Hyundai Palisade

The Palisade starts at under $40,000 for an entry-level front-wheel-drive SE model and climbs up to nearly $60,000 for the top-of-the-line Calligraphy trim. It turns out that most Palisade buyers are interested in the Calligraphy, which represents an astounding value for the money. The seats are upholstered in Nappa leather, the headliner is suede, the front seats have a massage function, and second-row passengers get comfy heated and ventilated captain’s chairs and their own climate controls. It’s well-appointed without veering into gaudiness. Switches click satisfyingly into place, and buttons depress with ease. If you look really closely, you’ll notice some evidence of cost-cutting, such as visible seams on the door pockets. But nothing detracts from the overall swankiness.

We think anyone considering an Audi Q7, BMW X7, Lexus TX, Mercedes-Benz GLS, or Volvo XC90 should also check out the Palisade Calligraphy. All six are luxurious, but only the Lexus comes close to the Hyundai on price. The marketers at Hyundai have their work cut out for them if they ever decide to build a three-row Genesis. How could they possibly top the Palisade? Maybe it’ll make sandwiches or fly or something.

Above that, the SEL is a slightly less plush version of the Calligraphy with fewer seating options and a traditional cloth headliner. The XRT PRO trim prepares the Palisade for light off-roading with increased ground clearance, a forward-view camera, rear limited-slip differential, and a pitch/roll display. Consumer Reports purchased the Calligraphy trim because, based on what we’ve heard, it’s been outselling other trims. But we also wanted to see whether we could really get the level of luxury that Hyundai promises for under $60,000. It seems we can.

The Palisade proves that the future doesn’t have to be confusing when it comes to car interiors. Most manufacturers have gone minimalist, replacing physical buttons and knobs with massive touchscreens. But the Palisade’s dashboard looks like a 1960s Oldsmobile Toronado reimagined as a Jeff Koons balloon sculpture—which is to say, it looks pleasantly modern, but the controls are familiar enough that they’re easy to use. There’s leather, chrome trim, and a tastefully sized touchscreen where the 8-track player would’ve been. It’s a unique look, but nearly everything (more on that later) is exactly where you’d expect it to be. As with many newer Hyundai and Kia vehicles, you’ll find separate knobs for tuning, volume, and temperature.

Around the same time that the big screens started arriving, automakers also decided that record lap times, “sporty” handling, and impressively large wheels were more important than comfort, even on family cars that would spend their lives barely exceeding the speed limit. The Palisade also bucks this trend, with a plush suspension that manages not to feel floaty. Large wheels, like the 21-inch rims standard on the Calligraphy, typically make for a rough ride, but the Palisade does a great job of isolating impacts from the cabin and controlling body motion.

Our testers said that the Palisade does as good a job isolating road noise as many luxury brands, and that drivers should expect “Lexus-level interior solitude.” Wind noise picks up only around 75 mph. When revved, the engine’s growl is pleasant.

The new Palisade is 2.7 inches longer than its predecessor and seats either seven or eight, depending on how it’s configured. Its boxy design makes for a predictably large interior, with no sloping roofline cutting into headroom or cargo space, as we found in the electric Hyundai Ioniq 9. One of our testers helped someone move and had no problem packing it full of boxes. We like that there’s a good mix of concealed and open storage up front, although we wish the front door pockets were a little more generous because it’s hard to fit more than a single bottle.

If you’ve ever had to contort yourself around a child’s car seat or seated passenger to reach the second- or third-row seat controls, you’ll appreciate the Calligraphy’s ability to move those seats from the front touchscreen. Second- and third-row passengers can also get more legroom (or escape from the third row) by moving the seat ahead of them using controls on the seatbacks. The power-folding third row is controlled by buttons in the trunk, which will even automatically scoot the second row out of the way. Features like these will likely make the Palisade a more popular choice for parents and upscale livery services.

What We Don’t Like

EPA-estimated fuel economy of 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined, is the kind of old-school throwback we have no nostalgia for. The forthcoming hybrid version should remedy that. Hyundai says to expect around 34 mpg combined, which is a major improvement from our gas-only Palisade. The hybrid is likely to cost more than the nonhybrid up front. Depending on how much you drive, it could pay for itself in fuel savings in just a few years.

If that 20 mpg combined came with the shove of a high-performance engine, we might be able to understand the trade-off. But the 2026 Palisade’s V6 is smaller (and slightly less powerful) than the one in the outgoing model, and it’s merely competent, not eager. Its lack of ambition is especially noticeable after driving an electric vehicle or even a hybrid. You really have to floor the throttle and push it past 4,300 RPM to get any serious grunt out of it. By comparison, the Honda Pilot’s V6 feels like it has stronger midrange torque, so its power seems easier to access.

