Slowly descending down a winery hill whereas traversing bathtub-sized potholes dug out of the unfastened floor, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Professional wiggles down with no scraping or lack of traction. I understand right here that Hyundai really went past a styling bundle for the XRT Professional. In any case, I get to maintain an in depth eye on pitch and roll, courtesy of digital gauges on the instrument cluster. To not point out a ground-view, forward-facing digital camera on the middle show.
However the Professional is however one among many decisions supplied. The now-199.2-inch–lengthy, three-row household crossover from Hyundai gives seven trim decisions, starting from primary household journey, to legit off-road prowess, to packed-to-the-brim with handy luxurious. Wait a few months, and a hybrid powertrain joins the choices record.
Contemplating its significance available in the market, I eagerly accepted a press journey to Wine Nation in Sonoma County, Calif., to catch a little bit of ocean breeze, enterprise into the hilly winery terrain, and see what this newest, largest Palisade is all about. And, the way it stands up towards the ever-growing competitors.
Briefly: The 2026 Hyundai Palisade improves upon an already good three-row household automobile. A brand new engine makes comparable energy and gasoline economic system however runs extra easily and emits decrease emissions. The cabin stays good and quiet with added insulation, thicker carpeting, and padding. And the XRT Professional trim provides sufficient gear to take the household a bit off-road. So long as you just like the styling, the Palisade makes a compelling case for folk wanting one thing massive on or off the pavement.
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Comfy experience — loads tender to take in all of the street’s imperfections -
Impressively quiet cabin, near premium crossover ranges -
High trims provide heated and ventilated second and heated third row seats -
XRT Professional trim handles gentle off-roading duties with ease
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Skid plate is elective, not commonplace, on the XRT Professional -
New smoother engine makes barely much less energy than earlier than. Why no more? -
The tender experience additionally delivers underwhelming dealing with, a lot of physique roll within the corners -
Considerably much less cargo room than the Toyota Grand Highlander and Honda Pilot
2026 Hyundai Palisade Evaluation
New, Larger Palisade
For 2026, Hyundai lengthened the Palisade by 2.5 inches to stretch 199.2 inches from nostril to tail. In between that, a 116.9-inch wheelbase separates the 2 axles. It’s 2.7 inches longer than earlier than. Width and peak saved a lot nearer to the outgoing mannequin, now 78.0 inches huge and 69.5 inches tall, and 0.2 inches wider and 0.6 inches taller, respectively.
Hyundai used the larger footprint so as to add extra space inside, a lot of it within the third row. The mid-century architecture-inspired Palisade now gives a complete of 181 cubic toes of house inside; 161.9 cubic toes of it’s devoted to the passengers. With it, the second row feels loads spacious, making it straightforward to journey with 4 adults. The third row offers ample house for youths and sufficient for adults — in a pinch.
In actual fact, that row nonetheless falls behind the Toyota Grand Highlander and Honda Pilot for legroom, nominally. However the high trims provide electrical seat adjustability. By sacrificing some cargo house, third-row legroom truly edges previous the in any other case finest Grand Highlander.
Talking of cargo room, Palisades provide 19.1 cubic toes of house behind the third row, however that very same adjustability lets you pinch that house and enhance it to twenty.2 cubic toes.
Fold the third row down, and the house will increase 46.3 cubic toes; flatten the second row, and the quantity jumps as much as 86.7 cubic toes. Massive numbers, however nonetheless method behind the class-leading Honda Pilot, which gives as a lot as 112 cubic toes.
How the XRT Professional Stands Out
Not a mere XRT, Hyundai launched the XRT Professional to the model, beginning right here within the Palisade. The Professional accounts for one among seven trims. Beginning with the bottom SE, it jumps to SEL, SEL Comfort, SEL Premium, earlier than we get to the XRT Professional. After that, the Palisade Restricted and Calligraphy high the lineup. (The XRT Professional and Calligraphy trims are proven within the pictures on this submit.)
Within the Professional, apart from pretty excessive ranges of luxuries inside, issues like an influence driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar, heated and ventilated entrance seats, and a Bose sound system, you get legit off-road gear.
To start out, engineers lifted it an inch to present it 8.4 inches of floor clearance versus 7.4 inches. From there, 18-inch wheels maintain up 255/60R18 Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires, an electronically managed limited-slip rear differential transfers energy to the rear axles, entrance and rear purple restoration factors stand out from the bumpers, and improved method, breakover, and departure clearances permit steeper ascent and descents.
Moreover, software program adjustments make off-road life a bit extra palatable. You get mud, sand, and terrain driving modes to maintain the powertrain and slip controls to behave appropriately. Hyundai additionally added pitch and roll, compass, and elevation shows to control stats. To not point out a ahead ground-view digital camera to control the bottom, when the windshield solely exhibits sky.
You possibly can even add a “underbody safety plate” for $265. It’s created from aluminum and can shield engine vitals from rogue rocks jutting out, and the like. It ought to come commonplace in my guide, however I respect its availability anyway. All in all, Hyundai clearly takes this overlanding development critically — virtually as critically as Honda with TrailSport.
Tons of Inside Tech
In the event you favor full comfort, Hyundai packs the extra on-road–suited Palisades with essentially the most luxurious. All of them come commonplace with a 12.3-inch middle show touchscreen, which itself contains wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And all however the base SE trim combines that with one other 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The 2 collectively make up what Hyundai calls the panoramic curved show, by the best way. Get the top-of-the-line Calligraphy, and also you additionally get a 12.0-inch head-up show.
