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- Hyundai's new Palisade is the brand's largest SUV in the local stable.
- It's available in either seven or eight-seater vehicles.
- Pricing starts from R1 121 900.
Hyundai has updated its massive Palisade SUV, and although it comes at a hefty price, there are plenty of nice things to like about it.
The Korean automaker launched its burly SUV in 2021, and since then, they have sold 256 of these vehicles until February this year. The number might seem insignificant, but at R1.1 million a pop, it's really not too bad a figure. That's about five vehicles per month over two years.
The Palisade looks like a typical American SUV, both in terms of its looks and size. And while it's being marketed or sold as an SUV, it really comes across more as an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) or people-mover. In fact, you might look at the size of this vehicle and think it's not suited for South African families, but I think it ticks a lot of boxes. And, if I had the means, I surely would want one in my garage.
I've been a massive fan of the Hyundai Sante Fe; it's spacious, comfortable, and fuel-efficient and comes loaded with standard niceties. It's no surprise that Hyundai says the people buying the previous model Palisade mega SUV are former Sante Fe customers, former BMW X5 owners, Toyota Fortuner and Prado owners, and VW Touareg drivers.
The new Palisade sees Hyundai moving about 20 models off showroom floors a month, and considering this SUV's pricing starts from R1 099 900, that's quite an impressive figure.
Hyundai's enhanced 2023 Palisade SUV has fresh exterior and interior design cues, new infotainment and safety features, and advanced driver assistance systems.
"The new Hyundai Palisade has been given a fresh design appeal and features worthy of Hyundai's flagship SUV," says Stanley Anderson, sales and operations director of Hyundai Automotive South Africa. "The 2023 Palisade is now, more than ever, a perfect luxury family vehicle for daily use and memory-making road trips. The design, fit and finish of the Palisade are of a very high standard."
The South African range consists of the 7-seater Palisade R2.2 Elite and the 8-seater Palisade R2.2 Elite – both feature Hyundai's H-Trac All-Wheel Drive system and a frugal 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine that delivers its power via an 8-speed automatic transmission.
New styling tweaks
The Palisade now has a bolder appearance thanks to several redesigns, which include a new front and rear bumper, a new front grille, new headlights and daytime running lights, and a new multi-spoke alloy wheel design.
The cascading black chrome grille is now wider and has rugged parametric shield elements. Hyundai also says the headlight signature features new vertically connected LED composite lights that frame the grille, creating a sharp-edged, technical appeal. There are also new 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, while new detailing on the lower front skid plate adds to its rugged character.
The powerful, extended bonnet profile creates an impressive road presence, while bold C-pillars and panoramic side glass graphics highlight its generous third-row spaciousness. At the rear, vertical LED tail lights and lower fascia skid plate details also add to the large SUV's road presence. The SUV is available in five body colours: Shimmering Silver, Moonlight Blue, Graphite Gray, White Cream and Abyss Black.
Comfortable interior, packed with safety tech
Once you slide into the driver's seat or any one of the passenger seats, the ride experience is enhanced by its luxury and utility features. The seats offer a relaxing and comfortable space, even with up to eight-passenger seating for family road trips. Things like the One-Touch second-row seat makes for easy operation for easy access into and out of the third-row seats. Great tech seen in other Hyundai models is also available in the Palisade, like the new instrument panel, driver's instrument gauge cluster and audio interface design which shows your relevant mirror view in the instrument when you indicate left or right to change lanes, showing oncoming vehicles.
This is known as Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist. When you're indicating to change lanes, and the car detects a collision risk with a rear-side vehicle, it warns the driver. The same applies when exiting a parallel parking spot - the car assists with emergency braking when it detects an oncoming vehicle. The Blind Spot View Monitor momentarily uses a rear camera to show the driver an image of the instrument cluster and whether it is safe to change lanes.
As a parent, I also highly appreciate the Anti-Collision feature when your child needs to get out of the car, perhaps on the school run; the vehicle will detect an on-coming vehicle and lock the door to prevent them from exiting until it is safe to do so. It also gives you enough time to check your mirrors and give them fair warning thereafter.
