Hyundai’s Palisade premiers at LA Auto Show

Chung Eui-sun, second from left, Hyundai Motor Group executive vice chairman and apparent heir, poses next to the Korean automaker’s new eight-passenger flagship SUV Palisade during the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles on Wednesday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The Palisade, Hyundai Motor’s latest effort to rework its lineup in the direction of globally-popular SUVs, was premiered at the 2019 LA Auto Show on Wednesday. Chung Eui-sun, Hyundai Motor’s executive vice chairman, was in attendance.

The eight-seat vehicle is the biggest model in Hyundai Motor’s SUV lineup, which includes the small Kona, the midsize Tucson and the Santa Fe.

The vehicle “looks good,” Chung told reporters after the introduction at the LA Convention Center.

When asked if the Palisade will boost sales in the U.S. market, Chung replied “it remains to be seen” and estimated the carmaker’s sales target next year to be “similar to this year’s or a little more than that.”

Hyundai Motor, with its sedan-oriented lineup, is seen as being behind the curve with its a-bit-too-late SUV launches. In attending the event in LA, Chung missed the launch of the Genesis G90 in Korea, suggesting that the priority lies with the Palisade.

With a spacious interior and convenient features throughout the three rows in the back, the Palisade has been developed to suit families.

“From the driver’s seat to the third row in the back, [the Palisade] suits contemporary customers who have a desire for individual space while also providing comfortable space just like home,” Brian Smith, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America, said at the press event Wednesday.

The car is equipped with a roof air ventilation system, which circulates the air inside the car from the first row to the third row to enhance the air quality. It enables passengers in each row to control the air conditioning on their own. There are USB ports for charging electronic devices in each row as well.

Two engine types are available: the 2.2-liter diesel and 3.8-liter gasoline. Hyundai Motor started taking preorders in Korea on Thursday and will launch the vehicle officially in December. It will launch in the United States next year.

The diesel version price starts at 36.2 million won ($32,300) and the gasoline model 34.7 million won.

Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor, premiered the fully-revamped version of its Soul at the LA Auto Show. It unveiled the electric version of the car as well as the Niro EV.

The new Soul and the Soul EV will launch in Korea and in global markets in the first quarter of next year.

Some hefty SUV models from global carmakers were on display at the LA Auto Show. BMW premiered the X7 SUV and Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Maybach GLS, the first SUV model under the premium Maybach label.

Lincoln, a premium Ford brand, unveiled the seven-seater, three-row Aviator SUV, and Jeep showcased the Gladiator, a midsize pick-up truck.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]