2020 Hyundai Palisade First Look

2020 Hyundai Palisade First Look By Auto Critic Steve Hammes

Remember the Veracruz? That was Hyundai’s first attempt at an upscale 3-row crossover.  And look how far they’ve come.

This is the first-ever 2020 Palisade; the brand’s new flagship SUV competing in the midsize segment though larger in every exterior dimension than their own Santa Fe XL and Toyota Highlander.

And inside there is more legroom in the first 2 rows than Pilot, Pathfinder and Explorer.  It’s spacious behind the 3^rd row as well, besting key competitors.  8-passenger seating is standard while 2^nd-row captain’s chairs are optional.

7 USB ports throughout all rows, available quilted Nappa leather, a one-touch second row seat for easy 3^rd row access, power folding and reclining 3^rd row seats and a driver to passenger conversation mirror highlight the intuitive utility.

Hyundai’s SmartSense safety technologies are standard, including Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Collision Avoidance and High Beam Assist.  The Palisade also offers a class-exclusive Blind View Monitor that complements the standard Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, which provides easy-to-see body-side views whenever the turn signal is activated.

Other driver assistance goodies include a robust heads-up display projecting a multitude of information onto the windshield and an in-car intercom system with rear seat conversation and sleep modes, allowing resting passengers in the back to be shut off from front-row audio.

The audio and navigation display is a generous 10 inch + touchscreen in widescreen format, coupled with a 12-inch + fully-digital instrument cluster offering various view modes and differentiated drive mode illumination.

The Palisade also offers abundant technology, including Hyundai’s latest navigation system with Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™ including an available wireless charging pad.  On the road, power stems from a 3.8-liter V6 running on the gas-saving Atkinson cycle producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque working through an 8-speed automatic transmission in either 2- or 4-wheel drive configurations.

All-wheel drive models feature a new Snow mode as well as a locking rear differential for particularly challenging traction situations.

Look for it at your Hyundai dealer in the summer of 2019.