Is the 2026 Hyundai Palisade a Good SUV?
Yes! In fact, it’s one of the better three-row SUVs available on the market from a utility, comfort and space perspective. Look to the XRT Pro for off-road capability and the Calligraphy trim for a “Genesis lite” experience.
What does the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Compete With?
As before, the Hyundai Palisade’s primary competition are the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Grand Highlander and Volkswagen Atlas.
We like quite a few cars and SUVs here at Cars.com, but with the Hyundai Palisade, our admiration is quantifiable. We heaped awards and comparison wins onto the first generation of Hyundai’s largest three-row, naming it our standout Best of 2020, the same year it took home a comparison test win against the segment’s hottest. Later updates for 2024 nabbed it another overall comparison win, shortly before being named Cars.com’s Best Family Car for 2025.
Related: How Much Is the Redesigned 2026 Hyundai Palisade?
Yup, we really liked the old Palisade — and I expect we (and Hyundai’s customer base) will like the new second gen just as much or if not more than the first. That’s hardly a surprise, as early previews of this new Palisade revealed Hyundai took everything we liked about the prior SUV and polished it to a fine shine. At the same time, however, it left some things we were either neutral or critical of intact, while also taking the nameplate in a slightly different dynamic direction.
To see if the new Palisade is as improved as it appears to be, I headed to Calistoga, Calif., to drive it and find out (per Cars.com’s ethics policy, we pay for all travel and lodging at such manufacturer-sponsored events).
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Does the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Look Different Than Before?
We’ll start with some brief appreciation for the new Palisade’s clear stylistic honing that pushes it a smidge upmarket (if not in price). Kitted out with the top-shelf Calligraphy trim, it’s a handsome and modestly elegant SUV with ritzy touches like new 21-inch wheels and matte-silver trim that contrasts well against any color.
It’s boxier and clearly more “SUV” in profile, taking measured inspiration from Hyundai’s upright, truckish Santa Fe while still retaining a soft-edge appearance more in line with the competitive field. It’s all cohesive in person, and the Calligraphy looks just evolved enough to attract existing Palisade owners and cross-shoppers alike.
The biggest news of this updated Palisade is the long-awaited addition of a hybrid drivetrain, but you’ll have to wait for our on-hands take on that later in 2025. Hyundai’s kicking things off with the standard mass-market powertrain, a new naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 shared with the Kia Carnival minivan and a number of Hyundai and Kia models abroad — so, new for the Palisade but not the market, and not really an upgrade over the outgoing 3.8-liter V-6.
What Engine Does the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Have?
The 3.5-liter’s 287 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque trail the old engine by a speck, down 4 hp and 2 pounds-feet, respectively. All of this is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission and your choice of either front- or all-wheel drive, with a standard (and unchanged) tow rating of 5,000 pounds. Outside the latter, these are not strong figures, especially since I found the prior Palisade’s poky performance to be one of its biggest flaws.
Unfortunately, it’s the same thing here. The new V-6 is smooth, reasonably quiet and not overly harsh in any meaningful way, but late-breaking peaky power leads to straight-line acceleration that’s meandering at best — and that’s with just two adult men in tow. Those quick to dismiss any lackluster performance here in the context of this being a three-row family hauler and not a Porsche 911 must be reminded that if it’s sluggish when empty, you’re going to feel every ounce of ballast as the seats and stowage fills up.
During merging and attempted passing maneuvers, the AWD Palisade Calligraphy felt rather sluggish when compared to some of the competition. A weight penalty of up to 366 pounds (depending on configuration) between generations is the clear antagonist here, made particularly frustrating when you take stock of Hyundai’s greater powertrain portfolio.
Hyundai’s established turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder family trails the updated Palisade’s V-6 at 277 hp, but its 311 pounds-feet means turbo Santa Fes are more comfortable and at ease hauling a full house than the larger Palisade. The question of whether this four-cylinder would fit isn’t even up for debate: The 2.5T serves as the core gas-powered portion of the new Palisade Hybrid.
How Does the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Drive?
