And there it was — the center console, suspiciously similar to the one in the Lexus RX: the same shape, the same vertical air vents, similar button layout. No other obvious borrowings are visible. But credit where it's due: the materials are well-chosen, and the interior turned out great. Korean crossovers have never offered this quality of trim before. You can tell the folks at Hyundai really put in the effort.
The Veracruz, as is now customary, is a seven-seat vehicle. I decided to check how comfortable it is to sit "behind yourself" in all three rows. In the second row — complete freedom: three adults of average build have plenty of room. I climb into the third row… And it's quite livable there. Though, it would be better if someone shorter than my 190 centimeters were sitting in front of me.
The Veracruz is based on the Santa Fe platform, stretched by about ten centimeters — hence the extra legroom. The suspension is also familiar: MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear. It seems they didn't bother much with tuning either — on the road, the newcomer feels like a close relative.
However, we were only given 20 km of highway full of traffic lights, running through the villages of Jeju Island, to study the driving qualities. You can't really speed up. But you can do the "accelerate-brake" exercise twenty times in a row. The three-ton bulk is moved by one of the engines used in the Genesis — a 3.8-liter V6. Though it's been slightly detuned to 260 horsepower and 348 N·m. For a huge crossover, that's the bare minimum, so the dynamics here are like a cold appetizer. But the engine sound is pleasing. And the smooth, unhurried shifts of the six-speed automatic, which I complained about in the sedan, fit right in here — they suit this comfortable giant perfectly. Complete harmony.
The light steering begs for feedback in corners — it could share some, the miser! But the body roll, a faithful companion of this chassis, appears without any coaxing. Still, the handling isn't disappointing. The car is soft but predictable. You can even enter a corner with a clear excess of speed — and the understeer is easy to control. When you abruptly lift off the throttle, the Veracruz doesn't try to slide into a spin, just slightly kicks the rear out — nothing scary. But we were unlucky with the asphalt — it was too good. How the car behaves on Russian ruts and potholes, we never got to find out.
But the unwieldy Veracruz is frankly afraid of off-road — and you don't even need to leave the asphalt to understand that. Car-like suspension, highway tires, modest ground clearance, and painted (albeit in a different color) lower body. The all-wheel drive is "on demand": in calm mode, the front wheels drive the car, and the rear axle is engaged by electronics via a Haldex coupling. Pass by, hunting and fishing fans — the Veracruz will make you spend your weekend looking for a tractor.
It's too early to judge the crossover's prospects in Russia: there are no prices, and the Koreans aren't saying whether they'll make any adaptation changes to the design. One thing is clear: with such an inexpressive face, the Veracruz will struggle to compete with distinctive rivals like the Mazda CX-9 or Honda Pilot. We can only hope for a reasonable price tag.
Specifications
| Characteristics | Hyundai Veracruz V6 3.8 |
|---|---|
| Body | |
| Number of doors/seats | 5/7 |
| Length, mm | 4840 |
| Width, mm | 1945 |
| Height, mm | 1750 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2805 |
| Curb weight, kg | 2010 |
| Gross weight, kg | n/a |
| Trunk volume, l | 184–2458 |
| Engine | |
| Type | petrol, with distributed injection |
| Location | front, longitudinal |
| Number and arrangement of cylinders | 6, V-shaped |
| Number of valves | 24 |
| Displacement, cm³ | 3778 |
| Max power, hp/rpm | 260/6000 |
| Max torque, N•m/rpm | 348/4500 |
| Transmission | |
| Gearbox | automatic, six-speed |
| Drive | all-wheel, with Haldex coupling in rear axle drive |
| Chassis | |
| Front suspension | independent, coil spring, MacPherson |
| Rear suspension | independent, coil spring, multi-link |
| Front brakes | disc, ventilated |
| Rear brakes | disc |
| Performance characteristics | |
| Maximum speed, km/h | n/a |
| Acceleration 0–100 km/h, s | n/a |
| Fuel consumption, l/100 km | |
| urban cycle | 13.9 |
| extra-urban cycle | n/a |
| combined cycle | 9 |
| Emission standard | Euro-4 |
| Fuel tank capacity, l | 78 |
| Fuel | AI-95 |
Behind the scenes
Jeju Island is a ritual place for South Korean newlyweds. And the stone grandfather in a round hat is a local sex symbol. In the sense that if you put a flower wreath around his neck, the bride will soon become pregnant. Due to wedding tourism, the passenger car fleet on the island is predominantly white. And the dinosaurs just live at the local stadium.