Hyundai Bayon road test

I very rarely watch advertisements on the TV, the majority of my viewing is done on catch up or via the BBC.

So it was ironic that the first one I’d seen in a very long time was for Hyundai - just at the time I had the Bayon on test.

You may have seen it. The main message to take away from the 30 seconds of airplay is that we in the west have been saying the manufacturer’s name wrong.

The Korean way is Hyun-day with the stress on the first four syllables, the UK has always favoured High-uun-digh with the emphasis on the middle three syllables.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, what about the Bayon?

It’s a no frills, no fuss five-door family car that sits a bit higher than a saloon but is not quite up there with the SUVs although it is marketed as such.

It’s not the most stylish car on the road though it’s certainly not the worst.

The side profile has sharp creases to give a smart streamlined look but this is offset by the clunky looking rear end with its jutting out roof and light cluster. The front fares much better with slim daytime running lights and a massive drooping grille.

The interior is smart and functional rather than being plush with most controls accessed via the eight-inch touchscreen or through voice control which proved surprisingly accurate and quick to respond.

The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard; temperature is controlled by way of a bank of toggle switches for ease of access.

The Bayon is powered by a one-litre mild hybrid which delivers 98bhp through a smooth-shifting crisp six-speed manual gearbox - there’s also a more powerful 118bhp version.

It doesn’t sound like much power but I was pleasantly surprised to find out how sprightly it was, if not a bit noisy under harsh acceleration.

The Bayon has bags of torque - 126.9 lbs ft - and pulls well with overtaking easily accomplished.

It’s a mild hybrid which means fuel is saved and emissions are reduced thanks to a 48v system which supports the petrol engine and gives additional torque during acceleration.

Plenty of room for two in the back, three at a pinch with plenty of head and leg room.

The boot isn’t massive and the handle is low down near so your hands get covered in road grime when you open it.

The Bayon is nippy around town - its natural home - but can pick up the pace on faster roads and motorways when the situation demands.

Official fuel consumption is 52-53mpg but we managed an average of 46.4 throughout a week of driving - much of it on urban roads.

All round visibility is good and parking doesn’t cause any issues, particularly with the rear parking sensors and rear view camera which come as standard - although the camera is not one of the best and becomes difficult to see at night and in bad weather.

Other safety features include cruise control, driver alert and autonomous emergency braking.

Hyundai Bayon

Price: £23,080

Engine: 1.0-litre, 48v mild hybrid

Power: 98bhp

Torque: 126.9lb/ft

Transmission: six-speed manual

Top speed: 113.7mph

0-62mph:10.7 seconds

Economy: 52-53 mpg combined mpg

CO 2 emissions:122-134 g/km