2020 Hyundai Palisade is the Korean brand’s new flagship SUV

Hyundai has a new flagship, three-row SUV called the Palisade; and it’s one of the roomiest and safest Hyundais around. Riding on an all-new platform, this premium midsize SUV will combine a generous cargo area, exceptional second and third-row space, and versatility.

From the outside, the front grille is bold and wide, with the slim LED headlights and separated front lighting for daytime running lights, indicators, and foglights making a return here. There’s definitely some big road presence coming front the front grille, and the full volume over-fenders and wide, muscular stance just add to the look. Panoramic rear and side glass convey more space to passengers, as does a cutaway roof design. 20-inch wheels are available as an option to fill out those fenders nicely. The Palisade achieves a low drag coefficient of 0.33 coefficient of drag (Cd) with specific design cues that include a fast A-pillar angle, a rear spoiler side garnish, an optimized front cooling area with an extended internal air guide, aero underside panels, and rear wheel aero deflectors.

The interior of the Palisade is generously equipped and offers some pretty unique ideas. Firstly, this is an eight-seater SUV, and can be equipped with Nappa leather quilted seats with a smooth wood grain trim in a wraparound interior design. The second row seats allow for one-touch operation to move the seat forward and out of the way for easy access into and out of the third-row. The third row offers power-folding/unfolding and reclining seats, and second-row captain’s chairs are also available with ventilation. Every Palisade seating row offers USB outlets for convenience for all passengers, for a total of seven available USB outlets. There’s also an industry-first roof vent diffuser that provides a focused, partially-diffused or fully-diffused stream of air to rear passengers.

The audio and navigation display is a generous 10.25 inch touchscreen in widescreen format, coupled with a 12.3-inch fully-digital TFT center instrument cluster offering various view modes. This is coupled with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and an available Qi wireless charging pad. An Infinity Audio sound system delivers premium clarity to the cabin. There’s even an available head-up display (HUD) and a blind view monitor that complements the standard blind spot indicators, which provides easy-to-see body-side views whenever the turn signal is activated. There’s even a driver intercom system that allows the driver to talk to specific rows vai the sound system, and a generous 16 cup holders. That’s a lot of drinks.

Powering the Palisade is an Atkinson-cycle, hybrid 3.8L V6 that generates an estimated 291 hp and 355 Nm of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and offers two-wheel and four-wheel-drive configurations. A balance of efficiency and performance was the goal. Hyundai’s all-wheel-drive (AWD) system is a multi-role solution, providing electronic drive modes and active torque control. Modes are driver selectable and includes an AWD locking-differential function for challenging traction situations.

The Palisade also offers a number of advanced safety technologies as standard, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Following Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist (detects vehicles when a passenger is about to open a door), High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning, and Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go. There are seven standard airbags: dual front, dual side, driver’s knee, and roll-over-sensing, full-length side-curtain airbags.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade will be built in Ulsan, Korea, and will be available for the U.S. market in the summer of 2019 with the rest of the world to be announced soon. Can we expect the Palisade to make it to the Philippines? We certainly hope so, and our fingers are crossed that it’s as generously equipped.