I was questioned recently by an automotive enthusiast who wanted my opinion on those smaller car manufacturers who don’t have the illustrious and storied pasts of the major carmakers. These lesser-known manufacturers typically build lower-cost vehicles and have reputations for creating low-frills cars with suspect quality and lots of plastic.
I gave the questioner my honest impression, after test driving hundreds of cars over the past four years – and thousands of cars over my career – and having seen the leap made by the smaller car-makers from unattractive econo-box builders to successful full car-line manufacturers.
Many of these carbuilders, Hyundai among them, are now making high-quality vehicles using superior materials and construction techniques that provide as much value, looks, performance and reliability as cars made by those with gaudy long-term reputations.
One vehicle that illustrates the jump Hyundai has made from the no-frills, economy-car genre to the types of vehicles that match up well to any competition is their seven-passenger mid-size SUV, the Veracruz.
After a week of examining and driving the Veracruz, which is larger and more powerful than its sister, the Santa Fe, I found it to be an attractive, comfortable, amenity-filled, quality-made ride.
Assembled in Ulsan, Korea, the Veracruz was inexplicably named after a major Gulf of Mexico port city founded by Spanish Conquistador Hernan de Cortez in 1519. Known as the “Four Times Heroic City,” for its resistance to four invasions (two by France and two by the United States), Veracruz seems heroic as both a municipality and as a vehicle.
Measuring 190.6 inches long, 76.6 inches wide and 68.9 inches high, my Liquid Silver test ride weighed in at 4610 lbs. and was powered by the same dual-exhaust, 3.8-liter Lambda DOHC V-6 engine employed by the Entourage minivan and Azera sedan. Producing 260hp and 257 lbs.-ft. of torque, the system is mated to a 6-speed electronic automatic transmission and is EPA rated at 15mpg in the city and 22mpg on the highway.
After a full week of testing, overall fuel-consumption averaged 16.3mpg, and on a scenic drive in Central Pennsylvania that took me from farm country near the Pennsylvania-Maryland border to a night’s dining and entertainment at the upscale Hershey Lodge and the Hershey Theatre, the Veracruz was accepted with appreciative nods by those in attendance, while providing my passengers with a quiet, smooth, elegant ride.
There is some hesitation when the pedal is mashed and your highway maneuvers should be well-planned and thought-out. On the track, I managed to accelerate from zero to 60mph in a slow, but steady 8.9 seconds, while the Veracruz covered a quarter-mile trek in 17 seconds.
I found the handling to be stiff while the ride is refined. Rack-and-pinion, power assisted, engine-RPM-sensing steering helps you move confidently in and out of traffic and around curves, while the front independent MacPherson strut suspension with coil springs, 27mm stabilizer bar and gas-charged twin-tube shock absorbers work in concert with the rear independent multi-link set-up to smooth out most highway inconsistencies and many township potholes.
From a safety perspective, the Veracruz was rated a perfect score of 5 stars in frontal and side crash tests for driver and passengers both front and rear, while garnering 4 out of 5 stars in rollover tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Safety features include 4-channel/4-sensor anti-lock braking system with brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control and traction control. The Veracruz is also outfitted with driver and front-passenger advanced airbags, driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact airbags, roof-mounted side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats, occupant classification system, hood buckling creases and safety stops, bodyside reinforcements, energy-absorbing steering column and 2.5mph bumpers. A backup warning system and proximity key with immobilizer round out the protection items.
Inside, the Veracruz is attractive and roomy. With head room of 40.3 inches up front (39.9 and 36.1 in rows two and three); shoulder room of 60.6, 60.2 and 56.1; and leg room of 42.6, 38.4 and 31.5, the Veracruz generously accommodates seven.
Standard amenities include heated front seats, driver seat power adjustable lumbar support, air conditioning with dual front automatic climate controls, electric rear window defroster, leather-wrapped power-adjustable steering wheel, cooled front center console storage, power tilt and slide sunroof, power tailgate, memory settings and power adjustable pedals. For entertainment, Veracruz comes with an upgraded 605-watt Infinity Logic7® surround-sound AM/FM/XM/6-CD Changer/MP3 audio system with 10 premium speakers. There is also a rear seat entertainment system with 8-inch LCD screen. While the on-board navigation system gets confused occasionally and the screen set-up is not as multi-tasking and user-friendly as one would like, it is a valuable addition to the driving experience.
Base price for the 2008 Veracruz Limited AWD is $35,750 and nearly all the necessary accouterments were included. The only add-ons were the $1750 navigation package that also upgraded the sound system; carpeted floor mats for $125 and freight and handling charges of $695, bringing the final sticker to $38,320.
Hyundai has come a long way from the econo-box days, as Veracruz is heroic in its competition in its class.
Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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