Hyundai has taken a cautious approach in styling its first mid-size crossover. There are no fancy swoops or swirls on the Hyundai Veracruz, no scoops or bulges, just smooth, graceful forms. Maybe the way to stand out in this increasingly competitive niche is to go for understatement, to aim for not standing out. Whatever, the Veracruz has done it.

The front view shows a rounded face as smooth as an egg shell, and somewhat reminiscent of same, with the mildest of upper lip on the bumper. Two air intakes, the top one ringed in chrome and sporting the Hyundai flying H logo, share the mostly seamless fascia. A brace of almost imperceptible ridges pick up the sweep of the top intake and carry it back across the hood to the feet of the A-pillars framing the windshield. Organic-shaped headlamp assemblies wrap around the fenders. A contrasting underpanel circling the Veracruz beneath perfectly aligned seams lessens the visual mass while adding perceived height. When fitted, asymmetrically shaped fog lights tuck into the upper edge of the underpanel directly beneath the headlamps.

From the side, an organic overall shape is marked by a finely drawn crease that starts at the headlight, then drops ever so slightly behind the front wheel well before rising in a straight line to the taillight. Side windows trace the aero-shape of the roofline, which ends in a spoiler integrated into the top of the liftgate. Thin half-circles matching the contrasting underpanel arc over the wheel wells, which even the standard 17-inch wheels decently fill. Deep rear doors promise easy access to the third-row seats without over-playing the comparatively long wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear tires).

Some design aspects of mid-size crossovers are unavoidably repeated from brand to brand. There's only so much creativity possible given the need to package three seats and some basic cargo space. Fortunately, it's only from the rear that the Veracruz comes close to falling victim to this reality. Were it not for the Hyundai logo, a casual passerby could easily mistake its rear fascia for that of a . (And would that be a bad thing?) There's a rounded rear window, or backlight, topped by a slicked-back spoiler. The taillights angle upward, bridging the seam between the liftgate and the rear fenders. A lower lip-like, step-topped bumper cups the liftgate. The license plate sits in a recess centered in the lower half of the liftgate and topped by a logoed crossplate doing double duty as a cover for the license plate light and a grip for raising the liftgate. Dual exhaust tips fit in semi-circular cutouts in the bottom edge of the underpanel. But most important, regardless of how similar it looks, it still looks good, and clearly of a piece with the rest of the Veracruz. And for that, Hyundai's to be commended.