Get up close and personal with the 2026 Hyundai Palisade. Hyundai confirmed that hybrid cars sold in other countries will also be sold in the US. We had to wait until the 2025 New York Auto Show to finally get our first look at the updated three-row family SUV. The new Palisade Hybrid, which has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, will have more power and range than the V6. All of this comes in a bigger, stronger package that keeps most of the things we liked about the Palisade. Now, let’s begin. The combination is the first choice we’ll make. The 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the system makes 258 of its 329 horsepower and an unknown but large amount of its 329 pounds-feet of torque. The last bit of power comes from two electric motors that are attached to the drive. Hyundai believes the Palisade will achieve 30 mpg or more on the highway, although the EPA has not yet published those figures. Meanwhile, the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, recognized for its strong performance, delivers 36 mpg in the city. That number might give you an idea of the Palisade’s city mpg, but the company didn’t give one. The hybrid’s towing ability hasn’t been set yet, but 4,000 pounds is a good number. Another thing Hyundai did to improve the hybrid’s features was to use technology from its electric vehicle (EV) line. With the new “Stay Mode,” which extends the battery life so that the Palisade’s entertainment and climate control systems work longer when the gasoline engine is turned off, you can leave the air conditioning on for longer amounts of time without using the ICE. The V6 will come back in 2026 with a few small changes. A small amount of torque (262 vs. 260) and horsepower (291 vs. 287) were lost, but not a lot. Hyundai didn’t say how much the Palisade weighs at the curb, but since it’s only 2.5 inches longer than the last model, the base V6 car should weigh about the same. That’s why it’s bigger. These days, when isn’t that true, especially in a family car? However, Hyundai was able to do this while also changing some of the Palisade’s important dimensions. The 2.7-inch longer wheelbase helped make up for the 1.6-inch shorter front overhang. This not only gives you more room for passengers, but it also looks good from the side. Hyundai says that it is easy to get in and out of the redesigned Palisade. Inside, there’s a lot to see. Hyundai’s most up-to-date entertainment system has two 12.3-inch screens: one for the center stack and one for the front and center. It must have buttons. There are temperature controls for both the driver and the passenger. These knobs are connected to the controls above for adjusting the volume and tuning the radio. There are also haptic buttons under the audio interface that are part of the HVAC controls. The way Hyundai’s upcoming projects’ screens are set up looks both future and unsettlingly like Tesla’s. We gain in the short term (and maybe even in the long term). Hyundai is trying to make the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT PRO better at going off-road, which is the cherry on top. Hyundai is doing a great job of fixing the problem, and we’ll be the first to say that the last Palisade wasn’t very good. All-terrain tires, an electronic limited-slip differential in the back, and better approach, exit, and breakover angles (20.5°, 22.4°, and 18.3°) make the XRT Pro stand out from the crowd. With the XRT Pro package, some of the Palisade’s shiny exterior parts are changed to ones that have what looks like a smooth or matte black finish. Prices won’t be released until closer to launch (summer for ICE and fall for hybrid), but given the economy, we wouldn’t be shocked if the MSRP went up a bit. Even though Hyundai makes some of its cars in the United States, the Palisade is made in Korea.