Dynamically, it’s a similar story — but the ending is markedly different. Compared to the first gen, the new Palisade feels heavy and drives “larger” than the modest 2.7-inch wheelbase stretch and 2.5-inch overall gain in length can account for. Driver inputs are muted, with a marshmallowy brake feel, soupy steering and pillowy ride making for a driving experience notably softer than the more neutral feel of the last Palisade.
That’s not a bad thing. Outside of the engine’s peaky power delivery, the 2026 Palisade carries an air of distinct refinement and comfort that makes it one of the more isolating and generally comfortable SUVs in the class. This is especially true in the luxe Calligraphy trim, where interior appointments could almost pass for something wearing the Genesis badge. Quilted Nappa leather, microsuede trim, thoughtfully textured plastics, damped controls and convincing faux-wood trim compose an environment that’s easily one of the best among rivals and punches significantly above what some might expect from the brand.
Again, I can’t speak for the cockpit of lower trims outside of some brief time spent in the new XRT Pro, but the handsome and rounded interior space is modelwide, as is the isolated driving experience and lovely controls.
Is the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Well Equipped?
The tech and features are great, too. You’ll find twin 12.3-inch screens for the driver display and infotainment functions along with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless device charging on every trim save the base SE. Six 100-watt USB-C chargeports pepper the cabin with two in each row, along with available heated and ventilated seating surfaces for the first two rows and three-mode heated seats for the third row maintaining toasty bums.
All of the expected creature comforts are here on the $58,000 AWD Calligraphy, including a head-up display, surround-view cameras, Bose premium sound system, power-folding second and third row, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel and third-row intercom. It’s an exceedingly plush space to wick a commute away, especially if you’d rather not pony up for the smaller and far, far more expensive Genesis GV80.
The third row was particularly impressive, with my, ah, full-framed 5-foot-11 self plenty comfortable behind an adjusted second-row seat. Compared to other third rows best left for kids or emergency use, I’d not be too upset if the ride to dinner stretched beyond the half-hour mark, especially with access to my own air-conditioning vents, heated seats and USB-C port.
Read More About the Hyundai Palisade:
- 2026 Hyundai Palisade Up Close: Hybrid, Off-Road Versions for the Boxy SUV
- 2026 Hyundai Palisade Goes Greener, Grittier With New Hybrid, Off-Road Models
- Which 3-Row SUVs Offer Captain’s Chairs?
- Here’s What’s New at Hyundai for 2026
- Research the Hyundai Palisade
2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro
Go Calligraphy for max cush and the new XRT Pro for max capability. Whereas Hyundai’s prior XRT trims are best considered as no more than vaguely rugged appearance packages, the “Pro” appendage is the real deal when it comes to pointing your Palisade off-piste. From a mechanical perspective, the AWD-only XRT Pro adds an exclusive electronic limited-slip rear differential, an extra inch of ground clearance, improved angles of approach, departure and breakover, genuine all-terrain tires, off-road info display page and functional exposed tow hooks. And though the XRT Pro’s hardware is a significant leg up on the regular SUV, the new Mud, Sand and Snow terrain modes are standard on all AWD Palisades, as is hill descent control.
I put this new rough-‘n’-ready trim to the test on an off-road trail with special sections set up to demonstrate the XRT Pro’s ground clearance, rear-differential and suspension articulation. Other than some very tight passes on a hillside trail, it was generally easy going with zero apparent clearance or traction issues. While I have no doubt the XRT Pro will handle any moderate-difficulty fire road or desert two-track with little issue, the illusion of difficulty of Hyundai’s curated course was shattered when a Calligraphy unexpectedly emerged from the forest stage while I was out taking photos, the driver having accidentally taken a wrong turn. Having handled the tight ridge road, sharp descent section and silty uphill charge, the driver smartly bypassed the articulation and ground-clearance trials while returning to base camp.
Within the context of these two trims, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade is roundly impressive and immediately a clear class standout, picking up and quickly charging ahead from where the prior generation left off. More in-depth testing is needed regarding full-passenger capacity and comfort, child-seat functionality and perhaps finding our own limits of the XRT Pro, but Hyundai’s already got a winner on its hands. Next stop: the Palisade Hybrid.
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