Goddard revels in the extra room her new Palisade gives her large family
- A CLOSER LOOK:
- Passenger comfort
- Lighting the way
- Safe and sound
- 2021 Hyundai Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy
Jill Goddard and her kids — Everett, 12, Reid, 10, Robin, 8 and Hercules, 1.5 (a labradoodle) — have just returned to their Upper Beaches home following a weekend up north. A year ago, this same trip would have been nearly impossible for them. Not only because their former ride was too small to allow everyone the space needed to make a trip enjoyable, but also because that vehicle wouldn’t have been able to handle the road (well, off-road) conditions they experienced. For the first time, Goddard got to test her new Hyundai Palisade’s “sand mode” as she navigated her way out of a Bruce Trail ditch. She tells us why she loves her 2021 Hyundai Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy.
“I originally had a Honda Pilot, which was eight years old and had 150,000 kilometres on it,” said Goddard, who purchased her 2021 Hyundai Palisade from Gyro Hyundai in Leaside. “I was starting to notice some rust. It was coming to the end of the line.
“Initially I traded the Pilot in for a Volvo Wagon. It was an impulse purchase and it just ended up being too small. It was only about a year old when I knew I’d made a mistake. I had seen Hyundais on the road repeatedly and they kept catching my eye. I looked into the Hyundai Palisade model and I liked what I read, so I got it in March,” she said.
“It has really made a world of difference for us because it’s incredibly spacious and has a third row. Hercules was a puppy when I bought the Volvo and because of the pandemic there was a delay between the purchase and picking it up. In that time, my dog grew a ton. He couldn’t even stand up in that car. Now he can fit comfortably with all of us.
“We go up north every weekend, whether it’s my palace in Collingwood or friends’ cottages. I needed something that could handle all weather conditions and all types of terrain that Ontario has to offer. And one that could fit all the kids’ stuff, like their ski gear in the winter.
“In terms of the drive it has a lot more horsepower than some of the SUVs of comparable size and price. I don’t have to worry about tight squeezes and passing on the highway,” Goddard said. “Plus, it’s so spacious that the kids can barely even reach each other when they’re fighting in the back seats. For me, as a mom, that’s a huge plus.”
A CLOSER LOOK:
Passenger comfort
Mixing quantity with quality, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade’s seven-passenger capacity ensures driver and passengers are safe and pampered. “There’s a charging port for every seat, which means that I am no longer ‘the charging lady’ to my kids,” said Goddard. “There are also cup holders at every seat and the kids even have captain’s chairs which they think are pretty fancy.” The Palisade model even boasts an in-car intercom with Driver Talk for quicker communications between the driver and passengers.
Lighting the way
“The car has a double sunroof,” said Goddard. “One at the front and one at the back, which makes it really bright inside. It just feels luxurious. Plus, I love the big grill and the silver accents.” Making it even more opulent, the Ultimate Calligraphy version of the Palisade comes equipped with 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels as well as LED headlights and daytime running lights. Welcome lighting also illuminates the front door handles when the vehicle is approached, helping the driver get on their way in the dark.
Safe and sound
“I love that the car has a little mechanism so that when you’re driving on city streets a camera goes on if there’s a cyclist coming or someone is close to the vehicle,” said Goddard about the Hyundai Palisade’s blind-spot monitoring system. Offering a wealth of Hyundai SmartSense safety innovations, the 2021 also boasts a range of related features including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist and even a Driver Attention Warning to better detect when the driver is showing signs of fatigue or inattention.
This article was edited for space and clarity. Want to be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle? email us at [email protected] with “Why I Love” in the subject line
2021 Hyundai Palisade Ultimate Calligraphy
BODY STYLE: 3-Row SUV DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, eight-speed automatic ENGINE: Lambda II 3.8L Atkinson Cycle GDI D-CVVT 24-Valve 6-cylinder FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/HIGHWAY): 12.3/9.6 litres per 100 km CARGO: 509 cubic litres behind third-row seats PRICE: Starting from $54,699
WEBSITE: Hyundaicanada.com
Keyword: 2021 Hyundai Palisade: A Family Ride With Space For All