Hyundai Bayon – all-round ability

IT’S the small SUV that belies its label of compact crossover and which also happens to be one of the best value family models on the new car market.

The Hyundai Bayon, based on the popular i20 supermini, is lower slung than most of its main rivals, which makes it that bit more agile.

But it is the car’s capability as an all-rounder that really gives it an edge, courtesy of its interior space, equipment, comfort and running costs – with prices starting at £22,905.

The latest Bayon is powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine across each of the three trims grades – Advance, Premium and Ultimate – and can be paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed dual clutch automatic.

And while it may be a small powerplant it nonetheless delivers reasonable punch, the 100PS on offer being sufficient for a 0-62mph time of 11.3 seconds (manual), though in practice it feels appreciably quicker. Top speed is 111mph.

There’s no better way to thoroughly put a car to the test than to relentlessly rack up the miles and after 475 miles of varied town, suburban, motorway and rural trips the Hyundai’s hits and misses were laid bare.

Out on the road, the Bayon is light and easy to manoeuvre, with a raised seating position, reasonable all-round visibility and the choice of engaging Eco, Normal or Sport driving modes – each offering a different engine response and feel from the steering.

Economy is attractive too, our average fuel return of 45.2 miles per gallon being not far short of the official Combined consumption figure of 50.4.

Move inside and what is a pretty drab-looking cabin is redeemed by its excellent headroom and a degree of interior space that allows tall passengers to sit comfortably behind front seat occupants who need their seats to be slid fully back.

Even a centre rear passenger gets a wide, soft berth that’s not too perched.

Meanwhile the 411-litre boot extends to 1,205 litres when you fold the back seats down and there’s also a compartment beneath the boot floor for smaller items.

The dash is dominated by a pair of 10.25-inch screens – an infotainment touchscreen and driver’s instrument cluster – the main one being simple to use and including smartphone streaming through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

An especially relaxing feature, accessed via the Media button, is something called Sounds of Nature with a choice of 10 ambient channels ranging from Outer Space Communication (which sounds like psychedelic-era Pink Floyd) to City at Dawn, Lively Forest and On a Sailing Ship.

As for styling, clever touches can make a huge difference and the new full-length Horizon LED daytime running lights bar and redesigned front bumper with mesh grille give the Bayon a more assertive look.

All three trim grades are comprehensively kitted out with the likes of automatic headlights, electric folding and heated door mirrors, rear view camera and parking sensors, cruise control and multi-colour ambient lighting included as standard.

Trading up to our tested Ultimate trim adds a BOSE premium sound system, a blind spot collision warning, smart key with engine start button and an electric tilt and slide glass sunroof.

And a solid safety package sees autonomous emergency braking, tyre pressure monitoring, speed limit warning, forward collision avoidance assist, high beam and lane keep assist all included, along with Hyundai’s five-year unlimited mileage warranty.