The Hyundai Motor Group has a lot on its
plate, with several new vehicles in development, and it appears that they might
be planning yet another car that could bear the Bayon nameplate. Filed in
mid-May with the Europe Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the moniker
falls under the “automobiles, sports cars, vans (vehicles), trucks, motor
buses, electric vehicles, parts and accessories for automobiles” category, or
almost anything on wheels.
The only ‘Bayon’ reference has nothing in
common with the automotive industry as, according to Wikipedia and
TheKoreanCarBlog, which discovered the trademark application, it is a Khmer
temple located in Angkor, Cambodia, built in the late 12th or early 13th
century, with many serene and smiling stone faces.
Now, the Bayon does not fit the Genesis
nomenclature, so it is either reserved for Hyundai or Kia, if they’re actually
planning to use it and it’s not just an idea that will eventually be shelved,
like many others.
So, what could it be? That’s a question
that nobody outside the Korean group can answer, but if were to take a guess,
we would say that it could either be a new crossover with a youthful styling,
considering the temple’s smiling-face statues, or an electric/electrified
vehicle. Or maybe both, as zero-emission crossovers and SUVs are very popular
these days. It could also be used on a derivative of a current or future model,
so there are almost endless possibilities.
