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The Hyundai Palisade and its sister, the Kia Telluride, are some of the hottest three-row crossovers available today. They both combine incredible values and smashing looks with solid driving dynamics and high-quality interiors. The Palisade has always been the slightly softer and more luxurious of the two, with Hyundai claiming that its customers are far more interested in the highest trim levels – Limited and Calligraphy. For this 2023 refresh, they have responded by going all-in on that aspect of the Palisade. A flashier exterior and new segment-first features make this the crossover that should be near or at the top of your shopping list if you like the finer things in life….and if you can find one.
The bulk of the changes to the exterior design of the Palisade happen up front. Bringing it more in line with the Tucson and Santa Cruz, the chrome grille is now one with the LED daytime running lights. There is more depth to the elements of the grille, as well as more shine. Hyundai added 0.7″ to the front overhang with these changes. Especially on the top Calligraphy trim, this is a flashy looking vehicle. If you aren’t as much of a fan of chrome, Hyundai has added a new XRT trim that brings a black grille, black 20″ wheels, and a black rook rack into the mix. It looks fantastic, but misses out on some of the excellent features you’ll find on the next two trims up.
The sides and rear end look largely the same as last year’s model, with the exception of new wheel designs and one new feature. Upper trims now get a digital rearview mirror, so you’ll now find its camera tucked in right under the rear spoiler. Hyundai shaved 0.1″ off of the rear end of the Palisade, a result of the cleaner lower fascia. Overall length increases by 0.6″.
Inside, the Palisade was already the most luxurious option in the segment, but there are a few thing about the 2023 model that up the ante. The 12.3″ infotainment screen is now standard across the board. One caveat: until Hyundai is able to offer wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto on this larger head unit, you will not be able to get it on the Palisade. It is wired-only for the rest of this generation. There is a new steering wheel borrowed from the Sonata, as well as a new optional digital rearview mirror. The air vents now join a horizontal element that reaches all the way over to the passenger’s door. Below that, the top Calligraphy trim receives a separate touchscreen to control HVAC functions, borrowing a page out of the Genesis playbook.
There are six USB ports in the Palisade, though now only one of them is the traditional USB-a port (for smartphone integration). The rest are now USB-c. Second row passengers on the top trim are now treated to a first-class treatment not unlike what you’ll find on modern commercial airliners. Wing-out headrests make long trips more bearable and comfortable, as does the best new feature for this year: heated third row seats. This is a feature you will not find on anything else in this class, or a class above that, or even a class above that in most cases. They have three levels and only work on the outboard positions (Palisade has a three-person bench back there), but it’s amazing Hyundai is able to add even more cutting-edge features to an already posh vehicle.
No updates have been made to the Palisade’s standard 3.8L V6 engine this year. It still makes 291 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. 21 MPG combined if you get HTRAC all-wheel drive, 22 if you stick with front-wheel drive. Hyundai clearly didn’t receive any demand for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, though it is also possible that this platform wasn’t meant for the company’s existing electrified powertrains. We would be somewhat surprised if the next generation model didn’t offer at least one of the 1.6L turbo 4-cylinder-based offerings. Yes, a second generation is coming. Palisade will not be completely replaced by the upcoming IONIQ 7.
This was actually my first time driving the Hyundai Palisade, but the first thing I noticed is how quiet and smooth the ride is. The unit I was driving was only an XRT trim, but the experience should be pretty uniform across the trim lineup. It’s not magic carpet ride level, but it’s pretty close. Acceleration is still pretty decent in the Palisade, though it’s not as torquey as the turbocharged 4-cylinder offerings in the segment. Fuel economy isn’t exactly its forte per se, but you’re going to get right around 21 mpg at best with AWD. If you have younger kids who you want to be able to keep sound asleep in the back seat, this will be an excellent choice because it is quite hushed. The third row is, reportedly, louder than the first two rows, but that’s not exactly an issue specific to the Palisade. Civilian three-row crossovers don’t have access to the same sound-deadening measures as more expensive vehicles do.
Based on what I experienced, I get why everyone loves these cars. The seats are super comfortable, and I actually think they are more comfortable than the ones in the new Nissan Pathfinder I just drove. I will say this actually feels very similar to that Pathfinder behind the wheel, however, though that’s not a bad thing. The Pathfinder actually caught up to this in terms of dynamics for its latest redesign, but the Palisade/Telluride were already good benchmarks in the segment. The steering is not too heavy, not super light. Highway Drive Assist and Hyundai’s Smart Sense safety features all work very seamlessly. This isn’t exactly a sporty driving experience, but it’s not really meant to be. The 2023 refresh reaffirms its place as one of the better-driving and most passenger-focused vehicles in the segment.
The trim structure changes a bit for 2023. The base SE trim with FWD starts at $34,950 with the standard 12.3″ infotainment system, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and cloth seats. When it comes to the mid-level SEL trim, there is no longer an SEL with the Convenience package (XRT kind of fills that role) and it comes in at $37,950. It gives you hi-tex leatherette seating for seven or eight passengers and Hyundai’s new digital ‘Key 2 Touch’ system which allows you to enter the car with either your Android or now your iPhone device. You can even add your key to Apple Wallet. The XRT trim gives you that darker front grille with the larger roof rack up top and the darker, sportier accents all around. It has leatherette seating only and a black interior only for $40,250. Bump up to the Limited trim and you now get the option of third row heated seats. Plus, this trim introduces the dual-pane moonroof and real leather seating, all for $46,500.
The king of the hill is going to be the Calligraphy trim. It comes in at $48,900 and gives you things like exclusive premium Nappa leather seating, the 20″ alloy wheels, an ‘Ergo-motion’ driver seat which allows the seat cushions to give you a tiny bit of massaging, and the remote ‘Smart Park’ system, which wasn’t available before on Palisade. Calligraphy also gets a new paint color known as ‘Robust Emerald’. It is a very deep and dark green color that doesn’t really show up until the light hits it just right.
Overall, I really enjoyed driving the Palisade. It represents an excellent value from the low end all the way up to the top trims. It makes sense why everyone wants those top-spec models. They are as nice, if not better-equipped, than models from premium or near-luxury brands. This should be at or near the top of your shopping list in this segment, no doubt about it.
