Autoblog First Drive: 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
Click on the Veracruz for a high-res gallery from our first drive
Back in January at the Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai finally peeled the camo off its newest product, the Veracruz. The Veracruz is aimed right at the heart of the increasingly popular mid-sized crossover segment that includes such perennial best sellers as the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander and new entries like the Saturn Outlook and Ford Edge. Hyundai identifies the Honda and Toyota entries as their main competitors, but interestingly neither was their primary benchmark. That honor falls to the Lexus RX350. More on that in a bit.
Hyundai invited a group of automotive media to a park in northern Oakland County north of Chrysler's headquarters for a first drive of the new Veracruz. We set out on a cool rainy morning in a fleet of new vehicles in various trim levels and front- and all-wheel drive configurations. We only had about an hour and a half to drive, so this was strictly a first impression.
A full review will be coming in the next few weeks but you can find Autoblog's preliminary look at the Veracruz after the jump.
Gallery: 2007 Hyundai Veracruz: First Drive
Before we got to hit the road in the biggest Korean CUV to date, Hyundai's Miles Johnson and Product Planning Manager Mike Mino gave us some background on the company's recent history and design goals for the Veracruz. The biggest problem with using existing vehicles as benchmarks to design a car is that anything on the market was designed at least 4-5 years before and the carmakers are already well on their way to the next generation. Hyundai tackled this problem by using a vehicle one level up as the benchmark for the market they wanted to compete in. So while they wanted to compete with the Pilot and Highlander, they claim to have used the RX350 as their benchmark.
The result is a vehicle that is generally better equipped and yet still priced lower than it's direct competitors, a typical Hyundai move. The test vehicle we drove was a high-end Limited model with most of the goodies like a sunroof, dual-zone climate controls and a leather interior. The look and finish of the interior was top notch with soft touch surfaces and well located controls. Like the latest Chrysler small and mid-sized cars, chilled air from the A/C system is ducted through the center console compartment to keep drinks cool.
The front seats were comfortable and felt reasonably supportive over the relatively short drive. The second- and third-row seats, on the other hand, are pretty flat. The second-row bench can slide fore and aft providing plenty of leg room for three passengers, though. The rear door openings are large and access to the third row is fairly easy. Even with the middle row pushed all the way back, my knees didn't touch the seat backs from the back row, which is a minor miracle. On the road, the 3.8L V-6 moves the 4,300 lb. wagon without seeming to run short of breath. The six-speed automatic shifts imperceptibly and kicks down quickly and smoothly when you put your foot in it. The ride was well controlled with no wallowing over a number of different surfaces and body roll never got out of hand, although it was never really pushed too hard. The steering was nicely weighted with no center slop. The only major flaw that cropped up on our rainy day ride occurred during a full throttle lunch launch at an intersection. On the uneven road surface with intermittent puddles, the traction control seemed to loose its way and started to oscillate applying the brakes back and forth across the front axle generating some very nasty wheel hop. Several later launch attempts on wet pavement, gravel and a split didn't reproduce the shuddering, however.
A decade ago driving a mid-size to large SUV was usually a very unpleasant experience for a typical car lover. They were always based on trucks with terrible handling and ride, sloppy steering that was all over the road and mushy, weak brakes. Sport utilities and crossovers have come a long way in the intervening period and overall the Veracruz was a pleasant ride and very livable. Hopefully in the very near future, we'll be able to give you a better picture of what it's like to live with a Veracruz on a day-to-day basis. In the meantime, if you can't wait, the Veracruz is available now starting at $27,000 and ranging into the upper thirties for the loaded Limited models.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Avinash machado 1:59PM (4/27/2007)
Hyundai is really on a roll. Toyota and Honda must be really worried. Except for the badge Hyundais are more or less in the same category as the former.
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Ligor 2:09PM (4/27/2007)
that front end has got to be the ugliest of them all
the interior is very nice
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dilslips 2:12PM (4/27/2007)
Bland exterior. Could have used a bit of Chrome..front end looks like a Oldsmobile.Interior looks good..lexus like..small wheels
Still doesnt give that 'appeal' factor..a mix of everything..
its a CRV+330+highlander
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Kowell 2:15PM (4/27/2007)
I actually saw one of those yesterday evening parked at the mall so I took time to look around in and out... was pretty impressive. The front IS a big weird but the rear is very impressive. Interior quality was also pretty good. I test drove an Azera last year wich uses the same engine and the only downer was the 5 speed automatic that didn't deccelerate fast enough but this is gone now... All and all a good SUV/CUV/call it whathever the hell you want.
