2020 Hyundai Palisade

This flagship SUV offers a lot of luxury features and equipment more than you would expect from a Hyundai SUV and it looks a tad outlandish but elegant. The 2020 Hyundai Palisade starts from $31,975 and continues all the way up to $46,825. It competes against the likes of Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, and Chevrolet Traverse.

The Hyundai Palisade aims at offering the best possible interior ride and experience at this price, and it does a great job. The SE trim is priced at $31,975. The SEL is priced at $33,925 and the Limited trim starts at a higher $45,125. Otherwise, you can also go for their AWD derivatives for slightly more. Let’s check out some of the remarkable features in the table below.

Which trim should you buy?

We would recommend you buy the SEL trim unless you are looking for the utmost luxury. We would have suggested the Limited trim, but it costs around $10k more, while you could just spec up the SEL trim with the available optional packages. You should definitely add the Convenience and Premium packages for the luxury feel that an SUV like this deserves. Also, you could choose to keep it as a 7-seater or an 8-seater. Avoid the base trim unless you are strictly restricted on budget and go for the Limited trim if you do not mind spending the extra bucks at all.

There is only one engine option in the entire 2020 Hyundai Palisade range. A 3.8L V6 brings the big SUV to life, producing 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque at your disposal. The engine is coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission and power is usually routed to the front wheels. But you can spec it up with HRTAC electronically controlled AWD too. 

The engine thrives well when you push it through to the mid-to-high RPM range because the torque at low RPM can feel a little sketchy. Throttling and going off the line can be termed as a little lackluster, as the engine would rather keep you happily going once you actually are halfway through the tachometer. So, moving from a standstill can be troublesome, whereas, cruising along the highway would be a lot smoother. The engine does not offer strong off-the-line acceleration, as the V6 gets the SUV from 0 to 60 MPH in around 7.2 seconds. It also does the quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds, which is average in a vehicle in this range.

The Traverse easily delivers the most horses in the chart, while the Pilot falls behind the pack. However, in reality, the Pilot is the quickest, with a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds, while the rest takes 7 seconds or more. The Pilot also finishes the quarter-mile first, recording a time of 14.8 seconds, while it is followed by the Hyundai Palisade clocking a time of 14.9 seconds. 

How well does the 2020 Hyundai Palisade handle?

While the Palisade technically offers off-roading options as a drive mode, you wouldn’t want to take this far into the wild without consequences. The Palisade is a big and heavy SUV, and it shows when you sit behind the wheel. The heft of the car is felt through the steering. Although it is generally precise, the wheels do not offer any feedback. AWD can be equipped for additional stability on the ground and off-roads. 

The independent multi-link rear suspension will keep most imperfections in the road out of the way and occupants can expect a smooth and comfortable ride. The transmission also shifts smoothly, but it can get worn out while going up hills. You wouldn’t want to chuck in this at corners at high speed, as body roll would be very evident.

2020 Hyundai Palisade Braking Performance

The Palisade comes equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes with 4-wheel ABS. The front rotors are 13.4” in diameter and the rear rotors are 12.4”. Braking is pretty decent on the heavy SUV. The pedal will mostly feel linear and respond quite well. Despite the weight, you would come to a halt from 60 MPH in just 126 feet. The same from 70 MPH takes 182 feet. So, there is no doubt about the stopping power of the heavy SUV.

The Telluride and the Palisade boast the largest brakes at the front. The SUVs are also pretty equal in terms of weight, while the Pilot shaves a few pounds off. It has higher stopping power, coming to a halt in only 116 ft. The rest perform equally. However, the lightest car among the competition is the Honda Pilot.

The Korean SUV has a V6 that’s always hungry for fuel. So, obviously, it will not be very pocket-friendly in its demand for power. The EPA estimates for the FWD variant are 19 for the city, 26 for the highway, and 22 MPG for combined driving. The AWD variant shaves a little bit off that figure, with 19/24/21 MPG for city/highway/combined driving respectively.

It features an 18.8-gallon gas tank, which can store fuel to push you till you go 357/488/413 miles for city/highway/combined driving (for the FWD variant). The AWD would do a little less, with figures around 357/451/394 miles for city/highway/combined driving. Even though you aren’t expected to travel too far, you can still do a little inter-state traveling.

The fuel economy is almost identical on all four vehicles, with the Kia and the Pilot offering slightly more combined mileage of 23 mpg and 22 mpg respectively. The range is the best on the Pilot, thanks to its bigger fuel tank. The Telluride comes next, while the Palisade and the Traverse sit at the bottom offering a dismal range and guzzles a lot of gas.

One of the biggest strengths of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade is the roominess and airiness of the interior. You are also greeted with an upscale and premium interior. There is an abundance of quality and soft-touch materials on the surfaces. The dashboard has a pretty simplistic and ergonomic layout for ease of access, with chrome accents on higher trims. In the SE and SEL trims, you get cloth upholstery as standard, but you can appoint Nappa leather in the SEL trim as an option. The Limited trim offers Nappa leather seats, leather door panel inserts and 64-color LED ambient lighting.

You can either equip your Palisade as a 7-seater with captain’s chairs in the second row or go for a full 8-seater configuration. Leather-wrapped steering is standard from the SEL trim onwards. There is a 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat in the base trim. The Limited trim gets heated and ventilated 8-way power-adjustable front seats with seat memory and 4-way lumbar support and the captain’s chairs are also heated and ventilated captain’s seat in the second row. The first and second row has tons of space for adults. Surprisingly, even the third row can fit averagely-sized adults, which is an impressive feat. The seats are also quite comfortable and the high trims get beautiful trimmed leather.

