Hyundai Palisade takes 5th in Wheels Car of the Year

Big surprises are not uncommon during Car of the Year, but with a near-5.0 metre length and eight seats, the Hyundai Palisade was exactly that in the most literal sense … and many more.

Big boxes were filled with big ticks from the outset and the value in Hyundai’s flagship SUV was easy to see before a single turn of its 20-inch wheels. Space is in abundance, yet despite the cavernous cabin and plenty of volume to play with, Hyundai has wasted none.

Throw a can of drink into the Palisade from the outside and there’s a greater chance of it landing in one of its 16 cup holders than hitting the floor, while the space is well utilised for people, too. In the front row, buttocks are treated to Nappa leather, heaters and seat cooling, with heating and tilt-and-slide adjustment for the second row, too.

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But while many three-row SUVs pertain to have accommodation for seven or more, few actually pull off the stunt. Board the back row in the Palisade, however, and an uncommon amount of space and comfort awaits with several of those aforementioned cup holders, USB device charging (two of
seven scattered about the interior) and air conditioning. Even with all eight seats in play, there’s still 300 litres of boot space.

Fold away the third row and the cabin still seats five generously but luggage space balloons to more than 700 litres. There’s also a clever storage solution for the retractable parcel shelf under the boot floor. “Perfect for a large family or family of large people,” commented Richard.

A premium cabin raises the Palisade into classy territory with quality materials and apparently excellent build quality. Its inception was a little too late to benefit from the excellent fully digital instrument cluster found in the Santa Fe and Tucson, but a 7.0-inch display between conventional dials is useful, especially as it displays the cool blind-spot-eliminating cameras.

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Forming an interior centrepiece, the 10.3-inch central touchscreen lifts the sophistication of the cabin and adds to the logically laid out dash along with simple but elegant push-button gear selector and driving mode dial. A big sunroof that pops, suede-look roof liner, wireless device charging and head-up display add to the equipment highlights.

The range starts from $55,000 but even if the focus is on the pointy end of the spectrum and the $73,650 diesel Highlander we have here, you won’t find another eight-seater SUV for less cash. It also has a five-star ANCAP safety rating and five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, so you’re probably sensing a ‘but’ as big as its butt and wondering why this Hyundai hulk isn’t on the final page this year.

This wouldn’t be the first time a COTY contender has weighed in with a compelling list of features on paper only for the equation to topple in practice.

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“A revelation on country roads with its assured road holding and compliant ride” – Jez Spinks

On the road, however, the Palisade gets even better. It might look like the South Korean leviathan was built for the American market, but its pin-sharp packaging and road manners translate enormously well to Australian roads. Ironically, it’s one of very few Hyundais that hasn’t had its suspension fettled specifically for local tastes and conditions, but it impressed all the judges with a balance of surprising athleticism in corners, an ability to deal with even the most horrid unkempt roads and smoothness and composure on better surfaces.

Ultimately it was the Bridgestone Dueller tyres that set the limits of performance but the all-terrain tyre was regarded as a pragmatic choice of boot given the SUV ground clearance and the promise of some off-road capability – it’ll also tow up to 2200kg.

Wind and road roar was all but absent, the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel was noted as refined and well-behaved, while overall noise, vibration and harshness levels were impressively low. “Delivers that rolling lounge-room effect, bundled into a package that’s pleasing to drive and resolved enough for the crookest of Aussie sealed surfaces,” said Curt.

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Away from the sealed road, however, there was one chink in the Palisade’s armour – a worryingly loose ESC calibration that raised more than one of the judges’ eyebrows. A flick of counter-steer was always enough to maintain course but in the hands of an inexperienced, distracted or tired driver, the Palisade has the potential to pirouette on dirt.

A suite of driver-assistance systems and above-average visibility for the segment earned the Palisade praise for ease of use in suburban settings despite its heft. The big Hyundai really is suited to a wide range of duties. “A packaging masterclass!” said Inwood. “No larger than many of our EV contenders yet gets eight seats to their five.”

Without doubt, the more expensive CRDi diesel engine is preferable to the thirstier 3.8-litre V6 petrol that’s an option for all three Palisade variants, not least because the petrol is paired exclusively to front-wheel drive versus the AWD-only diesel combination. The atmo V6 might have a power advantage, but the CRDi has the upper hand in torque with 440Nm on tap and makes better use of its performance through the added traction of Hyundai’s Htrac system.

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At launch, the Palisade was introduced with an entry version and the Highlander, but since then, Hyundai has introduced a mid-range Elite variant. There was some conjecture suggesting the $65,500 Elite diesel, with the same AWD and oiler combination but a leaner, value-sharpening set of standard features, may actually be the range sweetspot.

Regardless, the decision to send the Palisade through to the final round was unanimous and the panel was satisfied it had a chance to show the true breadth of its abilities and shine as one of the most impressive new cars in the past 12 months.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, its bargain eight-seat SUV status effectively puts it in a class of its own. The big Hyundai proved itself as a compelling alternative to van-based and people-mover models, bundled into an attractive SUV package.

“The car I’d take home from the event if I had to drive it for the next five years. Just does everything so well; it feels like a loyal servant,” concluded Dylan.