Our 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Is Bear-Proof!Andi Hedrick - Car and Driver10,000-Mile UpdateGoing up north in Michigan often involves running the gamut of wild game crossing your path. With summer finally here, our trips up north have increased, as has our usage of the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Most of the fauna has been completely avoidable—with one exception.Our 2026 Palisade Hybrid is equipped with factory built-in dash cams in the front and rear of the vehicle. They feature continuous-loop recording and parked motion/impact detection. The footage is stored to a MicroSD card. You can access the footage from the infotainment display and are able to look back at about two weeks' worth of clips (important to remember when you have this SUV in your possession).Our most interesting recent clip came from managing testing editor Dave Beard, on his way up to Bear Lake, Michigan. A small bear crossed the Palisade Hybrid's path and didn't quite make it across before the right front corner of the SUV tagged it. Thanks to Beard's speedy reaction time, he slowed the SUV enough that it came away without any damage. As for the bear? We aren't quite sure, as you don't stick around to see if a bear is alive or not.AdvertisementAdvertisementBeyond its ability to dodge live animals, the Palisade Hybrid has proven to be a great road-trip SUV. Many of our staffers cannot stop raving about the interior of this new Palisade. Vehicle testing director Dave VanderWerp said it's "comfortable, quiet, and seriously upscale." Buyer's Guide director (and current Genesis owner) Rich Ceppos thinks that "this is a full-fledged luxury car now, good enough to wear a Genesis badge. The ride is creamy, the powertrain smooth and quiet, the interior plush, and infotainment straightforward. It's a properly coddling driving experience." Sarah Taylor, online production assistant, agreed that the interior is comfortable and luxurious and further pointed to the Palisade's smooth ride. She also noted: "Slim A-pillars are much appreciated: no huge blind spots." Buyer's Guide managing editor Drew Dorian, who hauled some friends down to Cedar Point in Ohio, praised the seats. He said, "The adjustable side bolsters are a nice touch, and I even found our long-termer's kinetic seat feature useful after four days of riding rollercoasters."Andi Hedrick - Car and DriverHowever, there have been a couple small gripes along the way. VanderWerp thought that the Palisade Hybrid "feels substantially larger and less wieldy than the previous model behind the wheel." And despite all the features it has, the Hyundai is missing one key capability: You cannot lock/unlock the rear doors with a touch of the door handle. That's "something every parent of small children would use daily," he said. As a mom of two handling no less than a purse, backpack, water bottle, and certainly a coffee mug at any given time, I fully agree.At around 8400 miles, it was time for the Palisade Hybrid to head to the dealer for routine service. This visit included an oil change, tire rotation, and multipoint inspection for a total of $146. In addition, there was an open recall that needed to be addressed. Recall 297 pertains to the third-row seatbelt and wiring harness. If the third-row seatbelt is quickly pulled and creates sudden tension, the internal wiring harness could break or become unseated. Luckily, we had not experienced this problem. The dealer inspected the belt buckle and then installed a wiring harness extension to relieve the tension, which was all covered under warranty. Speaking of recalls and seats, our Palisade also got an over-the-air-update fix for the unfortunate issue with the power second- and third-row seats that initially had inadequate pinch detection and caused a brief stop-sale for the new Palisade.With another 30,000 miles to go, there's no telling where the Palisade Hybrid will take us next. Wherever it goes, we hope the on-board cameras don't pick up any more encounters with bears—or other wildlife.AdvertisementAdvertisementMonths in Fleet: 5 months Current Mileage: 11,265 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 25 mpgFuel Tank Size: 18.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 450 milesService: $146 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $0Andi Hedrick - Car and DriverIntroductionHybrids continue popping up in greater numbers across the three-row SUV segment, and one such flower has grown tall enough to catch our eye rather quickly. After Hyundai introduced the redesigned Palisade for 2026, we snagged the new hybrid variant for our annual 10Best competition, where it became an instant favorite. We decided to bring in the new award winner for an in-depth 40,000-mile evaluation.We ended up with the top-trim Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy model, which starts at a modest $60,380, including the $2000 upcharge for all-wheel drive. Under the hood lies a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four and two electric motors nestled within the standard six-speed automatic transmission. Since the Calligraphy is the Palisade's poshest trim, its list of standard equipment is pretty long, including all manner of active safety equipment, rain-sensing wipers, nappa-leather seats with massage for the driver, a tow hitch, a digital rearview mirror, power-adjustable second-row seats, and a head-up display. The only added option on the car was a $245 set of carpeted floor mats, bringing our Palisade Hybrid's total to $60,625.Andi Hedrick - Car and DriverOur initial testing brought in some respectable numbers for this large hybrid, which produces 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. The SUV hustled to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. Top-gear passing from 50 to 70 mph took place in a tidy 4.4 seconds, and the Palisade sprinted through the quarter-mile in 15.0 seconds at 94 mph. It managed 0.84 g of lateral grip around the skidpad (more than most families will need) and required just 170 feet to stop from 70 mph.AdvertisementAdvertisementUnfortunately, it didn't take long for our latest long-termer to hit a snag. Upon receiving our new Palisade Hybrid, we began our normal long-term onboarding process, which consists of removing the wheels and measuring the thickness of the brake pads. When we went to remove the pads, we found a wheel stud that was already stripped and spinning in place. The Palisade was promptly whisked away to the dealer and then disappeared for two months. Upon its return, we learned the dealer had to drill out the wheel stud and replace the damaged wheel hub. Ouch.Andi Hedrick - Car and DriverFrom there, it took only two weeks before another issue popped up: The engine started overheating. As soon as the car reached higher speeds—especially on the highway—the dashboard would launch into a series of chimes and warnings alerting us that the engine temperature was nearing the danger zone. The Hyundai went back to the dealer, who informed us that the water-pump belt had shredded itself alive. A new belt was installed, attachment points were tightened down, and we were assured it shouldn't happen again.The dealer also took care of a few recalls and service bulletins that had cropped up. The service department replaced front-bumper wiring related to the active front air flaps and installed two software updates, one of which was required to prevent potential instrument-cluster failure. All repairs and recalls were done under warranty at no cost.Andi Hedrick - Car and DriverSince the Palisade Hybrid returned for a second time, we've had no further issues. It went on a spring-break road trip to South Carolina and got back with no problems. We are hoping for more of the same as we rack up the miles on this well-dressed family hauler.AdvertisementAdvertisementMonths in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 6950 milesAverage Fuel Economy: 25 mpgFuel Tank Size: 18.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 450 milesService: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0Damage and Destruction: $0You Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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