing Hyundai and Kia models. An electric version is unlikely, given the imminent arrival of the similarly sized Ioniq 5 EV.

It's likely that, as with the Yaris Cross and Puma, the Bayon will take its underpinnings from a smaller-bodied supermini, in this case the i20.

That would mean a petrol-only engine line-up comprising an 84bhp naturally aspirated 1.2-litre four-cylinder, a 99bhp mild-hybrid 1.0-litre turbo and a range-topping 118bhp version of the same engine.

Five- and six-speed manual gearboxes would be available, as well as a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Expect a chunky, off-road-inspired body kit in line with the SUV's activity aspirations and a tech-heavy interior with a raft of connectivity and advanced driver aids fitted as standard.

Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Hyundai's vice president of marketing and product, said: "Hyundai is strongly established in the European SUV market already, in terms of our model range as well as our sales success.

"By launching a new, additional B-segment model as the entry point into our SUV line-up, we see a great opportunity to cover European customers' demand even better and to increase our offering in a highly popular segment."

More details will arrive closer to the Bayon's expected on-sale date of mid-2021.