• Latest car does without MHEV tech
• That means it’s far less fuel efficient
• Competitive five-year warranty

What are the running costs?

More than they used to be. When Hyundai updated the Bayon in 2024, it ditched its mild hybrid engine due to slow sales. Now, your only option is a non-electrically assisted 1.0-litre petrol engine which, because it’s rather gutless, you need to work hard to get up to speed.

That’s had a negative effect on fuel economy. We handed the Bayon to our New Cars Editor, Alan Taylor-Jones – and he averaged around 30mpg over a weekend of driving. That’s a long way off the official 51.4mpg Hyundai claims the car achieved in WLTP testing and the 45mpg-plus you could get from the old mild-hybrid Bayon.

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If you desperately want a Bayon and you’re hungering for the best fuel economy, hunt out a lightly used pre-facelift mild hybrid model. Otherwise, we’d sooner steer you towards the Toyota C-HR. That’ll do 50mpg everywhere, no matter how hard you drive it. You do pay for that extra fuel economy up front, however, as the cheapest C-HR is £9,400 more expensive than the most basic Bayon.

Servicing and warranty

Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited mileage warranty makes the Bayon a lot more desirable, especially for long-distance drivers. Granted, the Kia Stonic has an arguably more attractive seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, while the Toyota C-HR is covered for up to 10 years if you get it serviced at a main dealer – but third place on the podium is commendable for Hyundai, especially when most other manufacturers only cover their cars for three years and 60,000 miles.

The Bayon needs a service every year and Hyundai offers a range of service plans to help you spread the cost of maintenance. These can be paid for up front, monthly or bundled into your finance package. As an added benefit, every Hyundai leaves the dealership with 12 months of free roadside assistance.

Reliability

• No recalls issued so far
• Built using dependable parts
• Five-year warranty for a reason

The Hyundai Bayon hasn’t yet been subject to any recalls, which bodes well for its reliability. To add further credence to our claims, it’s built using the same components as the fastidiously reliable Hyundai i20. Plus, it’s delivered with a five-year warranty, which is something Hyundai wouldn’t offer if it thought the Bayon was going to break down all the time.