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November 11, 2025 - 1:16PMMotoring Listen to this article Copied URL to clipboard news.com.au New Palisade: How Hyundai plans to rival prestige SUVs The latest Palisade hybrid marks Hyundai's boldest move yet, Motoring journalist Iain Curry reports. On the Road Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. The new Palisade SUV looks like the Hyundai family member that’s done good. You know the type. Decent salary, coastal property, got into crypto early, and now behaves and dresses to suit. Nothing wrong with that, but Hyundai’s jealous smaller siblings i30, Venue and Kona reckon big bro Palisade’s now a flash git. Really flash, in fact. This new-generation eight-seater builds on the outgoing Palisade’s reputation for affordable big-space luxury motoring from a blue-collar brand. But the “affordable” bit’s been squeezed. It launches in sole high-spec Calligraphy grade for $89,900, so you’re eyeballing a hundred grand on the road. 2026 HYUNDAI PALISADE CALLIGRAPHY PRICE: From around $95,000 drive-away ENGINE: 2.5L 4-cyl petrol hybrid with electric motor, 245kW/460Nm (combined) THIRST: 6.8L/100km WARRANTY/SERVICE: 7 years/unlimited km, $2600 for 5yr/50,000km SAFETY: 8 airbags, AEB, smart cruise control, junction assist, blind spot monitor, speed limit assist, lane keep and centring, park assist, rear cross traffic alert, driver monitor SPARE: Full-size 2025 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Picture: Supplied MORE: Massive changes to Aus’ favourite ute Hang on. Isn’t Hyundai’s luxury arm Genesis supposed to be doing the six-figure uber-luxe SUVs? Framed another way, this new Pali Calli offers prestige brand sumptuousness without full premium pricing … a same-sized Genesis GV80 is $40,000 more. Yet our Hyundai looks imposing and special enough to be offloading NBA stars outside some Malibu VIP beach club. Copied URL to clipboard news.com.au Hyundai launches new $100k luxury SUV Motoring journalist Iain Curry takes a look at the "seriously loaded" Hyundai... There’s Range Rover vibes with stacked LED front and rear lights; 21-inch alloys appear Genesis-inspired, while the five-metre body garnished with silver flashes blurs elegance and bling. It presents as more mature – if less wow factor – that Hyundai’s smaller (and much cheaper) three-row Santa Fe SUV. Mature. Picture: Supplied MORE: China’s ‘perverse dumping’ in Aus ‘ignored’ But there’s proper prestige to the cabin. For starters, your phone can unlock it. Excellent and convenient when it works, but as we all know with tech, a bloody nuisance when it doesn’t. Fortunately, a smart key’s still offered, albeit one that feels like a child’s plastic toy. Unforgivable in a car costing this much. While grumbling, the door plastics are hard and slabby. A rare fault in an otherwise glorious interior. The light brown used in our test car adds an air of old-world class, as do 1950s-like dashboard and centre console curves. Bang up to date. Picture: Supplied All else is bang up to date. Nappa leather, suede roof, a pair of 12.3-inch screens curved and merged into one, 14-speaker Bose audio, wireless charging and Bluelink with OTA updates. There’s strong business class game. The driver’s seat adjusts 18 ways, and both fronts are “Premium Relaxation” where a button touch reclines while leg rests pop up. They’ll massage your back and bum (even individual cheeks, I found); four of the eight chairs are ventilated, six are heated, there’s half a dozen USB-C outlets and even a “V2L” 16A plug in the boot to power a laptop, coffee machine or mini fridge. Never got this in your old Hyundai Getz. Spoil the kids? Easy. They ride under a dual sunroof, the middle row has mega space, and third row seats electrically recline. Two adults fit back here; there are seatbelts for three, but it’d be comically tight. Glorious interior. Picture: Supplied MORE: Huge ute ‘concern’ triggers Aus safety tests The Palisade’s best option is a seven-seat configuration for an extra $1000. This brings two captain’s chairs (with arm rests) to the middle row for wonderful space, an easy walk-through to the back row, and you can leave a baby seat in place to access rear chairs. This being 2025, you can start using fingerprint recognition. In the outgoing Palisade, this meant a slight diesel rattle. Around 90 per cent of Aussie buyers picked that engine over the heavy-drinking petrol … and prices started from a humane $66,800. No more. Hybrid has arrived, and it’s a well-suited powertrain. A 2.5L four-cylinder turbo-petrol’s backed by two electric motors, delivering 245kW and 460Nm while consuming a budget-friendly 6.8L/100km of normal unleaded. The old petrol gobbled 10.7L/100km. There’s a decent-sized 1.65kWh battery, meaning our Pali rolls on electric only up to around 50km/h if easy on the throttle. It’s blissfully smooth and peaceful, befitting the salubrious surrounds. Plenty of room. Picture: Supplied There’s guts enough when up speed, nasty noises are kept well at bay and it even handles and steers alright for a juggernaut. There’s the expected myriad driver assist systems, and blessedly it’s getting easier and faster to disable the most nannying. Driver monitor, speed warning and lane keep remain the worst offenders. Ride comfort’s peachy without feeling bouncy-soft like the pricier Genesis GV80, although skinny tyres over 21-inch alloys feel the hits. Doubtless a cheaper grade Palisade – which must surely come – will roll even better with higher profile tyres. Higher profile tyres are needed. Picture: Supplied Serious presence. Picture: Supplied MORE: Car giant ditches ‘nightmare’ Aus driving tech But there seems no need to offer any engine but this hybrid. Our test returned 7.4L/100km, justifying dropping the diesel. Speaking future product, a Palisade XRT Pro version’s likely coming in early 2026, riding on rugged-looking 18-inch rims and all-terrain tyres. There’s beefy plastic body cladding, red recovery hooks, XRT Pro-exclusive rear electronic limited slip diff and likely a suspension raise for mild off-roading. It’s an interesting proposition, if a little like putting Hugh Grant in hiking boots and insisting he’s now Bear Grylls. For touring in the regular Palisade, kudos for fitting a full-size spare wheel, but it’ll tow only 2000kg. Sorry shoppers, you still need that BMW X5 to haul the yacht. VERDICT 3.5/5 Serious presence, cabin luxe, top-notch features and drive quality. The new hybrid’s a win, but that price really challenges. More Coverage ‘Recipe for tragedy’: Aus expert’s Tesla fear Danielle Collis E-bikes banned as Aus state cracks down James Chung Originally published as 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid review Join the conversation (0 Comments) Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Join the conversation, you are commenting as More related stories On the Road Cops reveal truth about sick hit and run Dramatic dashcam footage has captured the moment a driver mowed down a man before speeding away in a car with fake plates. On the Road Massive changes to Aus’ favourite ute Australia’s favourite car is undergoing some huge changes that drivers have waited almost a decade for. 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