There's also a new steering wheel design, new seating surfaces and materials. Two of my stand-out features in this SUV is quiet mode which drowns out the speakers to offer a more muted zone for passengers in the back who want to catch a snooze on a road trip or if your child needs to sleep. There's also a nifty conversation feature which amplifies the sound for the driver allowing you to hear your child clearly in the second or third row of seats so that you don't need to turn your head and take your eyes off the road to have a chat or hear them when they're asking for snacks - or how far the destination is.
The nifty conversation mirror also helps in this regard and lets you see passengers in the rear. The infotainment system and technological features also include a wider high-definition infotainment display screen (with a split-screen function) and enhanced USB-C ports to replace USB-A ports which have quicker cellphone charging up to 3 amps.The wireless device charging also gets a boost from 5W to 15W, enhanced dynamic voice recognition, and an Infinity 12-speaker sound system.
Passengers can also now connect two Bluetooth devices to the infotainment system simultaneously. Rear air conditioner settings can also be controlled from the display screen in front. Alternatively, second-row passengers have their own climate control settings panel - and these passengers also get seat-warming or seat-cooling - an absolute winner with my child in any car.
New, slim horizontal air vents also help make the car seem more prominent, while the instrument panel has been redesigned with new ambient lighting themes.
USB-Coutlets have been added for faster device charging throughout the interior, providing extra convenience for all passengers. Hyundai also has a safety feature called Ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert which monitors the rear seats to detect the movements of children and pets, reminding drivers to check the vehicle when exiting; if the system detects movement in the back seats after the driver leaves and locks the car, it can sound the horn and flash the headlights. The system is designed to help prevent children and pets from being forgotten in the car, but it can also help if children accidentally lock themselves in.
The numbers that matter
So what drives this large SUV? Under the bonnet is the R2.2 turbocharged diesel engine delivering 142kW at 3 800r/min and 440Nm between 1 750 and 2 750r/min.
If there's one thing about Hyundai cars, they are frugal - especially the turbodiesel engines. The Palisade has a fuel consumption figure of 8.2 litres/100km. It passes the power to the HTRAC four-wheel-drive system through an 8-speed automatic transmission which constantly stays on the maximum torque band. While that figure might seem high, you need to remember the size of this vehicle. Even so. while cruising on the highway and shuffling around town, I reached an average consumption of 7.1-litres/100km.
Gear changes are smooth and seamless, and road vibration noise is minimal. It's incredibly comfortable to drive, and its more than sufficient power figures make it feel quite dynamic and spirited behind the wheel. Surprisingly, the Palisade is very quiet on the road thanks to generous under-bonnet insulation and special sound-deadening carpets.
McPherson struts at the front wheels and multilink suspension at the rear deliver not only firm and responsive road handling but also excellent ride quality that is to be expected from a luxury SUV.
Driving modes
Hyundai says the HTRAC all-wheel driving system was developed as a multi-mode system, providing an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch with active torque control between the front and rear axles. The driver can choose between Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart drive modes by turning a knob on the centre console.
For difficult road conditions, especially when leaving the tar road, the selector knob offers Sand, Mud or Snow Terrain modes.
New safety features and niceties
The Palisade is packed with new technology, which includes a vast suite of advanced driver assistance systems. These include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist; Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist; Safe Exit Assist, Driver Fatigue Detection and Driver Attention Warning; High Beam Assist; Smart Cruise Control; Lane Departure Warning and Lane Following Assist; Highway Driving Assist; Rear Cross-Traffic Alert; Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist; and Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist.
It also features vigorous underbody and side structures designed to increase energy absorption and cabin intrusion in a severe collision. Further, its underbody uses multiple load paths to better disperse potential crash energy in the event of a collision. Regarding safety, the Palisade scored a full five-star rating in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, commonly called Ancap Safety.
Both the 7-seater and 8-seater derivatives are priced at R1 121 900 and come with Hyundai's 7-year or 200 000km warranty (consisting of the 5-year or 150 000km manufacturer's warranty, with a two-year or 50 000km powertrain warranty extension). There's also Roadside assistance for 7 years or 150 000 km and a 7-year or 105 000km service plan (service interval is 15 000 km).
