BAYON
South Korean carmaker Hyundai is getting ready to shake up India’s compact SUV space. The company’s upcoming crossover, widely believed to be the Hyundai Bayon, has been spotted testing on Indian roads and is expected to launch sometime in 2026. The new model will go head-to-head with the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, one of the best-selling cars in its segment right now.
If you have been following auto news lately, you already know this one has been generating a lot of buzz. The upcoming Hyundai compact SUV will sit between the Exter and the Venue in the company’s Indian lineup, filling a gap that buyers have long been asking for. Spy images show a design that looks quite close to the Venue, with split LED headlamps, LED daytime running lights, and chunky body cladding at the front that gives it a properly rugged look. The side profile also carries that familiar Venue vibe, though it gets freshly designed alloy wheels to set it apart. Around the back, expect a new LED tail-lamp setup that gives the car its own personality.
For the Indian market, Hyundai will trim the car’s length to keep it under four metres. That is not just a styling choice; it means the car will qualify for lower GST rates, which should help keep the price more buyer-friendly. The cabin will also be tweaked to feel right at home for Indian customers.
On the features side, Hyundai is not holding back. The car is expected to come with a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a matching 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, wireless charging, ADAS safety features, LED headlamps, 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and boomerang-shaped taillamps tied together with an LED strip. That is a pretty solid list for a car in this price range.
Under the hood, the car is expected to get a brand new 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. Hyundai says it will be punchier than the current 1.0-litre, more fuel-efficient than the 1.5-litre, and is built to be hybrid-ready, so it is future-proofed as well. This engine could find its way into several upcoming Hyundai models too.
As for the price, it is expected to start at around Rs 7 lakh for the base variant and go up to nearly Rs 15 lakh for the fully loaded version. That puts it right in the heart of one of India’s most competitive car segments, where every lakh matters.
The Bayon is expected to arrive in the second half of 2026. Hyundai’s plan is straightforward: push the Venue a little higher up the price ladder and let this new sub-four-metre SUV fill the space below it at a sharper price point.
When it does hit showrooms, it will go up against some tough competition, including the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, Toyota Taisor, Citroen C3, Renault Kiger, and Nissan Magnite. The Fronx, in particular, has been a consistent sales performer, and Hyundai will be keen to chip away at that lead.
Once launched, the new crossover will become the second most affordable Hyundai SUV in India after the Exter, giving buyers one more solid reason to walk into a Hyundai showroom.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
Tweets @ZiyaIbnHameed
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