The cargo capacity is also quite impressive on the Palisade. Behind the third row, it can fit 18 cubic feet of storage, which should be enough space for your family on a picnic or a short road trip without compromising space for seating. With the third row down, it increases to 45.8 cubic feet of storage, which is tons of space for practically anything to store. Finally, with the second row down, a massive 86.4 cubic feet of storage is revealed, enough to satisfy all your needs. In-cabin storage solutions are also very good.

All the three SUVs are actually pretty spacious, with the second row in the Korean brothers being a tad more practical. The third row is pretty spacious in all of the SUVs, but the Palisade and Pilot fall behind in the race with their standard cargo capacity. Nevertheless, the Chevrolet Traverse vaunts a cargo space of 23 cubic feet which is sufficient to accommodate luggage for your weekend getaway. Some interior features include:

• Heated and ventilated 8-way power-adjustable seats w/ 4-way lumbar support
• Premium Nappa leather upholstery 
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated captain’s seats
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leatherette Door Trim Insert
• Full simulated suede headliner

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The base trim comes equipped with an 8” infotainment screen sticking out from the center of the dashboard. The highest trim gets the 10.25” infotainment screen alongside a 12” digital instrument cluster. The system is fairly intuitive and easy to use. 

The standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rearview monitor, Bluetooth, HD radio, SiriusXM Radio, USB ports, etc. The base trim gets a 6-speaker sound system. The higher trims get a wireless charging pad, heads-up display, onboard navigation, Blue Link Connected car, driver talk (in-car intercom for second and third-row communication), Rear Sleep Mode, etc. You also get a 630W 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with QuantumLogic surround sound and Clari-Fi music restoration for the utmost quality. Highlights of the infotainment system:

• SiriusXM Radio
• HD Radio
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless charging pad
• Driver talk
• Rear Sleep Mode
• On-board navigation
• 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system

Hyundai has taken a bold approach with the 2020 Hyundai Palisade. It no longer looks like a typical family-friendly SUV with no touch or style. This new SUV has got plenty of stylish touches to it. Away from the boring old school designs, Hyundai has made something not everyone might like, but those who like stylish designs will surely love it. The front fascia sees the headlights split into two, with the upper sleek part consisting of the turn signals and the lower part actually housing the LED headlights. 

The grille is large and has a metallic surround all over it. The bumper also describes style and aggression. The side profile makes it look long and masculine, while the rear is finished off by long rectangular LED taillights with a dual-tip exhaust at the bottom right. Lots of metallic surrounds have been used to make it look strong. It rides on 18” wheels in the base variant and 20” on the Limited trim.

The Traverse is the longest and also has the largest wheelbase, while the Pilot has the shortest wheelbase. The Korean SUVs are pretty much the same. With a weight of 4036 lbs, the Honda Pilot happens to be the lightest SUV in its segment which offers better performance and handling owing to its better power to weight ratio than the other SUVs. Some exterior features include:

• 20” wheels
• Heated side mirrors
• Deep tinted glass
• Rain detecting variable intermittent wipers
• LED DRLs
• LED brake lights
• Roof rack rails

The Hyundai Palisade is a pretty safe car. In fact, NHTSA has rated it an overall 5-star safety rating, with a 5-star rating in all of the possible fields, barring the rollover rating, where it gets a 4. But even that is quite impressive considering the heft and length. The Korean SUV was also praised thoroughly by IIHS, who rated it “GOOD” in all the six Crashworthiness tests. It also bags a “Top Safety Pick” for 2020, which further solidifies its spot as a worry-free ride. The standard safety features available include:

• Forward Collision-Avoidance w/ Pedestrian/Cyclist Detection
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane departure warning
• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Parking Distance Warning front and rear parking sensors
• Surround View Monitor
• Dual-stage airbags

2020 Hyundai Palisade vs 2020 Kia Telluride

Both are essentially siblings as they share the same underpinnings. The Korean SUVs are pretty evenly matched. Performance-wise, both are almost equal. The Kia Telluride offers better fuel economy and standard cargo capacity, but the Palisade has better features on offer. The Telluride is more practical but the Palisade is a little more luxurious.

2020 Hyundai Palisade vs 2020 Honda Pilot

Even though the power delivered by the Honda Pilot is lesser than the Korean, it still easily outperforms it on the street. The Japanese is also more fuel-efficient and offers a spacious interior, but loses out on cargo capacity. The Pilot can also be more fun to drive. Again, the Palisade has a better array of standard features. If you want practicality and drivability, the Pilot is an easy choice but for luxury, the Palisade will do.

2020 Hyundai Palisade vs 2020 Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse offers similar levels of performance despite having more power than the Korean SUV. When it comes to riding and handling, the Palisade will feel better and impress more people. The Traverse is also luxurious, but also more practical than the Palisade, but it does not offer the list of standard features that Palisade does. Once again, it comes down to practicality vs luxury.

If you love a luxurious and premium family SUV that is not afraid to look bold and masculine, then the new Hyundai Palisade would be the right pick for you. It is practical, has a huge list of standard features, safety features, and also costs right on par with the other rivals. Performance-wise too, it is decent. If you love its new look, you should definitely go for it. But if you desire better practicality and versatility, there are better options available.