Palisade: Most expensive Hyundai worth its R1m price tag?

Looking for a genuinely large, luxury SUV that does not carry the Audi, BMW or Mercedes logo, or price for that matter? And if you can get past the badge snobbery that exists in South Africa, then the Hyundai Palisade is something to consider.

I use the term consider lightly. What I actually mean is that if you are shopping for a seven- or eight-seater family mover, then I am telling you to at least go take the Palisade for a test drive before you sign on the dotted line elsewhere.

Right up Uncle Sam’s alley

Styling is very much American-based in many ways. From the side and rear, you could be looking at a Cadillac Escalade or something likewise. But from the front, the Palisade is all unique and distinctive Hyundai SUV, and I like it.

On the inside there is lots of well … space. That’s to be expected, but what the interior also offers is some cool little touches that make living with the Hyundai Palisade that much more convenient.

Easy peasy

Jumping in and out third row of seats is made easy with a one-touch button on the second row that moves the seats forward and out the way. And there is a wireless charging pad up front along with seven USB outlets spread out throughout for charging phones and tablets etc. to your heart’s content. Oh, and the front and second-row seats in both derivatives offer a heating and cooling function.

You can also connect two Bluetooth devices to the infotainment system at the same time, with one for a mobile phone connection and the other for audio streaming. And if you are done being entertained, then you will appreciate the Rear Seat Quiet Mode system that allows the driver’s row to listen to their audio without that same audio being transmitted to the second- and third-row audio speakers.

Air supply

The Palisade further features an innovative, industry-first roof vent diffuser design that provides a focused, partially diffused or fully diffused stream of air to rear passengers. Not something too many up-front think about, but it will make a difference in the life of the passengers tucked way back in the rear.

Getting out on the road, the Palisade is extremely smooth and quiet, despite running 20-inch alloys and a turbodiesel powerplant. The trusty, 142 kW/440 Nm, 2.2 CRDi engine matted to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the only choice on offer, does a good enough job of hauling the Hyundai Palisade and its cargo around.

Pulling power

The only time I felt that I needed more was when trying to overtake in a hurry, but for the most part, the level of urge was good, and only bettered by the fact that despite this being a launch drive where no attempt is ever made to conserve fuel, I saw a figure of 7.2 litres per 100 km flash up on the display.

Should you want to venture a bit off the beaten track, the Palisade offers Hyundai’s HTRAC All-Wheel-Drive system with multiple mode options.

You get Smart, Eco, Comfort and Sport modes, along with further specific Sand, Mud and Snow modes, that electronically alters the traction control to move the torque around from the front to rear and left to right wheels depending on how slippery it is on the ground.

Safe as a house

The Hyundai Palisade also offers a full house of standard safety features, including the likes of six standard airbags: dual front, dual side, roll-over sensing side-curtain airbags, tyre pressure monitoring with individual position display, two Isofix anchors in the second seat row and one in the third seat row, a rear-view camera, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Safe Exit Assist, and Rear Occupant Alert.

Stars and Stripes

But it was this last one that confirms for me that this SUV was always designed for the American market first. I say this tongue in cheek, and don’t go all 4th of July on me, but the press release states the following verbatim: “Rear Occupant Alert monitors the rear seats using an ultrasonic sensor that helps to detect the movements of children and pets.

“The system first reminds drivers to check the rear seats when exiting the vehicle with a message on the centre instrument cluster display. If the system detects movement in the rear seats after the driver leaves the vehicle and locks the doors, it will honk the horn and flash the car’s lights. The system is designed to prevent children and pets from being forgotten in the car…”.

Conclusion

So, if you can accept that you don’t need a flashy badge to impress the neighbours, or that you can’t claim reasonable negligence when you leave your mother-in-law in the Hyundai Palisade for a day or two in the blazing heat, then go give this SUV a try, like I told you to do in the beginning.

Pricing

Palisade 2.2 CRDI Elite 7-seat AT – R 999 900
Palisade 2.2 CRDI Elite 8-seat AT – R 999 900

Included is a seven year/200 000 km warranty, a seven year/105 000 km service plan and roadside assistance for seven years or150 000 km.