2020 Hyundai Palisade Road Test and Review

The all-new 2020 Hyundai Palisade is replacing the Santa Fe XL in Hyundai’s SUV lineup. It’s longer, taller and broader than the outgoing Santa Fe XL, and with four additional inches of wheelbase, the new Palisade offers more legroom than the Santa Fe XL in all three rows and 33 percent more cargo space behind the third-row seat.

With sales of SUVs now eclipsing those of sedans, the 2020 Hyundai Palisade was designed from the get-go as the brand’s flagship. Officially a midsize, the Palisade is sized between the current Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.

The new Palisade doesn’t look as hard-edged as its Kia Telluride corporate cousin. Sporting the largest-yet evolution of Hyundai’s octagonal SUV grille, the Palisade rolls with what Hyundai America’s design chief Chris Chapman characterizes as the eyes of an amphibian predator, vertically split LED running lamps with low-set headlamps. Robust wheel arches housing 18- or 20-inch alloy wheels and the Palisade’s wide stance give the SUV an air of confidence, while rounded body forms exude a degree of elegance.

Including the $1,045 destination charge, the base front-drive SE starts at $32,595, the volume SEL at $34,545 and the range-topping Limited at 45,745. Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive is a $1,700 upcharge on any Palisade trim.

The cabin of the new Palisade has a roomy and open feeling sporting a handsome, horizontal-theme dashboard with a floating instrument binnacle. Thin windshield pillars and pedestal-mounted side mirrors afford good outward visibility to the front and sides. The SEL trimmed test SUV was decked out with an attractive two-tone color scheme with light-toned, low-gloss Scandinavian-style wood accents on the doors and dash.

Comfortable cloth-covered, manually adjustable front buckets are standard in the base SE with a power driver seat and perforated leather optional in SEL trim and premium Nappa leather coverings and a power driver seat standard in the Limited. The front buckets are heated in SEL and Limited, and ventilated as well with driver memory functions in the Limited. A power front passenger seat is optional in the SEL and standard in the Limited. Bisecting the front buckets is a wide center console housing the shifter, covered cup holders, drive mode selector, center armrest and switches for the available heated seats. The sides of the console and door armrests are padded for knee comfort. A leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescope steering wheel is standard in SEL and Limited, heated in Limited.

Smart cruise control with full stop and go is standard fare in all Palisades and SEL and Limited trims get a dual-zone, set-and-forget automatic climate control system. A standard wide-angle conversation mirror helps the driver keep tabs on rear-seat shenanigans.

The Palisade’s second row is a sliding, reclining 60/40 split-bench in the base SE trim, or a pair of captain’s chairs in the SEL and Limited. As with most three-row midsize SUVs, the Palisade’s 60/40 split third row is, as Hyundai puts it, “for the young at heart.” The third row is for older kids, but where full-grown adults will want to spend much time. While third-row headroom is decent, legroom back there is about a foot less than that available for second-row seaters. Optional for SEL and standard for Limited is a power feature for the third row perches that adds fold-flat and recline functions. There are two child-seat LATCH anchors in the second row and one in the third.

Thoughtful touches include draft-free roof ventilation outlets, 16 cup holders, and up to seven USB ports. Smartphone “kangaroo pouches” and USB outlets on the rear of the front seatbacks help keep digital devices charged and accessible. The second-row gets its own climate-control settings panel.

The Palisade’s 3.8-liter V6 is rated at 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The engine goes about its business quietly, offering ample acceleration and easily accessible torque. With the smooth-shifting standard 8-speed automatic transmission, the steps between gears are small, so the V6 is never caught flat-footed when that need arises to quickly get up to speed to merge into the flow of traffic or squeeze into an empty spot in the next lane to get around a slower-moving car. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel enable manual shift control for driving in hilly terrain or twisty roads. On SEL and Limited models, the engine can be started remotely with the key fob or Blue Link app.

Max tow rating is 5,000 lbs. Standard trailer sway control uses the anti-lock brake system to stabilize the trailer as well as to prevent fishtailing during hard braking.

EPA estimates are 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined for front-drive models and 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined for all-wheel drive variants. 

Whereas the Palisade’s corporate cousin Kia Telluride has a traditional shifter lever, the new Hyundai flagship gets an electric pushbutton shifter that sits atop a floating console. The console features a big, open bin underneath with lots of space for a purse or other items that would otherwise sit on the floor or on top of an empty passenger seat. It’s open on both sides so both driver and front passenger have access to the storage bin. The pushbutton shifter is on the forward section of the center console that ramps upward to meet the dash, so the driver doesn’t have to glance too far downward to operate it.

