the Bucket: Bucket Seat: Hyundai Palisade

When Hyundai first launched the Palisade back in 2018, everyone's immediate thought was "that is one big car" and they were not wrong. At the time, the Korean motor manufacturers largest SUV offering was the Santa Fe which also had a 7-seater offering but Hyundai decided to up the anti with this model, which was targeting the likes of the Ford Everest and Toyota Fortuner but offering a more premium level of comfort and style. From the launch model, I always said that the Palisade looked like a Cadillac Escalade and this updated version of the model cements my opinion as the styling, which I will touch on in a bit is very American. While the size of the car might intimidate some, you come to realise quite quickly that it's about the same size as their H1 vans, so the intimidation factor goes down. I had the opportunity to spend a week with the new Hyundai Palisade in June, hoping to make the most of it over the long weekend and with all the family down, here is how it went.

DESIGN

Hyundai's modern design language is doing all the things with their latest designs and with the Palisade adopting this, takes it from looking like an awkward giant to something beautiful. This is all thanks to the new front end which has that eye catching black chrome flat, mutli-panel grille and a revised head lights that look fitting to be part of Optimus Primes face. The bold styling is definitely doing it's job on this one with it being bold. The car gets noticed miles away and clears traffic on the fast lane almost as quick as those guys with the blue lights, and with the calming interior, it won't invoke any road rage to make you want to get out the car to cause physical harm to any other motorist. Maybe some of these VIP protection units should invest in these, also they look the part! The styling is still reminiscent of the American SUV and while this particular model came in Shimmering Silver, I played around with the configurator on the website and Abyss Black Pearl is the one to go for if you want to let your inner Rap star out. The headlamp design is rather interesting with C clamp shaped day-time running LED's and adjacent to it is the headlamp hub with a clear cover which exposes the three LED bulbs. Now, if you like me was wondering what the lights that extend out of the grille are, that my friends are the indicator lights, which form part of something cool which I will touch on later in the review. The rest of the design is very similar to the original Palisade with the side profile receiving minor upgrades and the tail getting revised LED lights and bolder styling. A new 20-inch black rim design adorns the large wheels on the Palisade which accentuates that macho look. The interior remains the same as the previous model and funny enough, the same as the Santa Fe but everything is designed pretty well and easy on the eye.

PERFORMANCE

With a big car like this, many would be wary when they don't see a big V engine not present but Hyundai's 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine is more than capable of powering this monster on the roads. The high torque factor which comes in at 440nm propels the all-wheel drive Palisade quite quickly off the line for a car this size even with a full load, picking up speed quite easily on the highways as well. The engine produces 142kW of power so its a good balance of power and torque to compensate for the load you have. Hyundai claim a fuel average of 10.5L per 100km and with a fuel tank size of 71L, that is very achievable over long distance travels. As I said earlier, the sheer size of the Palisade might be enough to deter some from driving it but once you hop in behind the wheel, you get used to it quite quickly, plus with all the driving aids the car has, you probably in more control of this than something smaller. Look, its not the most nimble car to handle on the roads but in saying that, the ride comfort is exceptional and handling is a breeze. There is hardly much body roll on urban driving and the same could be said on freeway driving with it as well. the Palisade comes with multi-terrain driving modes which are accessible via the jog-shuttle dial on the center console, the 8-speed automatic gearbox still is the push button style which I've become quite accustomed too. Overall, I was pretty impressed at how the Palisade handles itself on the roads and the engine output on it.

COMFORT

I feel like I can't write enough about this topic about the Palisade because apart from having a kitchen and bathroom, this thing is practically a house on wheels. The seats are more like sofa's and the cabin space is second to none. When it comes to luxury and a good price, this nails the brief. There are two models available locally, both exactly the same cars but one with a 7-seat configuration and the other with 8 seats. The main change to these two models is in one, the second row gets a bench seat to accommodate 3 adults, and the other having two single seat captains chairs as the second row. The 3rd row remains a collapsible bench three seater which has a 60/40 split. All seats are finished in leather trim with neat stitching and extra padding around the shoulder area. The front passenger and driver enjoy electrically adjustable seating with memory settings for the driver. Heating and cooling functionality is also available for them as well as the second row captain chairs. The Palisade has a three-zone climate control with driver and front passenger getting dual zone with the second row having the controls to set the climate for the rest of the cabin. The Palisade comes with a dual sunroof with the rear being fixed panoramic but still has electronic curtain should the sun be too hot. The car has mobile app connectivity for both Android and Apple devices, there is a wireless charging mat up front with loads of USB C ports scattered around the car. The smart design with the raised center console makes room for extra storage space for the driver and front passenger. The center compartment also has a cooling function should you want to store some liquids there for long road trips.

FEATURES

The Palisade is a big car, so making sure you keeping the car in the lane is simple enough thanks to the lane keep assist as well as lane departure warning. The car also notifies you if someone is getting too close to you while traveling on the road. Another handy feature is the surround view camera which can be accessed at low speeds and automatically turns on when reversing. What makes this even cooler, is the guide lights that illuminate your path in dark areas that is clearly visible on the camera when reversing, doing away with the computer generate guide lines on the screen like many other cars. Also when indicating, depending on the direction, the camera under the side mirror activates and displays the side view onto the digital cluster making sure you have clear visibility of where you are turning. Parking the Palisade is made easy peezy with all these driving aids and park distance control. The safety features list is endless on the Palisade and makes this one of the safest cars I've driven in a long time, so rest assured it would be very difficult to bump this big boy into something.

VERDICT

Overall, from what I intended on using the Palisade for, transporting 7-people in style and comfort along with luggage, it lived up to and exceeding expectations. Even driving it around on my own was fun, the Infinity sound system was enjoyment to my ears, the natural light that was being let through the dual sunroof warmed the cabin up nicely during winters cold mornings and even with the large luggage compartment being extended when the third row seats were folded down made for a nice rest area after my weekend run. It really is a great vehicle for a large family that enjoys hitting the road. While the price is steep, it competes well against the likes of the Everest and the Fortuner and in some cases offers more. It's still a bargain if you have to put it up against some of the larger German SUV offerings so it all depends on the individual that is buying it and what purpose they using it for.