Hyundai Debuts All-New BAYON and Tucson in Paris, Adds UEFA and Waymo Initiatives

Hyundai unveiled three key vehicle premieres at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, led by the world premiere of the all-new BAYON B-SUV, alongside its European-specification TUCSON and TUCSON N Line and the all-electric STARIA Cargo light commercial vehicle. The company paired the launches with regional brand initiatives, including a multi-year partnership as Official Automotive Partner of the UEFA Champions League beginning with the 2026/27 season and running to the end of the 2030/31 season, with the trophy on the booth on press day, Monday 12 October; Hyundai notes it has supported football for almost 30 years and says the 36-club competition draws interest from around one in three people worldwide. Hyundai and Waymo will explore the potential to expand their autonomous-mobility partnership to international markets, with the first AV-ready IONIQ 5 vehicles being delivered to Waymo in the U.S. this year to be equipped with the Waymo Driver using Waymo's 6th-generation autonomous hardware and software suite plus redundant braking and steering. The booth also features the new IONIQ 3, designed and developed in Europe and arriving in dealers now, which Hyundai presents as evidence of its long-term regional investment and localization approach. Hyundai is also presenting robotics innovations at the show as part of its transition toward becoming a physical AI and robotics company, a direction President and CEO Jose Munoz set out at CEO Investor Day 2026 earlier this year.

The all-new BAYON world premiere is a true B-SUV with bold SUV design, up-segment comfort and technology including dual 12.3-inch curved displays, Hyundai Digital Key 2 (which lets compatible smartphones and smartwatches unlock and start the car), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a centre armrest, reclining rear seats and dedicated rear ventilation plus an openable panoramic sunroof. A longer wheelbase increases rear legroom, with class-leading head and shoulder room front and rear, 440 litres of luggage capacity and extra storage beneath the luggage compartment floor. It launches with a 1.0 T-GDI powertrain offering 90 PS and 115 PS options, and a 1.6 HEV hybrid joins the line-up in 2027, projected at 138 PS and from 102 g/km CO2 with adaptive regenerative braking controlled through steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for an EV-like driving experience. Available SmartSense driver assistance includes Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2), Surround View Monitor (SVM), Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2 (FCA 2), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), Lane Following Assist 2 (LFA 2), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) and Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse (PCA-R). The BAYON N Line adds a rear diffuser with integrated twin exhaust outlets and N Line-specific cloth and textile suede seats.

The all-new TUCSON embodies Hyundai's 'Bold by Design' concept through its 'Art of Steel' design language, with pronounced muscular fenders, restrained door surfaces, crisp body lines, H-Edge lighting at the front and a sculptural Prism Rear Lamp, while optional Micro Pixel Lighting uses 25,600 individual LED pixels for precisely controlled beam patterns and welcome and farewell animations and LED rear lamps are standard across the European range. It offers best-in-class interior space with 1,038 mm of front headroom, 1,002 mm of rear legroom and 1,470 mm of front shoulder room, a best-in-class 695 litres of luggage capacity, a rear door opening angle increased from 73 to 83 degrees, a Relaxation seat, Ergomotion Seats, electric steering wheel adjustment and multi-air-mode indirect ventilation. Next-generation Pleos Connect infotainment runs on Android Automotive OS with the biggest display in its class at 17 inches, offered in 12.9-inch and 17-inch central display sizes, plus a slim 9.9-inch driver display and an available head-up display, the Gleo AI voice assistant with live data, over-the-air software updates, a 12-speaker Bang and Olufsen audio system, interactive ambient lighting with Smart Mood Lamp, Hyundai Digital Key 2, two 15 W wireless charging pads and four 100 W USB-C ports. The SmartSense safety package includes Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2, Highway Driving Assist 2, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, and the Tucson tows up to 1,910 kg in hybrid form or 1,810 kg as a plug-in hybrid on a 12 percent slope, with Trailer Reverse Assist helping with reversing manoeuvres. The TUCSON N Line adds 20-inch alloy wheels, a more angular front bumper with a pronounced chin spoiler and satin black aero ducts, muscular side skirts, gloss black door mirrors and C-pillar inserts, a rear bumper with body-coloured diffuser-effect inserts and twin exhaust outlets, N Line badges and a Black Monotone interior with red accents and an N steering wheel with perforated leather hand grips; since the first generation launched in 2004, more than 2 million Tucsons have been sold in Europe, and the fourth generation, launched at the end of 2020, ranked as the best-selling model in the private C-SUV segment in Europe in 2025.

Hyundai also showcased the STARIA Cargo, a fully electric light commercial vehicle that expands its line-up into the LCV segment and combines electric performance with practical usability for business users. It offers a WLTP range of up to 450 km and an 800-volt electrical architecture enabling 10-80 percent charging in 20 minutes, minimizing vehicle downtime. A 160 kW (218 PS) electric motor provides performance, with a payload of 1,040 kg, 2,000 kg of towing capacity, space for three Euro pallets, and the ability to tow up to 2,000 kg even while carrying its maximum payload. Inside, the Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen and digital cluster, with connected functions for remote vehicle management, charging status monitoring and climate control, plus 3.5 kW Vehicle-to-Load functionality available externally and through an interior socket in the cargo area. Hyundai is also working with upfitting partners on conversion solutions for local business customers and is exploring standardized conversions that could be offered through Hyundai retailers across multiple European markets.