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John 2:18PM (4/27/2007)
Why does the speedometer go in 20mile increments then it has 140 MPH and 150 MPH right next to each other? Since no one will drive their Hyuindai to 150 mph 140 would have been fine. It would also have kept the spacing even.
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Mike 2:20PM (4/27/2007)
Compared to the lambda's, consider me incredibly underwhelmed.
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Bob R. 2:28PM (4/27/2007)
#6 is right, the GM CUVs do look alot better, but the interior of this looks pretty good.
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Bob R. 2:29PM (4/27/2007)
Looking at it more it actually reminds me of the B9 Tribeca, before the refresh.
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tnywg 2:32PM (4/27/2007)
Someone stole my 2007 Mazda3 shifter.
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Al 2:33PM (4/27/2007)
#6-7
I dont think I would buy a detroit vehicle. I owned a 1996 Oldsmobile Achieva and had numerous problems with it. And a friend of mine owns a 2003 Cavalier and has had problems with it as well. The dash also vibrates on the highway.
I want quality with my hard earned dollars.
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Puffy C 2:38PM (4/27/2007)
Not bad for a first effort but considering you can price one out over $37,000 this is way too expensive. Tell me again why I would buy a Hyundai when I could get a Buick Enclave for less? Good luck selling these things.
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Duck 2:39PM (4/27/2007)
As others have stated...
Pleasantly inviting interior. The exterior? Not so much...
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Johnny 2:41PM (4/27/2007)
Stay away from the Lambda Cute Utes.
At 4,860 lbs for a Acadia, the 3.6 engine is heavly taxed. A family of four and fuel the cute utes at 6,000 lbs. I dont want to be on a off ramp with a 3.6 engine and a semi coming at me. Throw in the 4.8 V8 and we can talk.
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The Anti-Paul 2:41PM (4/27/2007)
I dont think I would buy a foreign vehicle. I owned a 1996 Honda Accord and had numerous problems with it. And a friend of mine owns a 2003 Elantra and has had problems with it as well. The dash also vibrates on the highway. I want quality with my hard earned dollars.
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psece 8:03PM (5/10/2007)
#10
Both my Chevies were more reliable than my wifes 1997 Honda Prelude. To show my bias though, I have kids and want them to have more than service jobs in the future; So I won't buy anything not engineered and built (including American owned suppliers) here.
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Dave 2:44PM (4/27/2007)
Die Ford Die
GM and Chrysler will pick up the slack. Atleast GM and Chrysler are worth buying. Ford is crap.
As for this Hyundai, I like it.
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felipe 2:47PM (4/27/2007)
#11
your out of your mind.
Veracruz starts at 26K. and w/ stability control/traction/ tire monitor/7 pass. all airbag.
hydolock engine mounts, teleoscope collape steering wheel and the list goes on.
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/veracruz/trim/gls.aspx
NONE are standard in Buick.
the major sell points are quiet tuning and ultrasonic parking!! look yourself:
http://www.buick.com/rendezvous/index.jsp
Most are not even offered at 36K. Hyundai is standard at 26K
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Brian 2:54PM (4/27/2007)
Love it. I think anyone who buys this car will be impressed with quality and luxury that is more than a class above. Lexus quality for a Hyundai price will surely find lots of customers.
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Electronicaxle 2:57PM (4/27/2007)
whats the deal with post number 10 and number 14? they sound completely the same except for the manufacturers mentioned... wtf...
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bmoredlj 2:57PM (4/27/2007)
#10
You raise a good point, the Achieva and Cavalier were, indeed, pretty chintzy efforts on GM's part, and the company's reputation suffered as a result. But you're talking about very old cars. In the last five years GM has moved quickly to raise the build quality of its vehicles. If you want a CUV but dismiss the Lambdas based on your past experiences, that's certainly your prerogative, but you may be missing out on a good product. They're a totally different animal than that old Olds. As for the Veracruz, it looks like a worthy competitor.
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