Calligraphy trims additionally open the door to first- and second-row captain’s chairs that contort to “leisure mode.” It tilts the entrance of the seat backside up, the seatback again, and raises thigh help to create a pleasant lounge seat. Maximize that spare 5 minutes you must sneak in an influence nap.
And whereas that’s a stunning parlor trick, I actually just like the powered second and third rows, which make changing house from passenger to cargo one-touch straightforward. By way of a management panel on the motive force’s facet of the cargo bay, you’ll be able to transfer the second and third row round to fit your wants. Or just hit the “all” button, and a flurry of whirring units all of the seats flat.
While you fill the seats with passengers, the primary two rows take pleasure in warmth and air flow within the seats. Third-row passengers get heated seats. And USB-C shops unfold all through provide charging to virtually everybody. Hyundai provides 100W of juice to every outlet. Good! And people up entrance cost wirelessly, courtesy of the 15W smartphone pad.
Nonetheless not executed, Hyundai added a factory-installed, two-camera sprint cam — one in entrance and the opposite in again. It repeatedly information as you drive. You possibly can entry video segments through the middle show and obtain them to a microSD card, housed within the glove field.
Lastly, use a smartphone as an alternative of the important thing fob to lock, unlock, and begin the crossover. Hyundai calls it Digital Key 2.0.
Powertrain
Making use of a brand new, 3.5L V-6, the Palisade carries on with successfully the identical energy outputs as earlier than: 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. You technically lose 4 horsepower and two pound-feet, however that’s not sufficient to really feel a distinction.
Hyundai makes use of this new engine to maintain up with tightening emissions laws. This new engine nonetheless bolts as much as an eight-speed computerized transmission after which sends energy to both the entrance or all 4 wheels.
That’s all positive however on condition that the Palisade grew in measurement and options, I want Hyundai turned up the facility a bit, too. 300 horsepower sounds proper, or higher anyway. Maybe that may’ve harm the 18 mpg within the metropolis, 24 on the freeway, 20 mixed gasoline economic system numbers in all-wheel-drive Palisades. Price it.
Or wait a number of months and get extra of each. Within the fall, Hyundai will add a turbocharged 2.5L inline-four-cylinder hybrid to the Palisade lineup. It provides extra energy and extra effectivity to the specs. The engine by itself produces 258 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.
However, with the assistance of two electrical motors encased within the six-speed computerized transmission whole system output jumps to 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. And, Hyundai expects to ship 34 mpg mixed gasoline economic system. The EPA has not but confirmed.
On-Street Habits
On the street, the Palisade behaves very like earlier than. It rolls down the street easily and simply soaks up all of the bumps, potholes, and enlargement joints you’ll traverse. That’s true even on the 21-inch wheels Hyundai put in on the Calligraphy. The Restricted trim makes use of a 20-inch wheel; the remaining come commonplace with an 18-inch wheel.
Hyundai undoubtedly emphasised experience over dealing with right here — logical sufficient for a three-row household crossover. In consequence, nevertheless, you’re feeling a lot of physique roll within the corners, and the Palisade wants a second to answer your inputs.
When you merge onto the interstate, nevertheless, you instantly discover all the extra sound insulation put in. Hyundai additionally put in extra carpeting, and thicker glass was used to maintain the cabin quiet. The brand new Palisade isolates out each street and wind noise very properly, verging on premium-level crossovers. If nothing else, it can make it simpler for youths to listen to you telling them to settle down.
Is the XRT Professional Off-Street Worthy?
Nicely away from any city, Hyundai made an off-road path out of a hilly winery in northern Sonoma County. It largely pitted the XRT Professional towards dust and gravel paths, however with a number of uncovered tree roots and occasional rocks. The path ascended and descended a number of 15-to-20-degree hills. And, at instances, it was solely about 6 inches wider than the automobile itself.
With the usage of the ground-level entrance digital camera show on the middle display and pitch and roll gauges proven on the digital instrument cluster, conserving tabs on upcoming obstacles proved straightforward. The all-terrain tires gripped the floor properly and saved the expertise drama-free.
Even on the finish, when a staged hill with large holes dug out of the trail stretched clearance ranges and examined the all-wheel-drive system, the Professional dealt with with aplomb. The final 100 toes of jagged rocks slowed progress, however the Professional saved all of it trouble-free.
Within the XRT Professional, Hyundai constructed a automobile properly suited to take your entire household to extra distant trailheads and rural campsites. And be happy to tow as much as 5,000 kilos price of toys behind you. Honda went additional with the Pilot TrailSport, however not by a lot.
2026 Hyundai Palisade Evaluation: Abstract
Designers saved in step with vertical daytime working lights adorning both facet of the entrance fascia of the Palisade and added a beam of sunshine to run throughout the complete width for good measure. From there, rounded edges meet in any other case perpendicular strains to make a contemporary, but traditional two-box SUV form. It appears good.
That work additionally merited a decrease coefficient of drag: 0.31, beating the outgoing mannequin by 0.02.
Hyundai additionally saved the value in verify. The bottom, front-wheel-drive Palisade SE runs $40,430 if you embrace the $1,495 vacation spot cost. People within the XRT Professional want to arrange to spend no less than $50,865. And, going full tilt towards luxurious within the Calligraphy begins at $57,555.
For the cash, you get all kinds of decisions. The XRT Professional proves legit for gentle off-roading. And the highest Calligraphy trim gives a pleasant mixture of luxurious and comfort that the competitors at present doesn’t match. No matter taste, the Palisade offers quite a lot of house and places it to good use, too.
