The interior of the
Hyundai Veracruz is as cleanly styled and executed as the package in which it's wrapped. Materials speak of quality in looks and touch. Gaps are tight and consistent.
Visibility is good all around, though better in front and behind than to the sides. The hood conveniently slopes down and away, maximizing close-in sightlines. Thick roof supports, most notably the D-pillar all the way in the back, require some acclimation for the driver to be comfortable with quick, over-the-shoulder traffic checks. Head restraints in the second row are the shingle style, contoured to fit down over the seatbacks when lowered, and third-row head restraints retract into the tops of the seatbacks, which minimize their obstruction of the driver's rear vision. The entertainment system's eight-inch display, however, when in use fills a good portion of the rearview mirror.
The dash is cleanly styled, more functional than busy and with tasteful lines. Gauges look out of large circles with chrome accent rings and blue nighttime backlighting. The metallic-finished center stack places clearly marked and solid-feeling buttons and knobs at a natural reach from the steering wheel, which positions its controls at thumb-height with hands in the 9-and-3 positions. The top half of the dash and door trim gets the darker tones, separated from the lower panels by a band of wood-grained plastic; the premium black and saddle interior is exceptionally rich looking, with black upper and lower dash and door panels and soft-brown saddle leather. Clearly, in taste and finish, Hyundai's come a very long way.
Seats are comfortable and meet our basic standard of adequate, if not superior thigh support. The standard multi-adjustable driver's seat (with height and lumbar adjustments) and tilt-and-telescope steering wheel provided comfortable driving positions for drivers 6-feet tall and just 5-foot 4. Side and bottom bolsters suffice for spirited driving.
The front passenger seat left its occupants feeling as if they were sitting in a hole, however, because there is no seat-height adjustment. The front passenger seat gets only fore-and-aft and seatback-recline adjustments, whether manual or powered.
Second-row seat contours fit two passengers better than three but without putting the third on an under-padded, raised perch.
Third-row seats, while not threatening to entice passengers to abandon the second row, are as comfortable as any in the class, and in fact top the class in the critical measurement of legroom; same goes for front- and second-row seat legroom, which bests the Honda Pilot and Subaru Tribeca, in a couple of instances by more than an inch. The new-for-2008 Toyota Highlander beats Veracruz in front-row legroom but only equals it in the second row and doesn't even come close to the Hyundai in the way-back.
In headroom, the Veracruz tops or equals Tribeca but trails the Pilot and Highlander in all three rows; while offering more hip room than Tribeca or Highlander, about the same as Pilot up front and in the middle, and 3.4 inches less than the Honda in the third row. Access to the Hyundai's third-row seats is easiest from the right-hand side. That section of the second-row seat folds flat and flips up, while front center console limits the other side to only folding.
Cargo space doesn't match that of the Pilot, Highlander, or Tribeca when all the seats are in place. Fold the seats down, and the Veracruz moves slightly ahead of Pilot and way ahead of Tribeca in ultimate cargo capacity, but still falls almost nine cubic feet short of the new Highlander.
At least there's space for odds and ends. Front and rear side doors have fixed map bins. The backs of the front seatbacks have expandable magazine pouches. There are six cup holders. The lockable, lighted glove box accommodates an owner's manual and small items. The bi-level, front center console's optional cooler function can keep beverages chilled to below 63 degrees Fahrenheit. next page