Hyundai Palisade: The power to pamper

What is it?

It’s the ‘pointy end of the plane’ attractions that make Palisade hard to resist.

With a three-metre wheelbase cabin space is more than adequate, then there are premium design finishes, plus the versatility of seven or eight seats.

The result is a first-class travel experience.

What’s it cost?

The bold character of the front of the Palisade is set off by vertically connected dusk-sensing LED headlights framing the grille.

Energy-efficient LED daytime running lights are close at hand, while at the rear a Euro-design full-width high-mounted stop light creates a commanding accompaniment to braking.

The 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels make a bold statement, adding to its robustness.

Loading and unloading the boot, which can be a handful, is eased by an automatically raised tailgate, with adjustable opening speeds, triggered by standing behind the vehicle for three seconds with the Smart Key.

Prices start at $66,800 for the Elite 2WD and top out at $89,900 for the Black Ink AWD diesel.

Even the Hyundai people mover’s entry-level model boasts the suffix ‘Elite’.

For that the MY24 Palisade gains extra standard features in the form of a heated steering wheel and eight-way power adjustable passenger seat.

Passenger mood is enhanced by quality headlining and pillar trims, wood-look interior trim inserts, deluxe alloy scuff plates, and a cargo area carpet mat.

Other gains include sound-insulating acoustic laminated front door glass, in addition to the standard acoustic windshield.

Moving up the range, a new model, Calligraphy, replaces the Highlander, with Calligraphy Black Ink topping out the new order.

Elite and Calligraphy continue to be offered with 3.8 GDi petrol two-wheel-drive or 2.2 CRDi diesel all-wheel drive powertrains.

All are available with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The seven-seat (2-2-3 configuration) is covered by seven airbags, including a front centre airbag, leather-appointed seats and steering wheel and 12.3-inch HD multimedia touchscreen display.

Twenty-inch alloy wheels are backed up by a full-size spare.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen boasts Bluelink, satellite navigation, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

An upgraded wireless charging pad delivers super-fast charging to smartphones.

Also, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster includes a blind-spot view monitor with built-in cameras that activate when turning.

Hi-fi audio comes courtesy of a premium sound system featuring an external amplifier driving 12 speakers to deliver a fuller sound to suit the unique acoustics of the oversize cabin space.

Palisade runs a five-star ANCAP safety rating on 2022 testing.

Hyundai SmartSense delivers blind-spot collision avoidance-assist, blind-spot view monitor, lane keeping assist with Line/Road-Edge, lane following assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, rear occupant alert, advanced safe exit assist, plus surround view monitor with 3-D view.

The Bluelink app also includes Automatic Collision Notification – an emergency SOS call service which can be activated in the event of a severe collision.

At the press of a button a call facility can dispatch emergency responders if and when required.

Every Palisade is covered by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance is complimentary for the first 12 months, renewed annually (for the life of the vehicle) with services at an authorised Hyundai dealer.

What’s it go like?

Palisade has much to make a journey more of an event, from heating and air ventilation in the first two rows of seats to extra space in the second and third rows.

Panoramic glass that wraps around from C- to C-pillar underscores the spaciousness of the back row, while providing better visibility and ample headroom for back seat occupants.

Heating and cooling are integrated into the front and second-row seats, while the front row features dual-zone climate control with auto defog (exclusive to Calligraphy variants).

The second row also has separate climate controls for rear passengers to set their preferred temperatures.

There are enough spots to take containers for on-road refreshment, with 17 cupholders in the eight-seater Palisade and 14 cupholders in the seven-seater. Cheers!

The powerful petrol and diesel engine options are designed to deliver refined and dependable power for uncompromising performance under all driving conditions.

There are two powertrains on offer in the 2024 Hyundai Palisade: a 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engine and 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel in the test vehicle.

Both are mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the turbo-diesel sending its power to all four wheels via Hyundai’s active on-demand HTrac AWD system.

Petrol Palisade is two-wheel drive only.

The 3.8-litre GDi V6 petrol engine produces 217kW of power at 6000 rpm, plus maximum torque of 355Nm at 5200 rpm.

The 2.2-litre CDi diesel (on test) rustles up maximum power of 147kW at 3800 rpm and maximum torque of 440Nm between 1750 and 2750 rpm.

Available with both engines, the extra gears not only help fuel economy by improving efficiency but also increase the smoothness of delivery.

Sweet as! Is the best way to describe the Pallisade’s on-road manners.

Despite its bulk, refined is the way with the powertrain and well-sorted ride and handling.

The large dimensions do get in the way when parking, but the electronic aids help do the job.

There are four on-road drive modes: Comfort, Eco, Sport and Smart.

Smart alters vehicle characteristics such as engine output, transmission settings and braking to suit driving style. The other modes react as billed.

As with most vehicles, when it comes to fuel economy weight is the enemy, which is no more relevant with the hefty two tonne-plus Palisade.

Hyundai claims combined urban/highway consumption of 7.3L/100km.

Over a week of driving, mostly in Smart drive mode, the Palisade diesel coughed up consumption at close to 12.0L/100km around the city and 5.4L/100km on the open road.

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A feature of the AWD is HTrac, Hyundai’s advanced system delivers varying power to different wheels to optimise traction over diverse road surfaces.

When the going gets tough, Snow, Mud and Sand modes assure optimal tyre traction over different types of rough terrain.

Ground clearance is 203mm. Towing capacity is 2200kg with braked trailer, 750kg with unbraked.

A super sharp view of the road behind can be served up by a digital centre mirror.

The mirror is linked to a rear-view camera that delivers an obstruction-free picture of the surroundings behind.

This takes some refocusing of the eyes off the road and will not be to everyone’s liking.

It can be switched to a conventional mirror.

Traffic sign recognition is not all that flash, with inaccuracies often observed, while the beep when the speed limit changes only makes things worse.