Is the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro a Legit Jumbo Off-Roader? We Investigate.

Blame it on COVID. Our cabin fever of those days made us antsy to get outdoors, and the next thing you know, crossover SUV buyers were hankering to venture beyond the groomed gravel onto rutted two-track forestry and fire roads—even after the family has ballooned to jumbo three-row SUV size. We just put one of the newest off-road-themed entries, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro, through its paces at suburban Detroit’s Holly Oaks ORV Park, a few days before hundreds of serious 4x4s and side-by-sides descend on the place for the Detroit 4Fest hardcore off-roading event. How’d it fare?

What Makes the XRT Pro Off-Road Capable?

To recap our earlier, less off-road-focused intro to the model, the XRT Pro trim for the Palisade comes equipped with 255/60R18 all-terrain tires (Continental CrossContact ATRs on our test vehicle), an electronic rear limited-slip differential, a 1.0-inch suspension lift yielding 8.4 inches of ground clearance along with improved approach and departure angles, and four red recovery hooks. Inside, there’s a display that shows real-time pitch and roll along with a compass and elevation displays, plus hill descent control and a solid suite of cameras to help locate and avoid obstacles. There’s even an “invisible hood” view of what’s passing under the front axle. The drive mode selector also gets three new Terrain modes: Mud, Sand, and Snow.

See All 28 Photos28

How Does It Stack Up Against Rivals?

It’s an impressive enough package, but not surprisingly, three off-road-optimized American three-row SUVs build in a bit more obstacle clearance, with the 19 percent pricier Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland and its standard height-adjustable air suspension dominating the class. The also-new-for-2026 Ford Explorer Tremor bests the Palisade in approach angle and ground clearance and roughly ties it for departure. Then there’s the Chevrolet Traverse Z71, which approaches and departs over slightly better angles but suffers on ground clearance. Most other Asian three-row competitors trail the Palisade XRT Pro, including its intramural rival, the Kia Telluride X-Pro.

See All 28 Photos28

What’s it Like in the Rough Stuff?

The Holly Oaks off-road playground offers obstacles to challenge anything from a Chevy Trax to a bro-built Wrangler on 40s. Our Palisade XRT Pro test vehicle tackled plenty of steep hills, an imposing concrete staircase, loose sandy slopes, and rough, rutted roads of the type one might encounter heading up a forestry road to an abandoned ghost town mine. We were impressed with the grip afforded by the Conti CrossContacts (which in off-road lingo measure as “30s”). Seldom did we sense traction control kicking in, even when climbing nice and slow. And the hill descent control managed our downhill speed, targeting about 5 mph. The speed isn’t adjustable, however.

There were a few times when a true locking differential might have come in handy. But the rear electronic limited-slip differential eventually got the XRT Pro moving whenever a rear wheel went airborne. The lack of a low range or “granny” first gear was felt when attempting to surmount the steep concrete stairway. With only 17.5:1 gearing in first, we stalled the torque converter out and were forced to reverse down and power up with a bit more “Welly,” Brit-speak for throttle application. (The Grand Cherokee L with low range selected affords a 44.2:1 crawl ratio, allowing it to idle up and over with ease.)

See All 28 Photos28

Confidence Inspiring

Those new to mild off-roading will appreciate the Palisade XRT Pro’s many useful camera angles, which quickly and definitively solve such mysteries as “what’s directly under my wheels right now” (invisible hood view), and which way will the trail go after my gigantic hood slowly crests this hill? We do wish, however, that the cameras would stay active to a higher speed than 5 mph and that the invisible hood view remained visible for more than a few seconds after coming to a stop.

Other helpful screens depict instantaneous pitch and roll angles (pictographically and digitally), steering angle, and torque delivery at each tire, along with useful things like engine and transmission temperatures, oil pressure, battery voltage, and all-wheel-drive status. The ground depicted around the vehicle even changes to reflect the terrain mode you’re in—sand, mud, or snow. While on the topic of confidence, Hyundai helps instill it in novice trailering folks, too, with a trailer-connection checklist of eight steps, tow modes tailored to different weights, and more. Towing capacity remains at 5,000 pounds.

See All 28 Photos28

Is the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro a Legit Soft-Roader?

Sure, it’ll go most anywhere parents dare to drag their brood and said brood’s associated camping or hiking gear. Speaking of dragging things, yes, we dragged the XRT Pro’s belly on a few sharp hills, and we had to plot diagonal approaches and departures from the steepest obstacles. Those types of situations will be worse for all the models listed below the Palisade (on the chart above) and better for the ones above it. But no untoward or frightening noises ever emanated from beneath our Palisade, and we encourage any owner opting for this brawnier-looking and -behaving variant to venture past the parking lot where the minivans get marooned, turn on those cameras, and have some fun.

See All 28 Photos28

Is the Palisade XRT a Good Buy?

This feels like a lot of vehicle for the money even though in its (quickly growing) class of off-road-curious jumbo crossovers, its price, power, and torque ratings land in the pink/red range of our chart here. Prioritize your must-have features versus your true off-road intentions. We’re sandbox junkies who crave power, so we might be sorely tempted by the go-everywhere Jeep or the stonking output of the Explorer’s twin-turbo V-6. But if your weekends include dirt roads, gear, and kids—but not more challenging rock gardens or creek crossings—the Palisade XRT Pro offers a strong mix of capacity, capability, comfort, and value.