Second-generation Hyundai Bayon revealed at Paris motor show, but Australia again misses out

Hyundai stages the all-new Bayon in Paris

Hyundai Motor Company has presented the all-new BAYON at the Paris Motor Show, framed by the company as the next phase of its Europe product offensive alongside the new TUCSON. The Korean manufacturer's global newsroom confirms the two SUVs anchored its Paris Motor Show presence, with media kits for both models dated October 13, 2026. The second-generation Bayon arrives five years after the original, which debuted as the UK and Europe's small-SUV counterpart to the Venue sold in markets such as Australia, Chasing Cars reports. ²¹

Chasing Cars notes the reveal positions the European-built Bayon as a challenger to the wave of small Chinese SUVs in Europe, even though the compact SUV is again expected to be excluded from the Australian market. Hyundai's own regional press release introducing the all-new BAYON describes it as pairing true SUV design with up-segment comfort and cutting-edge technology, although the retrieved press-release page itself was inaccessible and its full detail could not be verified directly. ¹³

Design and dimensions shift up-segment

The new Bayon is again based on the platform of the i20 city car, according to Chasing Cars, but has increased slightly in size while adopting a bolder exterior design that moves away from hatchback-crossover styling towards a more conventional SUV. At 4.2 metres long, the Bayon is larger than the 4.0-metre Venue sold in Australia. Chasing Cars reports the styling also aligns the Bayon more closely with its bigger Hyundai SUV siblings, the Tucson and Santa Fe. ¹

Turbo petrol first, with a new hybrid option

Under the bonnet, Chasing Cars reports the Bayon will initially be offered with a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing at least 66kW. For the first time, the model will also be joined by a hybrid powertrain that combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined output of 101kW. ¹

The hybrid variant brings adaptive regenerative braking operated via steering wheel paddle levers, Chasing Cars reports. Packaging the hybrid components costs boot space: the hybrid Bayon offers 397 litres, down from the 440 litres of the turbocharged petrol version. An N-Line specification is also part of the line-up, adopting sporty exterior and interior elements. ¹

Australia still off the map for the Bayon

For Australian buyers, the picture is unchanged. Chasing Cars reports Hyundai Australia could not make a business case for the previous Bayon due to exchange rates, and the situation has not changed now that the compact SUV continues to be built in Europe. That makes the second-generation Bayon another European-market Hyundai small SUV that will not join the local range. ¹

Where that leaves the Venue in Australia

In Australia, the Venue remains Hyundai's small-SUV offering, and the comparison underlines why the Bayon was never a simple local swap. Chasing Cars notes the Venue is priced locally from $24,000 and is powered by a 90kW 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, whereas the new Bayon's entry engine is a 1.0-litre turbo. The Bayon is also longer, at 4.2 metres versus the Venue's 4.0 metres. Any change to the Venue's Australian future would need to come from Hyundai Australia itself; nothing in the company's Paris Motor Show materials addresses the local line-up. ¹²