2021 Hyundai Bayon is baby SUV for Europe

Hyundai has expanded its SUV range in Europe with the launch for the all-new Bayon crossover that's been created to battle it out with the Ford Puma, Nissan JUKE and Peugeot 2008.

Introduced with sharp styling influenced by the upcoming new Hyundai Tucson, the new entry-level SUV offers plenty of the car-maker's latest tech, including its advanced mild-hybrid powertrains.

Featuring slim running lights that are tucked in along the leading edge of the bonnet above arrow-shaped headlights, the Bayon comes with striking frontal styling that's repeated around the rest of the car with sharp creasing along its flanks. Meantime at the rear, there are boomerang-shaped tail-lights linked by a full-width LED light bar.

Measuring in at 4180mm and 1775mm wide, the Bayon is around the same width as the current Hyundai Venue (1770mm), but 140mm longer overall and riding on a 60mm-longer 2580mm wheelbase, allowing for more interior space and a bigger 411 litre boot (up 61 litres).

Inside, the Bayon benefits from the latest i20 tech, including its 8.0- or 10.25-inch touch-screen infotainment systems offering Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The larger screen can also be combined with a powerful premium sound system and a wireless phone charger.

New tech for the small SUV segment includes Hyundai's Bluelink connectivity system that allows owners to create a profile that syncs their car with a smartphone's Google or Apple calendars. The same handy feature also allows you to import addresses to the car's navigation system.

Speaking of sat-nav, thanks to Hyundai's new Connected Routing service, owners will also benefit from a cloud-based navigation set-up that's claimed to offer far more precise instructions, along with live traffic alerts and the latest availability and pricing of nearby parking.

Safety has also been a priority with the Bayon, which offers lane keep assist, semi-autonomous cruise control and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. High beam assist, driver attention and blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert are also expected to be available or standard, depending on the market.

Another handy driver aid is a rear-seat occupant alert that reminds you your kids are still belted in when you leave your car. There's also a useful reminder that alerts you in heavy traffic that the cars ahead are moving off, if it thinks you're not concentrating.

Under the bonnet the Bayon's engine range is dominated by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder boosted by 48-volt mild-hybrid tech to produce either 74kW or 88kW.

Both are offered with either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or Hyundai's iMT intelligent six-speed manual. The latter is clever because, despite offering a third pedal, there's no physical link between the clutch pedal and actual clutch plate.

Instead, electric sensors operate actuators to engage or disengage the clutch, and the iMT manual allows engine-off coasting to save fuel while cruising.

Performance is decent, with even the lower-output 74kW version capable of a 10.7-second 0-100km/h sprint time, says Hyundai.

In Europe, the Bayon is expected to command a $2500 price premium over the core i20 hatch (which is not offered in Australia). That would see pricing kick off at around $36,000 for the cheapest, most basic model – making it around $12,000 more expensive than the Venue.

With premium pricing like that, it's no wonder that Hyundai Australia has already ruled out the Bayon for our market.