The transmission usually hid in the background and provided smooth shifts when asked. But we did experience some delays after quick throttle inputs, especially from a stop or rolling start. Whether those delays could be linked to the engine building power or the transmission downshifting too slowly depends on the situation. But unlike some other vehicles we’ve driven recently with similar issues, these hesitations didn’t pop up during stop-and-go traffic or around-town driving.

A tester said he thought that an extra 50 horsepower might solve the problem. Well, good news for him: The forthcoming hybrid power plant gets a combined 334 hp compared with the gas-only version’s 287 hp. We think the Palisade will benefit from extra power and instantaneous torque from the electric motor.

Why didn’t they use buttons for all the climate control features

Our praise for the Palisade’s control layout ended on a chilly, misty morning when we tried to turn on the defroster. Instead of using physical buttons for fan speed and defrost, those functions are crammed into a small touchscreen between the temperature knobs. That screen is set so low that it forces drivers to take their eyes off the road. The Honda Pilot has the Palisade beat there, too. At least the Palisade has an adjustable Auto setting, so you can turn the fan up or down while still allowing the thermostat to automatically regulate the temperature.

Why does Hyundai insist on hiding the gear selector lever behind the steering wheel? You either have to operate it by memory or crane your head around to see which gear you’re selecting. We eventually got the hang of it, but it took a while to get familiar with it. On top of that, the Palisade’s ignition button is on the base of the shifter stalk.

It’s awesome that the second-row captain’s chairs on our Calligraphy automatically move out of the way with a touch of a button to allow fairly easy access to the third row. It’s not awesome that they take forever to do so. It feels like a gag from one of the Austin Powers movies. I cannot imagine wrangling kids and groceries in a busy parking lot on a rainy day while waiting for a seat to slide.

What We’ll Keep An Eye On

While the Palisade’s third row can’t beat the space you get with a minivan, it’s not a bad place to sit. There’s decent headroom for most adults, and the floor is low enough that your knees won’t be up at your ears. Powered second-row seats, a path between the captain’s chairs, and plenty of grab handles make it relatively easy to get into and out of, although an angled pillar cuts into foot space when squeezing out of the car. We appreciated that the third row gets cup holders, USB-C ports, and seat heaters.

The Palisade isn’t a sporty vehicle, but its handling is appropriate for a big three-row SUV. The suspension does a good job of controlling body roll in corners, especially for a vehicle this size, and the steering delivers honest feedback about front-tire grip. We’ll see how quickly it can go through our obstacle avoidance maneuver test.

Driver’s seat comfort and adjustability

The Calligraphy trim comes with heated, ventilated, and massaging seats as standard equipment. Still, more than one driver had problems with the basics. Common complaints were that it’s impossible to adjust the tilt of the seat bottom without moving the entire seat, that the adjustable bolsters were too firm, and that a comfortable seating position was either too far back or made the steering wheel block the view of some gauges. The front seats feature recliner-style footrests that elevate your calves, but they’re not functional while the vehicle is in motion. Some drivers would’ve preferred additional thigh support that extends from the front of the seat.

As a brand, Hyundai lands squarely in the middle in our reliability surveys. Honda, Subaru, and Toyota all have it beat, not to mention a few luxury brands, including Audi, BMW, and Lexus.

We paid the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for our Palisade, but you might have a different experience. Due to simple supply and demand, the previous Palisade has made frequent appearances on our weekly list of the worst new car deals, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if this redesigned Palisade follows suit. Buyers are willing to pay more than MSRP for a popular car that’s already priced lower than some competitors. We suspect that dealers may start selling above MSRP with “market adjustment” prices. One way to see whether you’re getting a good deal is to use our Build and Buy service, which tells you what other people in your area paid for a vehicle.

The Palisade packs Hyundai’s SmartSense suite of active safety and driver assistance systems that include automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, and reverse automatic emergency braking. Other standard features include adaptive cruise control and lane centering assistance informed by navigation data. There’s also a standard driver attention monitoring system that, so far, has yet to bother us with the false positives we’ve experienced with other systems. But we’ve noticed that Hyundai’s automatic lane change function can steer somewhat abruptly, so we’ll watch for that in our testing.

There are a few unique safety features, including Safe Exit Assist, that can prevent rear passengers from opening a door into vehicle or bicycle traffic when parked. There’s also a rear occupant alert system that scans for children when the vehicle is parked and locked. If it detects movement, the SUV will honk the horn and send an alert to the driver’s phone. Such a system adds valuable protection to reduce the risk of an unaccompanied child gaining access to the vehicle or being left behind. We’d like to see it in more vehicles.

This is the first Hyundai to have built-in dash cameras that can provide continuous recording while driving, looking at the driver and out to the road. The cameras can also monitor the vehicle when parked. Footage is stored on a MicroSD card, accessed through the glove compartment. The dashcam controls, however, aren’t immediately clear and may require some time to configure to your ideal settings.

A video rearview mirror with a liftgate-mounted camera is optional. It gives an unobstructed view behind the SUV, which we found especially useful when the vehicle is loaded with passengers and cargo.