It has never made much sense that the Hyundai Palisade plays second fiddle in sales while the Kia Telluride takes first chair violin. The two share a platform, many parts, and most of their specifications, but little is distinctive about the Palisade to win attention.
Hoo boy, is that about to change.
Meet the 2026 Hyundai Palisade. Hyundai’s 3-row SUV just saw one of the most dramatic makeovers of any model in recent years.
We’ve seen the outside and inside before, though they’re no less impressive on second glance. Hyundai revealed the all-new Palisade in South Korea late last year. The company used this week’s New York International Auto Show to unveil the version bound for the U.S., with some pretty attractive new specifications to go with the handsome look.
Who’s the New Tailor?
Most SUV designs have gone for rugged in 2025. Hyundai has gone for elegance.
The Palisade wears dramatic stacked lighting at all four corners and a linear grille flecked with chrome accents. It’s even more dramatic in profile, where a satin-finished chrome d-pillar stands out boldly in an era of little brightwork.
The new Palisade seems like a pinstripe suit in a field of SUVs in muddy jeans.
Soft-Look Cabin
Inside, Hyundai forgoes a tech-heavy look or a Patagonia aesthetic for a posh, lounge-like theme. Like many current designs, a pair of screens sits mounted together taking over for both the driver’s instrument bezel and the central touchscreen. Unlike many current designs, they’re not the focal point.
They’re set deep into a curved dashboard of soft-touch materials so that screens seem like controls rather than the focus of the car. Oval elements dominate the dash.
Standard Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and an available 14-speaker Bose sound system highlight the cabin tech. Front- and second-row passengers get Hyundai’s new “relaxation seats” with “additional degrees of recline and deployable upper-leg supports to help reduce fatigue during extended seating periods.”
An 8-passenger setup is standard, with available second-row captain’s chairs for those who prefer seven. “For more convenience, the third-row seats are available with power-folding, sliding, and power-reclining mechanisms, along with heating. Second-row power-adjustable seats offer heating and ventilation for extra comfort,” Hyundai says.
Options include a UV sterilization compartment in the center console and a digital rearview mirror that uses a camera to show what’s behind the car when it’s filled with a dorm room’s worth of stuff, blocking the rear window.
V6, Hybrid Options
Buyers will have a choice of two powertrains, including a hybrid option. Every Palisade uses Hyundai’s H-trac all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
The Palisade has long come with a V6, even as many rivals have moved to turbocharged 4-cylinder engines in their midsize SUVs. That engine will still be an option for 2026, with a 287-horsepower 6-cylinder engine coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission. That setup gives the SUV 5,000 pounds of towing capacity.
A hybrid option will also join the lineup for 2026. It uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with a pair of electric motors directly in the 6-speed automatic transmission’s housing. The combination is good for 329 hp and “expected to achieve 30+ mpg on the highway.” It tows up to 4,000 pounds.
An XRT Pro edition, available only with the gasoline engine, adds off-road capability thanks to an electronic limited-slip rear differential, an extra inch of ground clearance (now 8.4 inches), and new mud, sand, and snow terrain modes.