Hyundai is planning to bring the Bayon compact SUV to India next year, and it’s expected to be powered by a brand-new 1.2-litre 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, Autocar India can exclusively confirm. As we reported last year, the Bayon is a global model that’s built on the same platform as the I20and will serve as Hyundai’s rival to the popular Maruti Suzuki Fronx in India when it launches here in mid-2026.
- Upcoming Hyundai Bayon to utilise brand-new 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine
- Hyundai will build the engine in India; it will be hybrid-ready and stronger than 1.0 turbo
- The Bayon may offer both the 1.2-litre and 1.0-litre turbo-petrol powertrains
Hyundai Bayon engine and gearbox
New Hyundai 1.2-litre engine to slot in between carmaker’s current turbo motors
Earlier today, we broke the news of Hyundai developing a new locally-built 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine for the Indian market, which will slot in between the Korean carmaker’s current 1.0-litre turbo-petrol (used in the Venue and i20) and the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol (used in the CretaVerna, and Alcazar) units.
This 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine will offer greater torque and drivability than the 1.0-litre unit (120hp, 172Nm), whilst being more compact and fuel-efficient than the 1.5-litre motor (160hp, 253Nm). It’s also being engineered to be hybrid-ready, and so will likely be crucial to Hyundai’s future hybrid powertrains. As it stands, the transmission options for the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine could include a dual-clutch automatic or an e-CVT, depending upon the use case.
Bayon could get both 1.2-litre and 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engines
According to our sources, the new engine is expected to power the 2026-bound Hyundai Bayon, as well as future iterations of the i20, Venue, and other models that fall in the Rs 15-20 lakh price bracket. Hyundai is gearing up to launch the next-gen Venue in October 2025, so it remains to be seen if the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine debuts with the compact SUV. The Bayon is available with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 6-speed manual and 7-speed DCT in overseas markets, so these powertrains may be offered in the India-spec version as well.
Hyundai Bayon exterior design
Sleek and futuristic styling
Up front, the Bayon’s styling closely resembles that of the Vernathanks to a split-headlight setup comprising an LED strip on the bonnet and angular main units underneath. There’s also a wide honeycomb-patterned air dam, with silver trim and black plastic cladding that wraps all around the body.
Over to the side, the Bayon gets 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and several cuts and creases, and at the rear, the compact SUV has a blacked-out section housing rakish boomerang-shaped tail-lamps connected by an LED strip, with indicators, black cladding, and silver trim on the bumper.
Hyundai Bayon interior and features
10.25-inch infotainment screen, Bose sound system, and more
The Bayon’s all-black cabin shares a lot of components with Hyundai models, such as the familiar four-spoke steering wheel, 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, HVAC control panel, etc. Other creature comforts include wireless charging, connected car tech, over-the-air (OTA) updates, fast-charging USB Type-C ports, ambient lighting, ADAS, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, and more. The Bayon also gets a 411-litre boot.
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