Hyundai Palisade 2023 review: Elite 7-seat diesel

It’s a big and serious-looking seven-seater SUV. The facelift keeps the boxy rear but the curvy cutaways on the boot lid soften the affect. The lower height profile stops it feeling like you’re driving a truck but there are hints of ‘chonk’ at the wrong angles.

The grade you choose determines the design at the front but the Elite 7-seater’s nose means business with the way the new vertical LED lights hug the ‘huge’ black grille. The dark tinted rear windows and sheer length stirs thoughts of a hummer-limo experience.

The Palisade’s interior has always been a highlight. The ‘large’ aesthetic from the exterior is carried through to the features inside. It makes the design feel well-executed and mostly, well-thought out. Overall, the interior looks clean and polished.

The new vertical LED lights hug the 'huge' black grille. (Image: Dean McCartney)

The dark tinted rear windows and sheer length stirs thoughts of a hummer-limo experience. (Image: Dean McCartney)

The Palisade Elite is a big and serious-looking seven-seater SUV. (Image: Dean McCartney)

There are two engines available for the Palisade – a petrol V6, and the 2.2L four-cylinder turbo-diesel version that I’ve been driving. I’m stoked with how much power and pull there is in this, it gets up steep hills without fuss and overtaking feels effortless. The eight-speed auto transmission also makes gear changing incredibly smooth.

Ride comfort is pretty darn good with the forgiving suspension, but third-row occupants will feel the bumps the most as they’re positioned over the rear wheels.

The cabin is quiet enough to allow for chatting with all passengers, even those in the third row. However, and it’s a BIG however (at least, in my books), the car beeps at you. Like, a lot. This is where the new safety features annoy me because the car beeps when there’s a new road sign, when the speed limit changes, when you’re speed creeps up 0.01km above the speed limit. Basically, it beeps whenever it feels like it.

It’s as if you’re driving with a backseat driver. You can switch off about half of the warning alerts but once you jump back in, it reverts back to normal settings and even after a week, I haven’t gotten used to it.

I don’t love the fact that the reversing lights are so low on this car. I think it makes them much harder to see for other drivers and pedestrians.

Despite the Palisade’s length, it’s good to park. The reversing camera is clear, but a 360-degree or an additional front camera should come as standard on cars this large (you get them on the Highlander spec, though).

It’s a true seven-seater and the third row gets more space than the average SUV – even adults will be relatively comfortable back there (on short trips). The middle seat and front seat passengers still benefit the most with ample headroom and legroom.

The middle row only has two seats but there’s a handy walkway between them, meaning access to the third row is also better than most.

The storage throughout is fantastic with numerous cubbies and net pockets. The middle console is huge and you get an extra-large shelf underneath (perfect spot for a handbag). The glove box is a decent size, too.

The storage throughout the cabin is fantastic with numerous cubbies, cupholders and a decent sized glove box. (Image: Dean McCartney)

There is ample headroom and legroom for middle seat passengers. (Image: Dean McCartney)

The front and middle rows enjoy drink holders in each door but passengers are spoiled with cupholders. (Image: Dean McCartney)

Access to the third row is easy thanks to the handy walkway. (Image: Dean McCartney)

The front and middle rows enjoy drink holders in each door but passengers are spoiled with cupholders. The middle and third row get two on each door and wheel arch, respectively. Because of their positioning, my five-year old enjoyed access to them from his car seat, too (which isn’t always the case).

The boot is a great size at 311 litres (VDA) with all seven seats in action and 704L (VDA) when the third row is folded flat. The lower load height makes it easy to shove things into the boot, too. The powered tailgate and the space underneath the cargo floor for smaller items are handy features and impressively, you get a full-size spare on all Palisade variants.

The boot is a great size at 311 litres (VDA) with all seven seats in action. (Image: Dean McCartney)

The powered tailgate and the space underneath the cargo floor for smaller items are handy features. (Image: Dean McCartney)

When the third row is folded flat, boot capacity measures at 704L (VDA). (Image: Dean McCartney)

You will grow fond of the sheer practicality of the interior. I’m impressed that all three rows get a fair amount of amenities. Yes, even the third row isn’t forgotten and it’s what makes it a winner for me in the seven-seater SUV market. The third row enjoys directional air vents, USB ports, cupholders, and those handy child seat mounts that help you forget that there isn’t a middle seat in the second row.

The seats offer comfort plus with thick padding and decent under thigh support but it is a shame that only the driver’s seat is electric.

The centre console is easy to navigate and the buttons and dials are sloped to make it easy to see and access while on the road. If you can get over the beeping of the safety tech, this is a lovely SUV to handle.

As you’d hope for in a family SUV, the Palisade comes with some great safety features, like: blind-spot monitoring, AEB and forward collision warning with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning detection plus lane keeping aids and rear cross-traffic alert, which is always a winner for me. This also has the usual airbags including a curtain airbag covering the third row and a front centre airbag.

Remembering that the previous one – before this facelift version arrived – only got four stars, it’s nice to see that this has been awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating against the strict 2022 criteria.

The middle row seats each have ISOFIX and top tether child seat mounts. It’s very easy to fit a child seat and all occupants get plenty of room, even when a 0-4 rearward facing seat is installed. Unusually, the third row gets an ISOFIX mount and two top-tether child seat mounts but as they’re positioned right next to each other, you’d still realistically only fit only one child seat back there.

As you might expect of a Hyundai, the tech is pretty good in the Palisade. The dashboard is headlined by a long black panel that integrates the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system and the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. The instrument panel isn’t super customisable but it is easy to read.

The graphics in the touchscreen are a bit ‘same-same’ but it’s simple to use and I like the built-in satellite navigation. It has wired Android Auto and connecting my iPhone 8 Plus to the wired Apple CarPlay is easy but it’s a shame that wireless compatibility isn’t available on any of Palisade variants. There’s a wireless charging pad up front plus each row enjoys multiple USB-C ports, so all passengers can stay charged up on a journey.

The Elite 7 diesel will cost you $69,900, before on-road costs. The standard features list is great on it though and if you’re considering a seven-seater, the Palisade offers real comfort and space for a family but it is pricier than its equivalent rivals, the Toyota Kluger and Mazda CX-9 and you’re not even in the top-spec version yet.

The official combined fuel cycle is 7.3L/100km and I achieved 8.0L/100km after some highway road tripping and city excursions. Given how big this car is and the power you get, I’m impressed with the fuel econ. If you do more city-based driving, I’d expect that to be higher but the diesel has proven to be pretty economical this week.

The Palisade comes with Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited km warranty, which is standard for this class. You can pre-purchase either three-, four-, or five-year capped-price servicing. On the five-year plan, services average $489, which is competitive for this class. Service intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.