Table of Contents
- Summary
- Cost and Choosing Which to Purchase
- motor, gearbox, horsepower, and top speed
- Capacity for Payload and Towing
- Fuel Economy
- Cargo, Comfort, Inside, and Interior
- Safety
Summary
Few automakers possess Hyundai’s quiet confidence, and the plus-sized Palisade is the best example of that in its lineup.
This SUV upended one of the most significant market segments right away by taking the battle straight to its competitors. Its many features, abundance of power, and design make it a popular option for people movers of this size.
The 2023 Hyundai Palisade keeps pushing upscale with its premium content and matching pricing, thanks to slight stylistic and technological changes. Fortunately, it continues to do its duties and does so with sufficient quality to offer solid value in a crowded field of three rows.
Cost and Choosing Which to Purchase
Those who have been monitoring the Palisade’s pricing since its inception a few years ago, and with good reason, will experience some sticker shock. This three-row is now thousands of dollars more expensive than it was previously, even excluding the cheapest front-wheel-drive model that was dropped in favor of a full all-wheel-drive selection.
The streamlined lineup, which now offers three trim levels—Preferred, Urban, and Ultimate Calligraphy—is also to blame. However, in addition to foregoing the previous entry-level Essential trim, the 2023 Hyundai Palisade Preferred has a starting price of $47,799 plus a $1,975 non-negotiable freight fee. That is $7,300 more than the first point of entry and $2,300 more than the identical trim cost at launch.
The range-topping Ultimate Calligraphy costs $56,599 before extras, while the Urban trim, which essentially replaces the previous Luxury version, starts at $52,999 before freight and tax ($53,499 with second-row captain’s seats). Regardless of trim, any paint color other than white costs $250.
Regardless of the model you select, the 2019 Tucson is a fantastic value because it is more feature-rich and less expensive than the majority of its competitors. The mid-range SEL offers the best value in the lineup. It adds features including a rear-seat USB port, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a more flamboyant external design. All Tucson models come with front-wheel drive as standard, while all-wheel drive is an option.
motor, gearbox, horsepower, and top speed
Passing on sections of single-lane highway is as easy as it gets thanks to the Palisade’s 3.8L V6 engine’s ample torque and its eight-speed automatic transmission, which responds quickly to unexpected throttle input. With a progressive build-up towards the peak of 262 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm, torque is crucial for moving the amount of tonnage this SUV can.
Capacity for Payload and Towing
Most likely, people who are looking for an SUV of this size are doing so because they require the room it provides. Although there are other options that perform better in that area, if that is the case, the Palisade is a good choice. For example, there is the enormous Volkswagen Atlas, and another giant in the class is the Buick Enclave.
Despite its well-utilized proportions and ample space for tiny objects, this Hyundai is not small. The third row, which won’t be much use to anyone older than preadolescence, is where the Palisade is notably crowded in comparison to its competitors and beyond. Even young children are likely to find the approximately 1,092-mm (43-in) bench on the small side, despite the fact that it is theoretically designed to hold three passengers across.
In this sense, rather than the VW Atlas, which is at the top of the segment, the Palisade feels more like the GMC Acadia, which is near the bottom. Nonetheless, it delivers competitive towing capability for the class thanks to its 2,268 kg (5,000 lb) pulling capacity, auto-leveling rear suspension, and a unique tow mode that maximizes the powertrain’s performance. With 509 L when all seats are upright and 1,297 L when the third row is folded, the cargo space is also enough.
Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is mediocre for the sector given the Palisade’s size and standard all-wheel drive; its stated combined figure of 11.2 is better than the 10.1 L/100 km consumed during a 210-kilometer initial test drive. The GMC Acadia, Nissan Pathfinder, and Honda Pilot have somewhat higher ratings than their V6-powered rivals, the Atlas and Enclave. In the meantime, the svelte and fashionable Subaru Ascent and Mazda CX-9, which are powered by four-cylinder turbocharged engines, are even better.
Cargo, Comfort, Inside, and Interior
It seems smooth both in town and on the highway, even though the handling does not adequately reflect the weight of this three-row. Even with the 20-inch wheels that come standard on all models, it handles uneven terrain nicely. With sophisticated adaptive suspension technologies, the Palisade outperforms several expensive competitors in terms of ride quality. Even with its all-season tires, this tester produced a notable amount of tire noise on smooth roads, but it’s also fairly quiet.
This range-topping tester’s upholstery feels mediocre, even though it is advertised as premium Nappa leather—a somewhat arbitrary phrase, it should be noted. Even while the chairs themselves are attractive, the non-perforated sections are particularly unimpressive. Additionally, the driver’s seat now has pseudo-massage capabilities, and the front and second rows are heated and ventilated.
With a huge grille that integrates its signal lights similarly to the smaller Tucson crossover and the Santa Cruz truck that is based on it, the 2023 Palisade adds an aggressive appearance reminiscent of Lexus. It is less slab-sided than it would otherwise be thanks to simple crease lines, and the new wheels on the top trim appear to have been taken straight from Lincoln’s lineup.
A huge 12.3-inch touchscreen serves as the interior’s new focal point, and the air vents have been redesigned, but other than that, not much has changed. Although the console controls aren’t very appealing, that’s generally okay, especially in the top-tier Ultimate Calligraphy trim, which takes the biggest steps toward the middle ground between mainstream and luxury entrants.
Safety
The standard equipment includes a comprehensive advanced safety suite that includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control that works in stop-and-go traffic, and a junction turn assist system that can warn of oncoming traffic when making a left-hand turn.
In addition to Hyundai’s highway driving aid, which automates steering inputs but still requires two hands on the wheel, the Urban trim adds blind-view monitoring, which offers a real-time view of both sides of the car when the associated signal is activated. The Ultimate Calligraphy also receives a more sophisticated version of the drive-assist technology that can change lanes automatically when the signal is triggered, in addition to a camera-based rearview mirror and head-up display.
But there’s a contradiction in the way everything operates. At the first sign of driver input, the system will stop automated lane changes and remind drivers to keep both hands on the wheel when trying to feather it. Even yet, turning off those features without losing adaptive cruise or lane-keeping capabilities is manageable.
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