Hyundai Palisade Review

The all-new 2020 Hyundai Palisade is a great three-row SUV option for people looking for luxurious features, but not the hefty price tag of a luxury vehicle! It’s a bold, chic SUV with an impressive exterior and interior.

The Palisade’s three comfortable rows are pleasant and offer plenty of cupholders and USB ports. There’s lots of impressive technology to put to good use, as well as extensive safety features! Plus, plenty of power backing up the vehicle and lots of cargo space to help store all your stuff!

And if you’re a fan of the Kia Telluride, listen up! The Hyundai Palisade actually shares some of the same DNA as the Telluride. The vehicles are corporate cousins and feature the same 3.8-liter V-6 engine, which produces 291 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is paired to the engine. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available.

The Hyundai Palisade comes in three trim levels: SE, SEL, and Limited. The base 2020 Palisade SE has a starting price of $31,550 in front-wheel drive and before delivery. Tacking on all-wheel drive only adds $1,700 to the cost. By comparison, the range-topping Limited trim starts at $44,700 before delivery. The Palisade is capable of fitting either seven or eight passengers, depending on the trim you opt for.

The fully loaded Limited trim comes with a long list of impressive features that are typically reserved for SUVs bearing luxury names. Highlights include a 64 color ambient lighting system, 10.25” touchscreen, 12.3” digital instrument display, head-up display, surround view monitor system, dual panel sunroof, and much more!

SUVs.com had the chance to test drive the SEL trim with added all-wheel drive. Thanks to Burns Hyundai for letting us borrow the vehicle! Continue reading below to learn even more about the 2020 Hyundai Palisade.

The interior of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade impresses! It’s spacious and the three rows are comfortable, no matter the configuration you opt for. There are 16 cupholders across those three rows and there’s also seven available USB ports, which is nice. SEL and Limited trims get dual auto temperature control with a clean air ionization system!

The base Palisade SE fits eight as standard as it comes with bench seating and no option for captain’s chairs. The SEL that SUVs.com test drove had bench seating, but captain’s chairs come standard. The bench seating comes at no added cost, though, if you’d like to fit eight. The fully loaded Limited, however, is only available with the captain’s chairs in the middle to fit seven. That Limited trim features standard quilted Nappa leather seating, which is stunning.

As for accessing the third row, it’s quite easy. All you have to do is push a button on top of the second row to have the seats quickly move out of your way! Plus, there’s power-folding seats available for the third row to help make loading cargo even easier.

We love the under-console floor storage up front. It’s the perfect spot for storing your sunglasses, wallet, or other small items. The center console storage area, meanwhile, can be accessed with the simple push of a button. It’s a nice touch and feels premium.

The technology featured in the Palisade also helps make its interior feel premium! While an 8” touchscreen comes standard on the base, you can opt for a larger 10.25” touchscreen with navigation with the SEL. The touchscreens are user friendly and have crisp displays. Every model comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Again, many USB ports are available.

One sticking point with the technology offered by the Palisade is that there’s no WiFi hotspot available. That means your phone will eat up a lot of data on those long trips. It would be nice to see Hyundai add that to the Palisade in the future.

The infotainment system can connect to two phones at once, though, and that’s a neat feature! You can make calls from one, while controlling the music with the other.

The range-topping Palisade Limited gets the most impressive technology and safety features. As we mentioned earlier, it comes with the larger 10.25” touchscreen with navigation. These impressive features also come on the Limited, and are only available with the fully loaded trim: a 12.3” digital instrument display, head-up display, surround view monitor system, 64 color ambient lighting system, and a 630-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system with 12 speakers!

The Limited trim also comes with an in-car intercom as standard to help you communicate with passengers in the back. That’s especially helpful if you have little ones in the third row and are driving on the highway, as the wind noise can get a bit loud. It’s an available option with the SEL trim.

We could keep detailing things about the Palisade’s interior, because it truly does offer so much. There’s a lot to love about the three-row SUV, including the over 86 cubic feet of cargo space you get in the back when all the seats are down!

The exterior of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade is both bold and chic. The large chrome grille brilliantly stands out. The angled LED daytime running lights help frame the vehicle. Full LED headlights and taillights come standard on the range-topping Limited and are optional on the SEL.

The Palisade offers solid styling overall, though some may still prefer the look of its cousin. While critics are quick to point out that the Kia Telluride’s styling cues were copied from Range Rover, people are still crazy for that look. Whether you opt for the Palisade or the Telluride, you can’t go wrong as you’re getting a bold and nice looking three-row SUV. 

The Palisade’s wheelbase is four inches longer than the Santa Fe XL that it replaced. It’s also wider and taller, making Hyundai’s new flagship SUV more spacious than its predecessor.

20” alloy wheels are standard on the Limited trim and are available on the SEL.

As for the fully loaded Limited, special touches for its exterior include an even more premium grille, special side mirror approach lights, premium skid plates, a dual panel sunroof, and hands-free smart liftgate.

As for performance, the Hyundai Palisade features the same engine and transmission as the Kia Telluride. It’s the 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6. The engine is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive is available for $1,700 more.

No engine upgrades are available with the Palisade. Some auto critics do take issue with that and would like to see at least a turbocharged option. While plenty powerful, you might be a little bit disappointed by the time it takes to accelerate. However, the Palisade’s engine definitely offers a nice, solid ride. SUVs.com felt quite comfortable while test driving the SEL with all-wheel drive.

If you opt for the Convenience Package with the SEL trim, you’ll also get auto-leveling rear suspension. The suspension system comes standard on the Limited.

When properly equipped, the Palisade can tow up to 5,000 pounds. As for fuel economy, the front-wheel drive version of the SUV gets 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

Moving on to safety, there’s so much to love about what’s offered with the Palisade! We should also note the vehicle was named a Top Safety Pick Plus by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (the highest possible safety rating), when equipped with LED headlights.

There’s a long list of standard safety features like lane keep assist, forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, driver attention warning, a rear occupant alert system, and a rearview camera with optional parking sensors. Upgrading to the SEL trim will get you blind spot assist and rear cross traffic alert. The most advanced safety systems come with the fully loaded Limited, though. It also features an improved surround view monitor system.

Competitors for the all-new Hyundai Palisade include the Ford Explorer, Subaru Ascent, and Volkswagen Atlas. And don’t forget about its corporate cousin, the Telluride!

While the Palisade offers so many impressive technology and safety features, it doesn’t have a shocking price tag. Without the delivery charge and in front-wheel drive configuration, a base SE has the starting price of $31,550. That goes up to $33,500 with the SEL and up to $44,700 with the fully loaded Limited.

The Hyundai Palisade is truly a wonderful three-row SUV option! The vehicle received an SUVs.com deal score of 82/100 in our video review of it on YouTube!

We specifically love all the over-the-top features you get in the fully loaded Limited. From the ambient lighting system, to the 10.25” touchscreen with navigation, the 12.3” digital instrument display, premium audio system with 12 speakers, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, and the surround view monitor system. We also love how you can talk to your friends or kids in the back with that standard in-car intercom!