To make sure the driver doesn’t forget to push the park button when shutting off the engine, the system does so automatically when the driver’s door is opened and the ignition switched off.

The base infotainment screen is an 8-inch display with AM/FM/MP3 audio with USB ports for two Bluetooth devices and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto cellphone compatibility. HD Radio, navigation and SiriusXM arrive as an option in the SEL and standard in the Limited. A horizontal-format 10.25 inch center screen on uplevel Palisades can simultaneously display up to three panels, such as navigation, audio and phone controls.

A wide bank of hard buttons and analog volume and tuning knobs on the dash gives the driver quick access to infotainment functions but while elegant looking, its black small type on brushed-metal panel is hard to read in bright light.

Optional in the SEL and standard in the Limited is the Driver Talk in-car intercom. Similar to the system in the Toyota Highlander, the Palisade’s works with the second and/or third rows, handy when someone needs a one-on-one “don’t make me come back there” discussion. Standard Rear Seat Quiet Mode mutes the rear speakers, for example if someone’s taking a nap back there.

The top 630-watt, 12-speaker Harman Kardon Infinity audio system offered solely in the Limited has QuantumLogic surround sound and ClariFi signal restoration for clear, refined detail and full-bodied fidelity. Optional for the SEL and standard in the Limited is a wireless charging pad for Qi-enabled cellphones.

Standard and only available in the top-of-the-line Limited is a new Blind View Monitor that uses cameras in the side mirrors to display a wide-angle view down the side and to the rear of the vehicle when that turn signal is activated by the driver. A few years ago, Honda started offering its Lane Watch system like this on many of its models, but only for the right (passenger) side of the vehicle. The camera image displays in the center of the large 12.3-inch instrument cluster that’s standard in Limited models.

Standard SmartSense technology in all Palisade models includes forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane following assist, driver attention warning, high-beam assist and smart cruise control, plus a backup camera and rear parking assist. Also standard on all models is a new Rear Occupant Alert system designed to prevent children and pets from being left behind in a locked vehicle; if its ultrasonic sensor detects movement in the rear seats after the engine is shut off and doors are locked, the system honks the horn and sends a Blue Link alert to the driver’s cellphone.

SEL and Limited models add Blind-Spot and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Assist that go further than the systems in many other vehicles in that the brakes will be applied to avoid a collision if the driver ignores audible and visual warnings. A new Safe Exit Assist system in SEL and Limited trims will keep the rear doors locked when the Palisade is stopped and the engine shut off if a vehicle is approaching from the rear. Highway Drive Assist is a semi-autonomous cruise control system available in uplevel models that includes lane centering, safe distance following and road sign monitoring based on map data.

The Limited features a standard 360-degree surround-view backup camera as well as a head-up display that conveys key information such as road speed, speed limits, navigation directions, audio system data and driver-assist system status.

The liftgate is power-operated with hands-free assist that opens it with a foot wave under the rear bumper on uplevel Palisade trims. The opening-height can be set at one of two positions so shorter drivers can reach the close button and taller ones won’t bump their head. The second and third seat rows fold flat. Cargo space is competitive for the midsize segment with 18 cubic feet behind the third row seat and nearly 46 cubic feet with the third-row seat folded flat. Lower the second-row seats as well and the cargo bay opens to a yawning 86.4 cubic-foot abyss. More storage is available under the cargo floor.

The Palisade feels solid, quiet and confident on the road, and especially in uplevel Limited trim, more expensive than its mid-$40,000 price tag might suggest. The column-mounted electric power steering is surprisingly precise, Albert Bierman-tuned chassis pleasantly composed and the beefy 4-wheel disc brakes confidence-inspiring. A console-mounted drive mode selector gives the driver the ability to make small adjustments to throttle response, shift points and steering effort.

No air suspension is offered, but an auto-leveling rear suspension that uses hydraulic circuits in the valving of the shock absorbers is available on uplevel models. The test vehicle so equipped exhibited very little body roll in corners.

I saw an indicated 24.2 mpg average over more than 100 miles of winding and picturesque Eastern Idaho rural 2-lane highways. That’s respectable for a roomy, well-equipped SUV with 7- or 8-passenger carrying capability.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade goes on sale this Summer.