Hyundai continues to offer the three-row Palisade in SE, SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy trim levels, but the XRT also debuts, slotting between the SEL and Limited. Under the hood of each you’ll find a 3.8-liter V6 engine that produces 291 hp and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission flows power to the standard front-wheel drivetrain, but if you desire the extra traction and stability of all-wheel drive, it’s available across the board. All trims have a 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity, and according to the EPA, the FWD trims return an estimated 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, while those with AWD achieve 19 city/25 highway.
The 2023 Palisade is flush with great features, both returning and brand-new. The eight-passenger SE kicks things off with LED headlights and daytime running lights, heated and auto-dimming side mirrors with turn-signal indicators, front and rear skid plates, proximity entry, push-button start, 60/40-split second- and third-row seats, five USB ports (one power/data and four USB-C power), an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel with haptic touch feedback and paddle shifters, and an underfloor storage compartment.
The SEL is upgraded with door-handle welcome lights, LED taillights, roof rails, a hands-free liftgate, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED interior lights, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Its seats are better, too, as they’re H-Tex-upholstered and heated/power-adjustable up front; what’s more, captain’s chairs replace the second-row bench seat, reducing seating capacity to seven (the bench seat can be added back optionally). The SEL adds a few techier items as well, such as a HomeLink universal garage door opener, a wireless phone charger, and Digital Key, which turns your smartphone into the key for the vehicle.
With the Premium Package, the SEL will be outfitted with several remarkable upgrades. These consist of an auto-leveling rear suspension, ventilated front seats, additional lumbar adjustments for the driver’s seat, position memory for the driver’s seat and side mirrors, heated and ventilated second-row seats, an in-car PA system, a sunroof, rear window sunshades, acoustic laminated glass, dual third-row USB-C ports, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 115-volt power outlet, and a few infotainment and safety improvements which are covered in the sections below.
The more commanding XRT embraces an exclusive appearance that’s comprised of two-tone bumpers, black exterior accents, and black interior upholstery.
The Limited is like the SEL with the contents of the Premium Package, though it also has leather upholstery, a thigh cushion extender for the driver’s seat, heated third-row seats, a premium cargo sill plate, a dual-panel sunroof, a head-up display, and rain-sensing wipers. The range-topping Calligraphy represents the height of luxury with its side-mirror approach lights (puddle lights), premium rear accent lighting, satin chrome exterior trim, Nappa leather upholstery, Ergo-motion driver’s seat, quilted leather door panels, second-row wing-out headrests, two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, full-display digital rearview mirror, and ambient interior lighting.
The Hyundai SmartSense suite is standard in each trim; however, the higher-end models receive more of its sophisticated assists. The SE and XRT have a hearty setup with forward collision-avoidance assist, blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, lane following assist, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, safe exit assist, rear parking sensors, rear occupant alert, highway driving assist, automatic high beams, and navigation-based adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and curve control. The SEL gets the same, but with the Premium Package, it will gain an enhanced forward collision system with lane change assist and evasive steering assist, plus front parking sensors, improved highway driving assist, a surround-view camera, and a blind-spot view monitor. Those are all provided in the Limited and Calligraphy, the latter of which also gets reverse parking collision-avoidance assist and Remote Smart Parking Assist.
The ’23 Palisade supports a highly sophisticated infotainment system that can connect to several devices at once. The standard unit (which is found in the SE, SEL, and XRT) is composed of a 12.3-inch touchscreen, integrated navigation, dynamic voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio streaming, HD radio, satellite radio (SiriusXM), and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The SEL with the Premium Package will receive a deluxe 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, which is standard in the Limited and Calligraphy.