HYUNDAI IS THINKING BIG — JUST LIKE ITS COMPETITORS
Company’s new Palisade primed to make some waves in world of oversized SUVS
It doesn’t seem that long ago that the little car was at the top of many people’s lists. But now bigger is better, with more automakers prioritizing three rows of seats in their sport utes.
Hyundai has its newest one in the 2020 Palisade, which will replace the retiring Santa Fe XL. As is usual, it’s longer, taller, and wider than the outgoing model, with more legroom in all three rows, along with more cargo space. But what’s important is that, despite the larger dimensions, the Palisade feels marvellously nimble and drives like something half its size.
Don’t think it’s another version of the Santa Fe. It’s a new model, riding on an equally new platform and will be built in Korea for global sales. Over at sister company Kia, the Palisade will share its bones with that automaker’s upcoming Telluride three-row SUV.
While I spent almost two days driving the Palisade, both on public roads and at the company’s proving grounds in Seosan, there’s a caveat: The only models available at this event carried a 2.2-litre diesel engine, which will be sold in Korea and some other global markets, but not in Canada or the United States.
Instead, we’ll get a 3.8-L V6 that makes 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque — a bit more than the 3.3-L V6 powering the Santa Fe XL, and it will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
My ride featured all-wheel drive, which is a natural fit for Canadians. Hyundai Canada hasn’t decided if it will offer a front-wheel-drive version, but if it does, expect it to be available only on the base model.
My tester certainly wasn’t the base model, equipped with heated and ventilated seats in the first and second rows (I had second-row captain’s chairs, but a bench seat is available for eight-passenger seating), power-folding rear seats, a head-up display and a panoramic sunroof.
There’s a dial for the various driving modes, which include a soft Comfort and a firmer Sport mode, plus Eco and a Smart setting that automatically shifts to the most appropriate mode of those, depending on your driving style. There are also terrain settings, including one for snow, that dial in the AWD’S response for the conditions. While most drivers won’t do worse than a cottage road, it worked well on a dirt path we took up the side of a mountain. I’m guessing that with a set of the right tires, the Palisade should get through whatever a Canadian winter can throw at it.
The Palisade’s cabin is lovely, both in styling and materials, and especially with the wood wrapped around my tester’s dashboard and tucked in behind the semi-floating infotainment screen (metallic trim is also available). There’s shift-bywire technology, and without a physical link between shifter and transmission, the high centre console features an open storage cubby under it. I’m not too fond of shifter buttons, rather than a lever or dial, and while the Palisade’s look compact and elegant, they still require you to look down to be sure you’re selecting the right gear.
Otherwise, most of the controls are simple and intuitive, although the small blue letters on the metallic buttons can be hard to read in bright sunlight. The plastic climate-control buttons below them don’t match, but they’re far easier to decipher. The infotainment system uses a touch screen but has a real dial for volume, and Apple Carplay and Android Auto are included.
The Palisade is a big vehicle, but feels even roomier than the outside dimensions suggest. The second row offers a great deal of space, but even the third row would do for an average adult, at least on a shorter trip. The cushions are flat, but there’s enough legroom to sit back there without losing a kneecap.
While I have yet to see how the gas engine works, I’m impressed with how the Palisade handles. There’s a good amount of feedback from the steering, and its quick response to input gives it an agile feel that’s unexpected in something this size. The ride is smooth and quiet, even on Seoul’s roads, where potholes aren’t uncommon.
Hyundai admits it’s a latecomer to this larger, three-row segment. Newer competitors like Volkswagen’s Atlas and the Subaru Ascent got in way ahead of it, as well as established rivals such as the Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder. Pricing will be announced closer to launch — and that’ll be a big piece of the puzzle — but Hyundai usually goes for value-for-price. If it does so here, the Palisade is primed to make some waves.