The Hyundai Veracruz is a mid-size crossover SUV sold by Hyundai in the countries of United States, Canada, South Korea, China, and the Middle East. The official date of unveiling in South Korea is October 12, 2006. It is available now in the United States as a 2007 model. Hyundai has settled on its segment name as Luxury Utility Vehicle (LUV). It is a new, larger-than-Santa Fe crossover. The Veracruz went on sale in March 2007 and is Hyundai's largest crossover SUV until the large Portico launches in 2009. The Veracruz is a replacement for the truck-based Terracan, which was sold worldwide except for North America, and is built on a stretched Santa Fe platform.The Veracruz gets its name from a state in Mexico, continuing the Western theme from the small Tucson SUV and mid-size Santa Fe SUV. According to Autoweek, the Veracruz is larger than the Honda Pilot, and has more cargo volume than the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class; power comes from a 3.8L, 263 horsepower V6, with Aisin sourced 6-speed automatic transmission.
Many have suggested that the Veracruz, as well as the Azera and the Genesis are testing the waters for a new luxury brand by Hyundai, to compete with the likes of Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Acura.