- Highs: Simple controls, proprietary features, a great value.
- Lows: Wind noise, love it or hate it looks.
- Verdict: With the Palisade, you get more for your hard-earned bucks.
Overview
The
2020 Hyundai Palisade is not Hyundai's first three-row SUV, but it
certainly is its best and biggest. The Palisade replaces the Hyundai
Santa Fe XL, which suffered from a cramped third row fit for only
occasional use. The Palisade's silky ride quality and premium interior
appointments teeter at the edge of luxury. Offering three spacious rows
of seating, loads of safety and driver-assist technology, all-wheel
drive, and distinctive styling, it's a bold statement for this Korean
manufacturer.
What's New for 2020?
The 2020 Palisade is an all-new model for the Hyundai lineup and shares its underpinnings with the Kia Telluride.
Pricing and Suggestion
- SE: $32,595
- SEL: $34,545
- Limited: $45,745
Our
Palisade of choice would be the Limited version; we would add optional
all-wheel drive for $1700. Consumers in more temperate climates could
forgo this choice. The Limited sniffs the luxury segment and includes
just about every bell and whistle. Nappa leather seating surfaces, a
faux-suede headliner, heated and ventilated first and second rows, a
12-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system, and a vast amount of safety and
driver-assist systems are a few of the high points.
Engine, Transmission, and Towing
Pros: The V-6 is potent enough for this segment, transmission shifts smoothly.
Cons: The transmission gets flustered when driving up hills.
The
Palisade is powered by a 3.8-liter V-6. Coupled to an eight-speed
automatic transmission, the engine's 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of
torque are adequate for this application. The Palisade's transmission
can be manually shifted with steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The gearbox
shifts smoothly on its own, but there's some busy shuffling of the
ratios when climbing hills. Front-wheel drive is standard, while
all-wheel drive is optional on all trim levels. All Palisades come
standard with a robust transmission cooler, trailer pre-wiring and sway
control, and can tow up to 5000 pounds when equipped with the
dealer-installed trailer hitch.
We tested an
all-wheel-drive SEL and it delivered adequate—if unexceptional—test
results at our test track. In our testing, the Palisade went from zero
to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and the Palisade needed 182 feet to stop from
70 mph. It proved to be slightly quicker than the Kia Telluride but slower than the Chevy Traverse.
Fuel Economy
According
to the EPA, the front-wheel-drive Palisade achieves a rating of 19 mpg
city and 26 mpg highway. When equipped with all-wheel drive, the
Palisade gets 19 city and 24 mpg highway. In our 200-mile highway test
route, our all-wheel-drive SEL model managed just 23 of its claimed 24
mpg rating.
Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo
Pros: Spacious interior, simple infotainment operation, the large cargo area is easily expanded.
Cons: Satellite radio costs extra, lots of wind noise, tight door pockets.
Noise
from the road is suppressed; however, a large amount of wind noise
penetrates the doors. The controls for the climate system and drive
modes are logically laid out and easy to use. There's room for up to
eight passengers in the SE and SEL trims, seven in the Limited, and
there's plenty of space in all three rows for their occupants. The
second row features a one-touch button to move the seat forward for easy
access to the third row.
An 8.0-inch
touchscreen infotainment display with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and
Bluetooth connectivity is standard on SE and SEL trims. A responsive and
intuitive 10.3-inch display rendered with sharp resolution—optional on
the SEL and standard with the Limited—offers navigation and SiriusXM
satellite radio. Both systems also can be operated by physical knobs and
buttons. Up to seven USB ports can be optioned as well as the ability
to connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. When equipped with
Hyundai's Blue Link app service, the Palisade can be locked and unlocked
as well as started remotely through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
With
the second- and third-row seats folded, power operation is optional on
the SEL and standard on Limited. Cargo volume behind the front seats is
86 cubic feet, which fit 33 carry-on suitcases in our testing. With the
second row in the upright position and the third row folded, there is 46
cubic feet. Store the third row and the volume shrinks to a modest 18
cubes. Underneath the load floor, there is plenty of room to store muddy
or wet items. The cubbies in the doors are tight, but there is
reasonable storage within and below the floating-bridge center console.
How We'd Spec It: The 2020 Hyundai Palisade
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Results
for the Palisade have yet to be released by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration but the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety has named it a Top Safety Pick+. On top of the standard safety equipment, nearly every advanced safety system can be added as the trim levels progress. Key safety features include:
- Standard lane-keeping assist
- Standard forward-collision avoidance
- Standard adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Hyundai's
warranty is one of the best in the business, highlighted by the
10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain coverage for the first owner of the
vehicle.
- Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
