A revised shape and all-black grille mark the main visual changes to Hyundai’s flagship SUV, the Palisade, which also gains in the tech department.
The blacked-out grille with the black Hyundai logo gives the Palisade a meaner and tougher look while switching the daytime running lights from the inside to the outside of the LED cluster makes them more prominent and a touch more elegant.
New Hyundai Palisade
The new version also gains a dual sunroof setup, with the larger one covering most of the rear compartment and the smaller one specifically for the front seat passengers. Riding on 20-inch alloy wheels also provides enough ground clearance for most of the growing wheel-eating potholes that characterise our roads.
As with the outgoing model, it comes with a choice of seven or eight seats – with the former available as luxury ‘Captain’s’ chairs. A neat touch here for the family traveller is the button on the large central screen will allow communication via the car’s speakers system to the rear seats, meaning there is no need to shout or divert attention from the roads to address unruly kids.
Turn signals are now also displayed in the side mirrors, and the rear lamp cluster becomes a combination incorporating the indicator lamp.
Palisade interior
Inside, the multi-function steering wheel remains unchanged as does the 12,3-inch display with the twin dials doubling as the side-view screens when the indicator is activated. What is new within the setup is a range of background sounds from forest to the ocean to create a cabin ambience.
There is also a ‘Quiet Mode’ that transfers all music or radio to the front seats only, allowing rear passengers to rest easy – this is improved by the fact the second row of seats is now also heated and ventilated. The tri-zone climate control system allows each row to adjust settings to suit their comfort needs.
Each row also has USB charging ports.
Hyundai’s flagship SUV
The Palisade is powered by a 2,2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 142 kW at 3 800 r/min and 400 Nm of torque from 1 750 r/min, driving all four wheels through an 8-speed torque converter gearbox for a claimed average fuel consumption of 8,2 l/100km.
