Hyundai Australia has confirmed the Palisade will go on sale locally during the fourth quarter of this year. The confirmation was announced during a media presentation this week.
The Palisade was originally unveiled in late 2018 and has since been on sale in some overseas markets since 2019. But this is an all-new model for Australia, slotting above the Santa Fe in terms of size and, likely, price. Local specifications, trim levels, and pricing is being withheld until closer to launch.
Hyundai Australia confirms we will be offered two powertrains, though. There’s going to be a 3.8-litre V6 petrol connected exclusively to front-wheel drive, and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel equipped exclusively with all-wheel drive. Both use an eight-speed auto transmission.
According to Hyundai’s global website, the V6 produces 217kW and 355Nm. In seven-seat form with front-wheel drive, 0-100km/h is listed at 7.8 seconds. The diesel, in seven-seat configuration and AWD, is claimed at 10.5 seconds. These times aren’t too far off the Santa Fe with pretty much identical powertrains.
You might be wondering why we’ve mentioned ‘seven-seat configuration’, like there’s something else available? Well, there’s no such thing as a five-seater but the Palisade is available overseas with either seven or eight seats. And the Australian arm has confirmed both layouts will be offered locally.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries is yet to classify the new model. But it is expected to fall into the same ‘Large below $70,000’ segment as the Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9, Toyota Kluger, and Nissan Pathfinder. This isn’t the first time Hyundai has competed with two models in the same segment. When the Venue launched it sat in the same class as the Kona, although the FCAI has since introduced a new Light SUV category, and the Venue falls into that.
Media were presented with an overseas-spec, left-hand drive example to have a dig and play. And we must say, size and presence is the overwhelming character. It looks massive in the metal. The high bonnet and waistline, slab-like rear end and extended roof all create a grand and imposing stance.
Technically, the Palisade is 10mm shorter than the 200 Series Toyota LandCruiser. But it is 210mm longer than the Santa Fe. It’s also 85mm wider and 45mm taller than the Santa Fe. With a 2900mm wheelbase, it’s actually 50mm longer than the LandCruiser’s wheelbase.
However, the Palisade won’t come in as the largest SUV in the class. The Mazda CX-9 measures 95mm longer, with a wheelbase that’s 30mm longer. Height and width are quite similar. Boot space (converted from overseas spec) is rated at 510L with all three rows up, and 1297L with the third row flat, or 2447L with both rear rows down. That compares well against the CX-9 (230L/810L).
Although the full features list for Australia hasn’t been confirmed, some highlights of the overseas spec include a whopping 16 cup holders inside, seven USB ports, ceiling climate vents for all three rows (could be for upper variants only in Australia), a full-size spare wheel mounted on the outside under the boot (an engineer confirmed this will be the case for Aussie-spec models as well), and Hyundai Motor Group’s new 10.25-inch touch-screen packed with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Hyundai Australia will announce more details on trim lines and so on closer to the launch, scheduled for the fourth quarter. We’ve put together a POV-style walk-around video for you from the media event so you can enjoy a virtual tour. Check it out below.
