Hyundai Takes The Masking Off Veracruz
Here’s a first glimpse at Hyundai’s new full-size crossover vehicle, the Veracruz. While such vehicles are generally not swoon-worthy, I must admit, this one isn’t half bad, and certainly the best looking of Hyundai’s SUV range. It seems as if Hyundai’s benchmarked the Lexus’ RX crossover, in profile and in the details. Let’s just say that Hyundai could have done worse.
Despite being designed primarily for the North American market, the Veracruz made its debut in Korea last week. Initial info sees the Veracruz being powered by a new turbodiesel V6 engine with a new six-speed automatic gearbox, but the likelihood of its arrival in North America is slim.
Unlike the Sonata or the Santa Fe, the Veracruz will be built in Korea. Hyundai hopes to sell roughly 85,000 units of the car worldwide, with 65,000 of those units being reserved for America. The big new ‘ute, which will run shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Mazda’s upcoming CX-9, and the Buick Enclave/Saturn Relay should be in dealers in early 2007, after making a debut at either LA, or Detroit.
