Hyundai Bayon Name Officially Confirmed For India – New SUV Launch Soon

Hyundai Motor India has officially announced the name of its upcoming SUV as Bayon, confirming what had been indicated by recent test mules spotted on Indian roads. Hyundai says more details about the new SUV will be revealed in the coming weeks.

‘ON’ Camo Was Indeed For Bayon

The name confirmation also puts an interesting recent spy shots into perspective. Earlier this month, we had shared images of a Bayon test mule wearing unusual white camouflage carrying the prominent message “BRING IT ON”.

More interestingly, the camouflage featured words such as Innovation, Transformation, Conversation, Reflection, Expression and Evolution, with “ON” repeatedly highlighted in red. At the time, we had suggested that Hyundai could be subtly teasing the Bayon name, considering Bayon itself ends with “ON”.

That speculation has now turned out to be correct. Hyundai’s official name reveal campaign culminates with the tagline “Intelligence ON”, confirming that the repeated ON references seen on the prototype were part of the Bayon pre-launch campaign.

Why Is It Called Hyundai Bayon?

Hyundai says the Bayon name draws inspiration from Bayonne, a city located in the French Basque Country. The company says the name represents the city’s distinctive character and dynamic spirit. While Bayon is already an established Hyundai nameplate in international markets, the upcoming India-spec model has been developed with the requirements of Indian buyers in mind.

Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Tarun Garg said Bayon represents a new approach towards intelligent and intuitive mobility. “With Hyundai BAYON, we are introducing more than a new SUV. BAYON represents a new mindset,” Garg said, adding that further information will be shared in the coming weeks.

Hyundai Bayon Design – What Spy Shots Reveal

Although Hyundai has currently announced only the name, previous spy shots have already provided a good look at the upcoming SUV. India-spec Bayon gets an upright stance with a relatively flat roof, prominent roof rails, squared-off wheel arches and conventional door handles. Its proportions appear more SUV-like than the international Bayon currently sold in Europe.

At the front, a wide lighting signature is positioned near the bonnet, while the primary lighting elements sit lower on the fascia. At the rear, test vehicles have revealed a horizontal lighting element, upright rear windscreen and roof-mounted spoiler.

The cabin has also been spotted previously. Bayon is expected to feature two integrated digital displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment system. A newer Hyundai steering wheel with the four-dot signature has also been seen. Other expected features include a 360-degree camera, sunroof, connected technology and ADAS, depending on the variant.

Petrol And CNG Options Expected

Hyundai has not announced specifications or powertrain details yet. However, Bayon is expected to primarily use petrol engines, with Hyundai’s 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine among the possible options. A factory-fitted CNG version is also expected to be part of the programme. Final engine, gearbox and variant combinations should become clearer closer to launch.

Bayon will give Hyundai another SUV offering between Venue and Creta. This will allow the company to target buyers looking for something larger and more spacious than a sub-4-metre SUV without moving directly to Creta. Launch is expected next month.