2022 Hyundai Palisade I Boot
2022 Hyundai Palisade I Boot
The Hyundai Palisade means business when it comes to size, and that sense of size is carried throughout the car in its design and features. It’s a people mover disguised as an SUV.
I drove the Palisade for over a week with my family of three to see how it shapes up to our daily needs. We drove the Elite, one of the mid level entry points to Hyundai’s largest SUV. Our model had eight seats but other variants come with seven.
It competes with other large SUVs like the Toyota Kluger and Mazda CX-9. The eight-seater Elite will set you back $62,200, before on-road costs, but it does come with an impressive line-up of features that help it earn its price tag.
What does it look like?
While it’s not the sexiest looking SUV I’ve ever seen it’s stylish enough to avoid the brick on wheels look.
It has an oversized grille that makes the bonnet really pop but when you add the 20-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and the long lines to the boxed rear, it makes for a powerful curb side impression.
The interior is also downright plush. It’s here that the Palisade earns its style marks. That ‘large’ aesthetic is carried into the cabin to the width of the middle console, to the buttons and the 10.25-inch touchscreen. The heated front seats and sunroof just add to the wow factor.
However, you only get four choices of exterior colours, and besides the white option, they all cost an extra $695 – which is a bit cheeky given the limited choices available.
You can choose black, white, grey or a lovely ‘Sierra Burgundy’ colour (which we had) and that’s it. A splash of colour could give this car’s exterior a bit more personality.
How does it drive?
The Elite we drove had a 3.8-litre, six-cylinder petrol engine and you feel the power of the V6 in the driving. It doesn’t feel like you’re hauling a truck around. This car is powerful and really goes when you put your foot down.
The ride is comfortable, too, with the sports seats and a forgiving suspension. It’s not super quiet in the cabin but it doesn’t intrude too much on chatting.
While it has lane departure warning, I found it too ‘urgent’ and loud with the beeping, so I turned the feature off. Ultimately though, this car is a pleasure to drive.
Parking is surprisingly good. The wide C-pillar and narrow third row windows do hinder visibility but the parking sensors and rear camera make these small issues.
I would have liked a 360-degree camera view, which should come standard in a car as long as this. You can get this feature in the higher spec Highlander model, though.
How spacious is it?
The designers have obviously thought about real-world practicality with this car as each row has been carefully thought out with comfort in mind. You will not be found wanting for storage and its something I look for in a family car because, let’s be honest, family’s usually come with an array of ‘stuff’ to fit in.
In the first row the centre console is deep and has a removable storage tray for your oddities but it’s the cupholder bay that I’m very fond of. This space is already quite large (I fit my phone, keys, sunglasses case, coffees and wet wipes in, all at the same time!) but the two cupholders are retractable, giving you even more space. There’s also a wireless charging pad for compatible smart phones and a USB port for connectivity.
I also loved the storage area underneath the middle console. I’m not sure what its technical name is but my mum dubbed it the ‘space caddy’. It fit my large handbag and it meant I could have my handbag up front but it wasn’t taking up space on the seat or floor. It also has a USB port.
The second row is a great size and there’s plenty of space for taller individuals. In this row, there is a middle armrest with two cupholders, as well as a cupholder and two bottle holders on each door (total of six). I also liked the flat floor, meaning the middle occupant can lay their feet flat, too.
The third row is a tad small though and while it claims to have three seats, it’s really only large enough for two adults (on short trips) or three very narrow kids.
You have two cupholders on each wheel arch, though, as well as two USB ports. Both the second and third rows have directional and zoned air-vents in the ceiling which, in my opinion, is a must-have comfort for passengers.
I liked the boot space and with the third row up, you still get a decent 311 litres of space, but with the third row down that grows to 704L.
2022 Hyundai Palisade I Boot
2022 Hyundai Palisade I Boot
It’s not as large as some other SUVs on the market but it gets the job done. I had paintings and luggage to haul this week and it fit them all admirably.
How easy is it to use every day?
Again, it’s a big car and that’s obvious on the inside. Even the air vents and buttons are wide. The middle console panel is slanted, making it very easy to access on the go.
The Palisade doesn’t have a traditional gear shifter and it took me a little while to get used to the shift ‘buttons’ but I ended up liking them more than I thought I would.
Would prefer the electric brake to be situated in the same area, though, as its to location to the right of the steering column is disorienting.
The touchscreen is super easy to use and connecting my phone took little effort. The synthetic leather-trimmed sports seats are a highlight. They make you feel like you’re being cuddled and deliver a very comfortable ride.
Rearranging the configuration for the second and third rows is a bit cumbersome, though. There’s a mix of powered and manual adjustments that don’t flow well.
For example, the second row has an electric folding button in the boot but you have to manually push the seats back up. This isn’t a big deal, but on a car this long, when your five-year old ‘accidentally’ pushes the buttons, it can be a tiresome process.
There are two ISOFIX points and three top tethers in the second row. And when you have a car seat fixed on the left-hand side, the middle seatbelt gets tucked behind it and the middle seat becomes quite small.
I’m not 100 per cent sure you could get three car seats in. Also, the second row seats won’t slide forward when you have a car seat fixed, meaning the third row can only be accessed from the boot.
On the third row, you have one ISOFIX point plus two top tethers on the left-hand side and middle seats but you won’t be able to fit two car seats side-by-side with the tethers positioned as they are.
I also wouldn’t want to be mucking around fitting a toddler in the third row because it’s an awkward space to get into.
I also found the straps to put the third row down can sometimes slingshot forward and tuck in underneath the seats when you’re folding them down.
If you have a car seat installed in the second row, you have to climb into the boot to grab the strap. A powered third row would be welcome here.
I’m obsessed with a powered tailgate because it makes life a lot easier to be able to just push a button, either on the boot lid or while seated in the front seat. Always a handy feature.
How safe is it?
The Elite has a lot of safety features, which is great. Some of the standouts are blind-spot monitoring, AEB (with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane keeping assist and lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera with rear and front parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control, to name a few.
This car has six airbags (dual front, front side, and side curtain airbags covering all three rows). Worth noting other SUVs in the class have more than this.
The Palisade hasn’t been safety assessed by ANCAP yet, but I’ll be hanging out to see what it achieves.
There are three ISOFIX points (two in second row and one in third row) plus five top tethers. Realistically, you’ll only fit two car seats in the second row and one in the third row.
What’s the tech like?
I like the tech in this car. The touchscreen feels integrated into the dash instead of looking like an iPad someone’s just plonked there. And it has the ever-practical Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity, but it has built-in sat nav, too.
Each row has a minimum of two USB ports, which is handy when most family members have some sort of electronic device and want to stay connected.
The Palisade Elite features ‘Smart Cruise Control’ and when enabled the car can steer itself.
Yes, you read that correctly. You have to have a hand on the wheel (the system reminds you loudly) but it will course correct while also adapting speed to the car in front.
The ‘driving itself’ bit can be unnerving, but it’s pretty cool all the same.
How much does it cost to own?
Hyundai offers a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for the class.
Capped price servicing is available, and you can ‘pre-buy’ servicing, too.
The shortest term is the three years/45,000km, but all options average out at $399 per service. That fee doesn’t cover wear and tear replacements, like brake pads, though.
The official combined cycle fuel efficiency number is 10.7L/100km. I think you’ll be doing well to achieve this if you live in the city!
My combined efficiency average was 9.9L/100km and that was driving mostly on highways and country roads with higher speed limits, with some city traffic thrown in.
Keyword: Hyundai Palisade 2022 review: Elite 8-seat petrol