Hyundai Palisade Review

Since its introduction in late 2020, the Palisade has divided some prospective buyers due to its bold styling, but impressed many others thanks to its generous features list, practical interior design and Hyundai’s unrelenting attention to fine-tuning its road cars for Australian roads. 

With all this division in mind, it’s essential that we get an understanding of just how good the latest Hyundai Palisade is, and how well-suited it is to a large family of eight for school trips while remaining comfortable and a confidence-inspiring drive.  

Starting Price: $55,000

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Hyundai Palisade (8 SEAT) Specifications

For more details and other variants, check Hyundai Palisade car page.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Hyundai Palisade lineup kicks off from $55,000 for the entry-level Palisade 3.8 GDi two-wheel drive, while the 22 CRDi all-wheel drive is priced from $59,000. The range then moves to the Elite variants, which are priced from $61,500 for the two-wheel drive version and $65,500 for the Elite 2.2 CRDi all-wheel drive. Finally, Hyundai’s range-topping Palisade Highlander is priced from $71,000 for the 3.8 GDi two-wheel drive, while the all-wheel drive Highlander 2.2 CRDi all-wheel drive is priced from $75,000.

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What Features Does the Hyundai Palisade Have?

The entry-level Hyundai Palisade comes riding on a set of 18-inch alloys, and receives automatic headlights with LED daytime running lamps, an 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a wireless smartphone charging pad, leather upholstery and steering wheel, a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, an electrochromatic rear-view mirror,  7x USB ports, a full-sized spare tyre, and Hyundai’s SmartSense safety package as standard.

Opting for the Palisade Elite variant adds a set of larger 20-inch alloy wheels, LED head and tail lights, heated front seats, a powered boot lift, upgraded 10.25-inch infotainment system with sat-nav and voice recognition, paired with a 12-speaker sound system from Infinity, as well as a panoramic sunroof and heated front seats.

Finally, Hyundai’s range-topping Palisade Highlander adds a set of 20-inch Calligraphy alloys, automatic wipers, heated and ventilated seats for the first and second row, Nappa leather upholstery with suede headliner, a heads-up display and surround view monitor for the driver, sunshades in the rear and body-coloured exterior finishes.

Range Features:

• 18-inch alloys 

• Automatic headlights with LED daytime running lamps 

• Keyless entry and start 

• Leather upholstery with leather-wrapped steering wheel 

• 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 

• Wireless smartphone charging 

• Three-zone climate control 

• 20-inch alloys (Elite) 

• 10.25-inch infotainment system with sat-nav and voice recognition (Elite) 

• 12-speaker sound system from Infinity (Elite) 

• Powered boot lift (Elite) 

• LED head and tail lights (Elite) 

• Panoramic sunroof (Elite) 

• Heated seats (Elite) 

• Surround-view camera (Highlander)

• Head-up display (Highlander) 

• Nappa leather interior (Highlander) 

• Heated and ventilated first and second-row seats (Highlander)

What Colours is the Hyundai Palisade Available in?

Hyundai is packaging the Palisade lineup with a range of six colours, including Moonlight Cloud, Sierra Burgundy, Steel Graphite, White Cream, Abyss Black and Rain Forest. 

Is it Comfortable to Drive?

While it might have imposing proportions, the Hyundai Palisade remains an exceptionally user-friendly car to drive around town. Hyundai have become one of the world’s best manufacturers when it comes to comfortable family touring, the the Palisade is proof of the company’s recipe extending to its large SUV lineup. Around town, the Palisade is exceptionally comfortable to drive, with power supplied by a choice of petrol and turbo-diesel engines that produce more than enough power for the Palisade to effortlessly pick up speed. Power is sent to the front-wheels in the base model, while higher-spec diesel variants throw their power to all fours. Both the petrol and diesel variants are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that offers smooth, responsive shifts, making the Palisade more accommodating to all drivers. 

To make things even better, the Palisade has received a suspension setup that provides an exceptionally smooth ride quality, while maintaining a sense of control over the vehicle while you’re up and moving. This is the result of Hyundai’s rigorous testing process here in Australia, where the company tests and revises the suspension of its vehicles for the worst of what Australian road conditions can throw at it. Keep in mind that the ride quality suffers slightly while riding on the larger 20-inch alloys with lower-profile tyres, so if ride comfort is a key priority of yours, consider sticking with the 18-inch alloys with more comfortable rubber on offer. 

Around town, the sheer size of the Palisade makes some tight-quarters driving slightly more unnerving, but the steering column remains extremely light at low speeds, making it easy to pilot in car parks and while performing three-point turns. 

If you’re looking to head out for a weekends' adventures towing a caravan or boat, you’ll be pleased to know that the Palisade is rated at 2,200kg of braked towing capacity, and 750kg of unbraked towing capacity. The towball download is rated at between 100-180kg, while the payload capacity is capped at 772kg.

The overall result, then, is that the Palisade lineup is an extremely well-crafted and well-suited SUV for Australia. Long-distance journeys are a pleasure, and you’re unlikely to hear any complaints from passengers who are treated to the comfortable ride and smooth power delivery. While it might be one of the most crowded and competitive segments of the market, the Hyundai Palisade does a great job in matching its key competitors, and mimicking the quality on offer in significantly more premium vehicles in terms of driving and ride quality.

