HYUNDAI ix55 / Veracruz Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

In 2009 Hyundai refreshed its biggest SUV on the market, the seven-seat iX55/Veracruz, but with limited success due to the world financial crisis.

When the Korean automaker launched the seven-seat SUV, it also tried to majorly change its car naming strategy. However, that marketing trick proved not worth it, especially since, in 2008, the car market collapsed due to the world financial crisis. In addition, European customers were used to seeing names on a Hyundai, not two letters and numbers.

Back in the days when the Korean automaker built licensed vehicles developed by Mitsubishi, it had a seven-seat SUV in its lineup: the Terracan. But those wedged shapes and the body-on-frame construction had to be abandoned, leaving Hyundai without a seven-seat vehicle in its lineup. Thus, it created the iX55/Veracruz. Its design department was able to create a vehicle with rounded shapes and long, arched lines. The elliptic headlights flanked a grille where the H-badge was placed on the lower side. From its sides, the Veracruz featured a horizontal beltline, a descending window line, and slightly curved door panels.

Inside, the cabin offered five permanent seats and two jump seats in the trunk area. The dashboard's clean design was clearly divided into two areas by a center stack extended into the center console, where the sound system and the HVAC controls were mounted. In addition, a center armrest separated the front seats. The middle row featured a split-folding bench, while the rearmost seats could've been folded into the trunk's floor.

Under the hood, Hyundai installed either gasoline or turbo-diesel engines, depending on the market.