Used Hyundai Bayon 2021-present review

Named after the picturesque French city of Bayonne, the Hyundai Bayon is a stylish SUV alternative to the Hyundai i20 small car on which it's based. Launched in 2021, it sits in Hyundai's SUV line-up just below the more expensive and not vastly bigger Kona.

Like the i20, this small SUV comes with a choice of two 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engines. The entry-level option (badged 1.0 T-GDi 100) can accelerate from 0-62mph in a respectable 10.7sec.

There's also a more powerful 1.0 T-GDi 120. This will get you to 62mph more swiftly, although only by 0.3sec. It pulls well from low revs and the six-speed manual gearbox has a light action and is reasonably precise. You can get it with an automatic gearbox if you prefer.

Both of these units are mild hybrids, with the aim being a small boost in performance and fuel economy – you can find more on that on the next page.

Trim levels kick off with SE Connect. You also get 16in alloys, air conditioning, cruise control and dusk-sensing headlights. Going for Premium trim brings larger (17in) alloys, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control and heated front seats.

Range-topping Ultimate trim gets you keyless entry and start. You can't get that on lesser trims, because it's not even an optional extra from new.

Out on the road, the Bayon keeps body roll in check, but we wouldn't say it's playful or fun in the bends. What's more, its steering, while light and easy to twirl at low speeds, fails to provide a real sense of connection with the road when you’re going quickly. Ride comfort is good by class standards.

Those after a tall driving position will be disappointed with the Bayon. You sit only slightly higher than you would in its small car counterpart, the i20. Fortunately, there’s a good amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment and the pedals line up neatly with the steering wheel, so the overall driving position isn't terrible.

Everything on the dashboard is easy to use and the 8.0in touchscreen (that’s fitted to SE Connect models) is quick to respond to presses. You also get a DAB radio, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring: these are all standard from new. The Premium trim gains a larger, 10.3in screen with a built-in sat-nav function, plus wireless phone charging.

Much of the interior is shared with the i20, so there isn't much in the way of soft-touch, plush materials. Most of it looks and feels fairly low-rent. Admittedly, some rivals aren't much better in this department.

There’s plenty of space in the front, so even tall people are unlikely to have any issues with head room or how far the seats slide back. Rear space is impressive, too, with plenty of leg and head room for people to get comfy. Our only grumble is that there isn’t much foot space under the seats in front when they’re set to their lowest setting.

We managed to fit five carry-on suitcases in the Bayon’s boot (below the parcel shelf) and this isn't bad by class standards, but there are more accommodating rivals out there, such as the Ford Puma and Citroen C3 Aircross.

If you're interested in finding a used Hyundai Bayon or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at a great price.

Used prices begin at around £15,000 and, for the money, expect a 2021 SE Connect model (with the 1.0 T-GDi 100 engine). Ultimate 1.0 T-GDi 120 examples from the same year go for at least £17,000.

For a 2022 model (of any kind), have at least £16,000 to spend. Cars from 2023 rise to around £20,000, but this puts them roughly on par with the price of new Bayons.

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MPG

In our real-world tests, the 1.0 T-GDi 120 with a manual gearbox averaged 42.1mpg. Officially, it can average 53.3mpg – the 1.0 T-GDi 100 is the same.

Road tax

All Bayons will cost you the current flat fee of £180 per year in road tax.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance groups range from a modest 13 to 18. For two services of a 2021 Bayon, Hyundai quoted us £547. Other service plans are available.

Engine

There isn't much between the 1.0 T-GDi 100 and 1.0 T-GDi 120 in terms of performance and fuel economy, so, because it's often cheaper, we'd stick with the less powerful option.

Trim

The SE Connect trim gets you all the essentials, although we'd be tempted by Premium for its added luxuries (like the heated seats). On the other hand, it asks you to part ways with around £2000 more of your hard-earned cash, unfortunately, and this jump is currently a little too large for our liking, so we'd suggest saving the money.

Our favourite Hyundai Bayon: 1.0 T-GDi 100 SE Connect

The Ford Puma is a favourite within the small SUV class. It's more fun to drive and better on fuel, but, based on brand standings within our What Car? Reliability Survey, it's likely to be less reliable than the Bayon.

While the Bayon's ride is pretty smooth, the Skoda Kamiq and VW T-Roc are even silkier on the road – the latter car will likely be more expensive to buy, mind you, while the Kamiq is roughly on par with (if not slightly below) the Bayon's used car prices.

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If you're interested in finding a used Hyundai Bayon or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at a great price.