The Palisade has been a game-changer for the three-row segment. Unlike other popular crossover-SUVs in the three-row game, the Palisade (and its Kia sibling, the Telluride) changed how people think about roomy family sport utilities. Previously, the segment only offered glorified minivans if you wanted a real third row, usable by adults, and space enough for cargo besides that. Think Dodge Journey and Ford Flex. Hyundai changed that.
In 2020, the Palisade saw a full revamp with several changes to bring it up to trend in both design and comfort. This year, the 2023 Palisade gets another facelift with some front and rear styling tweaks and an upgraded and more useful instrument cluster. Alongside this comes some price shuffling and content changes to match.
The key elements that made the Palisade popular, however, are still in place. The 2023 Hyundai Palisade offers plenty of interior room, adult-usable third row seating, plenty of cargo space, and the most upscale interior you’re likely to find outside of the luxury realms. Features and technology content doesn’t slack either, with a full suite of safety equipment plus nice goodies like blind spot cameras and the like.
There are five trim levels to the 2023 Palisade. The earliest of them can be had with seating for eight while the rest eschew the second row bench for captain’s chairs and seating for seven instead. All of the trims include a 3.8-liter V6 that outputs a smooth 291 horsepower to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is a near-perfect pairing for long-held power delivery and smooth operation at ever speed. Front-wheel drive is standard, but every trim has an all-wheel drive option.
Even the base model 2023 Hyundai Palisade has a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment. That comes pre-loaded with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and enough USB ports throughout the cabin to keep everyone plugged in. As the trim levels rise, so do the number of accessible USB plugs, including several C ports. Even in the third row.
The touchscreen’s user interface is simple to use, easy to learn, and quick to respond. It’s very nearly perfect when compared to most rivals on the market, though there are now several contenders with great infotainment UIs. So this isn’t as high a point as it would have been a couple of years ago.
Most of the expected safety systems like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation, lane-keeping assistance, and so forth are included as standard equipment. Higher-end trim points rear parking collision avoidance and Smart Park Assist (aka “Smaaat Paaak”). The cool blind spot cameras that appear in your cluster when using the turn signal are standard starting at the second tier of trim points (the SEL) if you add the Premium package.
The 2023 Hyundai Palisade is smooth and easy to drive, maneuverable for its size, and comfortable for all. It’s a capable and well-done machine. There are few rivals with the kind of price point, upscale feel, and tech options on the market for competition. The nearest likely being Kia with its related Telluride option. Most other three-row midsized SUVs are middling for third row roominess by comparison.
