Powering the Veracruz is Hyundai's 3.8-liter, DOHC V-6, which is roughly the same engine you'll find in the V-6 Genesis Sedan and the Genesis Coupe 3.8, although in the Veracruz it puts out 260 horsepower and 257 pound-feet. Mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic with Hyundai's Shiftronic manual setup, it pushed our tester to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds flat and onto a quarter mile of 16.3 at 86.5 mph.
We found the power more than adequate to propel the 4620-pound AWD crossover through just about any situation during our 22,684 miles occupying the well-executed and attractive leather-trimmed cockpit.
Take, for instance, photographer Brian Vance's long-distance jaunt, during which the Hyundai was more loaded than a crew of spring breakers after sucking down a tray of Jell-O shots.
"Perhaps what's most impressive about the biggest Hyundai sport/ute ever offered in the U.S. is the smooth and polished transmission," Vance logged. "This six-speed might be the best automatic in the class, and even at wide-open throttle it transitions up or down to the next gear with almost no noticeable upset to the chassis. Paired with the 3.8L V-6, the Veracruz hauled our full load up the steep, long grade north of Bishop, California, at a steady 85 mph, with plenty of power to spare."
With 86.3 cubic feet of cargo room when the second and third rows are folded down and 40.0 with just the third row down, the Veracruz offers a solid amount of cargo space, as Vance found out (the RX, in comparison, offers 80.3 and 40.0, respectively). And that third row can actually fit adult humans.
The Veracruz also proved trouble-free from a maintenance standpoint, requiring nothing more than two service visits during its stay -- a $110.99 oil change, inspection, and tire rotation at 7500 miles and a $190.11 replica service that also included replacement of the cabin air filter, at 15,000 miles. And for normal-wear costs, the Hyundai accrued a balance of only $40.33 for new wiper blades.