Trims and Mechanical Details

The ‘26 Palisade lineup contains six trims: SE, SEL, SEL Premium, XRT Pro, Limited, and Calligraphy. They’re all outfitted with a 3.5-liter V6 engine (output: 287 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque) and an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on the XRT Pro and optional on the remaining trims, which get a front-wheel drivetrain (FWD) by default.

FWD Palisades return 19 mpg around town and 25 mpg on the open road, according to the EPA’s official fuel economy estimations. With AWD, the ratings go down slightly to 18 mpg city/24 highway. Every trim is capable of towing up to 5,000 pounds.

Standard Equipment

With its second-row 60/40 split fold-flat bench, the SE has the highest passenger capacity (eight passengers). It’s outfitted with premium cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with haptic feedback for certain driver-assist features, a 4.2-inch multi-information display, tri-zone automatic climate control with second-row controls and second-row/third-row vents, an underfloor storage compartment in the cargo area, two USB ports in each row, two 12-volt power outlets, proximity key entry, welcome lights beneath the door handles, heated power-adjustable side mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, and full LED exterior lighting.

All remaining trims are made with second-row captain’s chairs, seating up to seven. The SEL Convenience gains a sunroof, H-Tex leatherette upholstery, heated front seats (8-way power adjustable), wireless device charging, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, rear side-window sunshades, Hyundai Digital Key 2 Premium, a hands-free smart liftgate, roof rails, and LED turn indicators in the side mirrors. The SEL Premium ushers in a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated and ventilated seats in the first and second rows, power-folding heated auto-dimming power-adjustable side mirrors, position memory for the driver’s seat and side mirrors, ambient cabin lighting with 64 color settings, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink.

The all-new XRT PRO looks distinct with its unique grille design and sculpted lower fascia, red-painted front/rear recovery hooks, trim-specific dark-finished 18-inch alloy wheels, black door garnish and exterior handles, and black finish for the grille, bumpers, and roof rails. The Limited gets 20-inch alloy wheels, a dual-panel sunroof, leather upholstery, and heated third-row power folding/unfolding seats. The Calligraphy gets a special nod this new model year as it becomes the first Hyundai trim to get a built-in dash cam. This integrated dual-camera system captures driving footage and automatically records activity when the vehicle is parked. These video clips can be watched on the touchscreen or can be transferred via the MicroSD card in the glovebox. This top-of-the-line Palisade also has Nappa leather upholstery, an Ergo-Motion driver’s seat, leg cushion extensions and a massage feature for the front seats, power-adjustable second-row seats, relaxation seat mode for the first two rows, silver accents on the grille and door garnish, a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 21-inch alloy wheels.

Advanced Safety Tech

The ‘26 Palisade raises the bar even higher in the passenger safety department, outfitting the cabin with 10 airbags, third-row seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters (unique to this segment), and Hyundai SmartSense. That proprietary suite contains blind-spot collision warning, driver attention warning, forward attention warning, forward collision-avoidance assist, high beam assist, highway driving assist, lane following assist, lane keeping assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, parking distance warning (forward/reverse), rear occupant alert, and safe exit assist.

The SEL Convenience gets an advanced version of the rear occupant alert, while the SEL Premium adds a surround-view monitor and a blind-spot view monitor, parking collision-avoidance assist (reverse), and side parking sensors. The Calligraphy gets the full load of Hyundai’s safety offerings with Remote Smart Parking Assist, blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, Highway Driving Assist 2, and the forward collision-avoidance feature gains evasive steering assist.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Every ‘26 Palisade has a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with onboard navigation, dynamic voice recognition, wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, access to SiriusXM satellite radio, and Bluetooth hands-free phone and wireless audio streaming. All trims also have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluelink+ connected car services, Hyundai Pay, and wireless over-the-air updates. While the lower trims have a more basic sound system, the XRT Pro and above upgrade to a 14-speaker Bose setup with Centerpoint and SoundTrue enhanced technology.