On The Road (and Off) in the 2026 Palisade

That level of refinement carries over under the skin, too. It’s clear from behind the wheel that Hyundai’s engineers took our criticisms of the last Palisade—its underpowered engine, clunky transmission, and flinty suspension—to heart.

The new V-6 may be down on power, but it and the updated eight-speed automatic are smooth operators. Power is delivered linearly, building naturally as revs rise toward the 6,400 rpm redline, slipping up into the next gear with the sort of refinement found in sister brand Genesis’ flagship models. The transmission doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to upshift prematurely into its higher ratios, shifts smartly, and is more responsive to the driver’s paddle commands than many other SUVs in this segment. Despite the well-sorted transmission and smooth power delivery, output itself is still just adequate. You’ll want to plan those two-lane road passes well, and folks who live at higher elevations or who regularly travel with a full complement of passengers might want to wait for the more powerful hybrid or look at one of the Palisade’s turbocharged or electric competitors.

The Palisade’s ride quality is also greatly improved compared to the previous version. Thanks to a retuned suspension and the stretched wheelbase, the Palisade glides over poor quality roads without upsetting the cabin or turning the rear seats into shaking messes. The Palisade feels bigger than it is through bends, but light steering effort and feedback from what the front tires are doing is transmitted through the wheel to help ensure driver confidence.

Speaking of, we also had the chance to sample the Palisade XRT Pro off-road. Like others in the segment, the Palisade XRT Pro isn’t designed to tackle much more than a basic forest road or national park trail, but it’s surprisingly capable for the class when pushed near its limits. Though Hyundai’s off-road obstacle course of offset moguls and melon-sized rocks was meant to be run downhill, we ran the Palisade up the 18-degree slope, slowly picking our way through each obstacle without building up any speed or momentum. “Mud” mode damped the throttle response and turned hill-descent control on, making it well-suited for the rock garden as it gave us the fine control we needed to pick our way through the rocks without scraping the decorative skid “plate” on the Palisade XRT Pro’s nose (Hyundai says aluminum underbody skidplates are optional).

Sand mode, which on the rest of the winding off-road trail purports itself as an off-road sport mode of sorts, was well suited for the offset mogul section. Despite stopping in front and in the middle of each mogul with a wheel in the air, Sand mode’s ability to more aggressively send power to the wheels with the most traction via brakes and the rear limited-slip differential helped us make quick work of the obstacles.

While beyond what most owners will put their Palisade XRT Pros through, we’ve done similar stress tests in rival three-row crossovers that’ve resulted in overheated brakes and all-wheel-drive systems, giving us more confidence than we otherwise might have in Hyundai’s first XRT Pro model—a sub brand it hopes will eventually become the “N” off-roading.

How Much Is the New Palisade? Is It Worth It?

For now, one disadvantage the 2026 Hyundai Palisade has compared to its Kia cousin—and the first-generation Palisade— is in its pricing. The new Palisade starts at $40,430, while the loaded Palisade Calligraphy starts at $55,555, $1,735 more than last year for the base model and $3,060 more on the high end. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option across the board, except on the $50,860 Palisade XRT Pro, where it’s standard.

Still, we can’t help but feel like shoppers are getting more for their money with the new Palisade. Much like the Telluride did when it launched, the new Palisade’s mix of style, features, space, and refinement—its “more”—help it standout in an incredibly competitive segment. We look forward to finding out just how well the 2026 Hyundai Palisade stacks up head-to-head against the other three-row full-size SUVs on the market. Even more exciting, it will be interesting to see how the new Palisade drives the Telluride and the rest of the class forward during the next few years.

2026 Hyundai Palisade V-6 Specifications
BASE PRICE	$40,430-$57,555
LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD/AWD, 7-8-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE	3.5L/287-hp /260-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT	4,450-4,600 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE	116.9 in
L x W x H	199.2-200.4 x 78.0 x 69.5-70.5 in
0-60 MPH	7.0 sec (MT est)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	18-19/24-25/20-21 mpg (est)
EPA RANGE, COMB	Not yet rated
ON SALE	Now