Brawnier, bolder, boxier: New Palisade SUV boasts hybrid engine and nine-seat option

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Brawnier, bolder, boxier: New Palisade SUV boasts hybrid engine and nine-seat option

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI


The new Palisade SUV [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The new Palisade SUV [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

 
[TEST DRIVE]
 
INCHEON — A car that can run 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on one tank. It can fit up to nine people at a time. The design boasts a trendy, sophisticated outlook with a flair for practicality and room. 
 
If you are in the market for a versatile family hauler, you have probably latched on to a car with all those functions: the new Palisade SUV.
 

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The Palisade, which has been fully revamped after six years, even boosted its fuel efficiency and added more seats to a nine-seater option and a hybrid engine for the first time in the model’s history.
 
It’s also the first time the family-friendly SUV offers a 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine ditching the diesel option.
 
The new Palisade SUVs [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The new Palisade SUVs [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

 
The Korea JoongAng Daily took behind the wheel of the latest Palisade SUV, but on a seven-seater and gasoline-powered version, on a 120-kilometer round-trip from Goyang, Gyeonggi, to Incheon.
 
Outside, the new Palisade is certainly bigger, brawnier and bolder in shape with vertically stacked and rectangular headlights and taillights, sharing the same boxy theme Hyundai has been pushing hard since the Santa Fe SUV. The rear still resembles the outgoing models.
 
The interior boasts a rounder shape but a more premium layout than the predecessors. Physical buttons sit in the center stack in contrast to today’s fancy cars that replace them with touch buttons. The 12.3-inch digital screen is tilted a bit to the driver’s side, which was a plus point for better visibility when using the navigation service.
 
The interior of the Palisade SUV [SARAH CHEA]

The interior of the Palisade SUV [SARAH CHEA]

The center console offers cupholders and a phone charging section. [SARAH CHEA]

The center console offers cupholders and a phone charging section. [SARAH CHEA]

 
The roomy SUV became roomier, with the wheelbase increased by 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) and the height by 15 millimeters.
 
The biggest distinctive feature of this new SUV is definitely the center console that doubles as a middle seat for the first row, which lifts the seating capacity of the car to nine. Though the test-driven car was not a nine-seater option, this reporter was able to sit on the extra seat during a media unveiling event earlier in the month.
 
When moving the center console up, it becomes a small seat squeezed between the driver and the passenger's seat. This reporter, at 5 feet 4 inches tall, barely fit on the seat, but it seemed it was never enough for anyone taller or bulky adults.
 
The new Palisade is available in two seating options: a seven and a nine-seater. [SARAH CHEA]

The new Palisade is available in two seating options: a seven and a nine-seater. [SARAH CHEA]

 
Legs and arms have to touch those of people sitting on both sides, which eventually makes for uncomfortable seating. Also, the middle seat looked very dangerous when the car was speeding up.
 
Luckily, people don’t have to sit on that tiny seat all the time, which is probably why Hyundai decided to stick with the nine-seat option. Under Korean law, nine-seater vehicles are allowed to run in a bus lane — avoiding traffic jams on peaked times — only when six people are inside.
 
But it’s still unclear if that nine-seater option will be available in overseas markets, including North America and Europe.
 
“Due to strict road guidelines and policies, it’s less likely the middle-seat option could be applied to North American models,” said a spokesperson for Hyundai Motor.
 
Physical buttons sit in the center stack along with the 12.3-inch digital screen. [SARAH CHEA]

Physical buttons sit in the center stack along with the 12.3-inch digital screen. [SARAH CHEA]

 
A surprising function was that when the car is in risky situations, such as exceeding speed limits, the speakers in the front row stop their music. When the car lowers its speed, the speakers properly operate again.
 
The digital rearview mirror felt a bit unfamiliar, but as soon as the vehicle got into a tunnel, the digital mirror was very useful to check the cars behind. It was also useful when passing certain roads covered in fog.
 
Driving was very smooth and soft. This reporter pressed the accelerator very lightly — to the extent that normally produces some 100 kilometers per hour of speed in other vehicles — but it went up to some 140 kilometers per hour in a trace.
 
Safety measures were very satisfying. On a highway, the car suddenly displayed an alert that “There’s a car in front making dangerous moves” so that this reporter could cautiously avoid the problematic car and change lanes.
 
The digital rearview mirror is useful in dark and extreme weather conditions. [SARAH CHEA]

The digital rearview mirror is useful in dark and extreme weather conditions. [SARAH CHEA]

 
Fuel economy stood at 7.4 kilometers per liter after the almost three-hour test drive. The result fell short of the claimed of 9.7 kilometers per liter, but was understandable, as this reporter drove a bit roughly to test all the functions and activated the full heater system for the entire test drive.
 
Based on Hyundai’s calculation, the hybrid version can run 1,000 kilometers on a single charge.
 
The sticker price starts at 44.5 million won ($31,058.05). But if you want a hybrid variant, you need to pay at least 50.1 million won, and if you want a hybrid and a nine-seater version, 49.8 million won. 
 
The rear of the Palisade SUV [SARAH CHEA]

The rear of the Palisade SUV [SARAH CHEA]

 

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]
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