Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro First Drive: Finally, an XRT Badge That Means SomethingHyundai has been spreading its XRT badge around like seasoning at a backyard cookout. Over the past few years, it has landed on just about anything in the lineup capable of surviving a mildly aggressive dirt road. Frankly, I've often been critical of it. Most of those vehicles looked rugged but lacked the off-road athleticism their appearance promised.(C) 2026 Doug Berger | DBPicsThings have changed.AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter spending time with the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro, I'm happy to report Hyundai's off-road-ish branding has finally grown some teeth. This is still very much a family-focused three-row crossover, but now it carries enough real-world capability to justify the tougher image.And that matters, because the Palisade competes in one of the most brutally contested segments in the automotive world. It squares off against stalwarts like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander, while also brushing up against near-luxury offerings thanks to its upscale design and feature set. Hyundai has managed to position the Palisade in a space of its own, one that straddles premium family hauler and attainable luxury SUV.The XRT trim simply adds a little dirt under its fingernails.Rugged Enough to MatterUnder the hood sits Hyundai's naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6, producing 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It pairs with an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard HTRAC all-wheel drive. The Palisade XRT Pro gets an EPA-estimated 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.AdvertisementAdvertisementIts efficiency and raw power aren't very impressive. That setup isn't exactly going to set your pulse racing, but it's smooth, refined, and perfectly suited to hauling seven passengers and up to 5,000 pounds of trailer.Related: Range Rover SV Ultra Turns A $252,800 SUV Into A Rolling Luxury LoungeThe XRT Pro's hardware is where things get interesting. Hyundai added a 1-inch suspension lift, bringing ground clearance up to 8.4 inches. Approach angle improves to 20.5 degrees, departure angle hits 22.4 degrees, and breakover measures 18.3 degrees.That may not sound revolutionary to Wrangler owners, but for this class, it's meaningful.The 255/60R18 all-terrain Continental CrossContact tires are particularly impressive. They strike a genuinely smart balance between ride comfort, on-road grip, and trail capability. I pushed them across loose dirt, rocky climbs, and uneven surfaces, and they never felt overwhelmed. Fuel economy might suffer slightly, but that's a small tradeoff for rugged capability you can actually use.AdvertisementAdvertisementOh, and those brightly colored recovery hooks? Unlike some fakers out there: they are 100-percent real and useful.View the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleDriving the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRTOn pavement, the Palisade XRT is composed, balanced, and impressively quiet.Its ride quality is supple enough for long family road trips, yet controlled enough to keep body motions fairly tidy. Hyundai has done an excellent job dialing in suspension comfort without making it feel floaty or disconnected. Still, if you push it too hard, it will plow into a corner, but you didn't buy a Hyundai to get BMW X5 performance on the road, right?AdvertisementAdvertisementThe HTRAC all-wheel-drive system is smarter than many realize. It constantly monitors more than 50 inputs over 100 times per second, proactively adjusting torque distribution rather than simply reacting to wheel slip.In practical terms, it just works.Off-road, that intelligence matters. Like nearly every unibody crossover in this class, the Palisade suffers from limited articulation. Lift a wheel over an obstacle and physics becomes your enemy.Fortunately, Hyundai's traction programming is remarkably effective. In Mud, Sand, or AWD Lock mode, torque shifts rearward as needed, while brake-based intervention keeps slipping wheels from wasting power.AdvertisementAdvertisementRelated: The 2026 Nissan Pathfinder Has Just One Trim Worth BuyingI pushed the XRT harder than most owners ever will, and it never left me stranded. It would be nice to get a bit more grunt, or a turbocharger to complement the V6, but the power was adequate.That's a huge step forward for Hyundai's XRT branding.View the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleA Cabin That Mostly Nails ItInside, the Palisade continues to impress. The design is elegant and upscale, with excellent materials and a layout that feels thoughtfully premium. The dual 12.3-inch displays dominate the dashboard, but Hyundai's interface remains intuitive and information-rich.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe seating is quite comfortable, and the driver's seat is supportive for large people like me. The seat design is geographic in nature, showing (what appears to be) a mountain range. Very off-road-chic. Second-row comfort is good, as is the third row; however, that way-back seat is better suited for shorter folk.View the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleMy only complaint? Black interiors.When Hyundai covers this cabin in all-black trim, it hides many of the sculpted surfaces and clever design details that make it special. This interior deserves contrast. It deserves to be seen, not swallowed by darkness like a luxury cave.AdvertisementAdvertisementStill, comfort is excellent. The second-row captain's chairs are superb, visibility is strong, and overall isolation from road and wind noise is outstanding. Few vehicles in this class, even some of those with heftier price tags, feel as well put together.Simply put: it feels more expensive than it is.Final ThoughtsI'm not exactly the target buyer for a three-row family crossover, but every version of the Hyundai Palisade continues to impress me. The XRT adds just enough genuine capability to make life interesting. It can tow 5,000 pounds, handle moderate trails, tackle ugly weather, and still deliver the kind of comfort families expect in daily use.No, it's not an off-road monster. But it doesn't pretend to be one anymore. And that's what makes the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT such a pleasant surprise. Hyundai finally built an XRT that earns its badge, and for buyers who want a little adventure mixed into their family hauling, that goesAdvertisementAdvertisementOn sale now, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade will be priced a bit above $ 40,000, including destination.Related: I Drove The 2026 Jeep Wrangler Moab 392 On- And Off-Road: Here's My Honest Review Of Jeep's V8 Off-Road MonsterThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jun 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