Is it Practical and Spacious?

Space and comfort are perhaps the most important consideration of the Palisade’s design brief, but we’re happy to report that Hyundai has created an extremely large interior package inside the Palisade, and can comfortably fit up to eight people without breaking a sweat. Up front, the driver and front passenger are treated to a sweeping dash design that houses the driving display and infotainment system, with a huge amount of visibility through the front windscreen. This is anchored by a large central pillar that separates the driver and front passenger, accommodating the climate controls and driving function buttons, with a large storage area in front of the arm rest and the rest itself offering a significant amount of space for loose items and smartphones. All up, the front of the cabin is extremely spacious, giving the driver and front passenger a comfortable, ergonomic and increasingly stylish cockpit that is built to an exceptionally high standard. 

Moving to the rear of the cabin, you’ll find a comfortable bench seat that can seat three people comfortably, with a set of air vents, a host of USB chargers and even 16 cup holders to make long distance journeys more accommodating for the kids. Even for adults, though, there is a huge amount of legroom on offer in the rear of the Palisade, and even more head room for those that are pushing well above 180cm. Surprisingly, the third row of the Palisade’s cabin can accommodate adults, too, with just enough legroom to get comfortable, although headroom can be tight for taller passengers. The third row of the Palisade’s cabin is more than spacious enough for kids and teenagers, though, meaning less complaints from the rear of the cabin on long distance road trips, and the added flexibility of a comfortable eight-seat SUV.

 It's worth noting that the Palisade comes standard as an eight-seater, but can also be optioned with a seven-seat configuration that adds a set of captain’s chairs in the second-row of the cabin, allowing enough room to squeeze between them and enter the third-row seats without a problem.

In terms of boot space, the Palisade can swallow up 311L of cargo with the third-row of seats standing, which extends to 704L with the seats folded down. These boot space figures are actually pretty impressive for the eight-seat SUV segment, accommodating a large supermarket run with all the family packed in, too, while retaining the ability to eat up large, bulky objects with the third-row folded down. For all the parents out there, the Palisade receives three ISOFIX anchors and five top tether mounts for child seats, giving you added flexibility of where you want to mount seats in the Palisade’s cabin. 

Overall, then, it’s clear that interior space and occupant comfort were a key priority for Hyundai while designing the Palisade, and the end result is nothing less than spectacular for Australian families. The quality of the interior materials, combined with Hyundai’s attention to practicality and comfort mean that the Palisade is one of the segment’s leaders when it comes to space and practicality.

Is it Safe?

The Hyundai Palisade is yet to be officially tested and rated by ANCAP, having been recently introduced to the Australian market. It’s likely that when ANCAP does test the Palisade, though, that it will receive a high safety score, considering Hyundai’s previous ANCAP ratings, and the sheer amount of active safety technologies the company is including on even entry-level Palisade variants. 

As standard, the Palisade is packaged with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-keep and lane follow assistance, adaptive cruise control, trailer stability assistance, driver attention warnings, a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and six airbags. The flagship Highlander variant receives a surround-view camera and safe exit assistance.

Is it Fuel Efficient?

Petrol variants of the Hyundai Palisade have been officially rated at 10.7L per 100km on a combined cycle, which is fairly thirsty for an engine, although it is tasked with moving a large, heavy object. The diesel variant, however, reduces this figure to just 7.3L per 100km, making it by far the most economical option in the Palisade lineup, and brings it on par with its competitors in terms of efficient powertrains. 

Our Verdict: Is the Hyundai Palisade Worth it?

While the Hyundai Palisade is undeniably one of the newer kids on the large SUV block, it has absolutely no problem asserting itself over the existing range of competitors as one of the most comfortable offerings on the market. For those that are desperately in need of a vehicle that can comfortably accommodate up to eight people for trips around town and long distance road trips, the Palisade is one of the best options currently on the market, considering Hyundai’s generous features lists, ownership program and competitive pricing for the segment. 

If we had to pick one, we’d opt for the mid-range Elite variant paired with a diesel powertrain, which offers silky-smooth acceleration while retaining some pretty impressive fuel economy figures for a vehicle of this size. On that note, however, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can get a free quote and see how much OnlineAuto can save you on your next car, or call us on 1300 719 925

Five Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year, unlimited KM warranty with 12-month/15,000km service intervals 

2. Petrol variants are two-wheel drive while diesel receives all-wheel drive platform 

3. Seven-seat option available with two second-row captain’s chairs 

4. 311L of boot space; expands to 704L with rear-seats folded down 

5. Economy of petrol engine 10.7L per 100km; 7.1L per 100km in diesel variant

Pros

• Smooth engine and transmission combinations 

• Stylish, practical and feature-packed front cabin 

• Extremely spacious second-row of seats; enough room for adults in the third row 

• Competitive pricing

Cons

• Petrol’s fuel economy figures do not impress 

• Ride quality can suffer on larger 20-inch alloys 

• Polarising looks not for everyone

OnlineAuto Rating: 8.5/10

Hyundai Palisade Competition