We wish we could see more of this rather bold new Hyundai because from the teasers it has sent out it looks pretty wild. Especially for what it is. What is it? It’s the new Hyundai Bayon. What is a Bayon? 

This is Hyundai’s upcoming subcompact crossover. Unfortunately, it is slated only for Europe. That’s too bad because from what we can see the styling is very bold and unlike anything on the road today. Hey Hyundai; why is the Bayon only for Europe? The name comes from the city of Bayonne in France. However, there is actually a city in France called Bayon. So, which is it Hyundai? 

We don’t get to see the whole Bayon

We don’t get to see the whole Bayon. Yet. While it is slated to launch within the next couple of months we expect to see what it looks like within the next week or so. In Europe, it will go head-to-head with the Toyota Yaris Cross and Ford Puma. 

We don’t really get the sense of size with these teaser images. But sizewise, it will be more like a raised hatchback than something like a RAV4 or CR-V. Smaller cars sell much better in Europe than they do here. Hyundai sells the small i20 in Europe so this might be a more flamboyant alternative to it. Here the Venue takes up the entry mantle. Still, with striking styling, it should help it appeal to American tastes, too. 

The abruptly-ending rear quarters with the boomerang taillights stabbed into the gap between the quarters and liftgate is bold. The large, wide fishmouth grille opening contrasting with the slim, slit-like headlights creates a distinctive contrast between the two. 

We’d love to see how the front and back are tied together

We’d love to see how the front and back are tied together and if the top features an equally bold design. Also, note that the surface finish has been rendered without any gloss or shine to make it easier to read the surfaces. What surfaces you can see, that is. 

Power for the Europe model will be from a three-cylinder. Will the Bayon get hybrid power, too? With everything going electric we would guess that at some point a hybrid or possibly full EV version would become available. Right now EVs are still a much more expensive proposition than their gas counterparts. And if this is supposed to be an economical price point then it makes some sense there is no electrification at launch.

We are looking forward to seeing the rest of the Bayon and expect that to happen fairly soon. And we’ll show it to you at MotorBiscuit.