Hyundai Palisade News

Hyundai has a new family hero.

Sorry, Swifties. While we appreciate the cultural phenomenon that is singer/songwriter, artist and philanthropist Taylor Swift, this is not a paean to a great pop star, but, rather, a reference to the year that marked Japan’s stellar ascension as the biggest threat to the established carmakers of that time. Their fear was existential as well as actual.

Where does the Kia Tasman go from here? Is having a conventional diesel engine as the sole choice enough to run with the best-sellers? Should the Tasman follow the lead of the Ranger Raptor by going down the off-road performance path, to create a halo model for the rest of the range to bask beneath? Or is going hybrid the answer? The answer may shock you!

Kia has just made a surprise confirmation that its new Tasman ute is currently being evaluated by police forces around Australia, and that had us thinking: what police vehicles are out there that aren’t the usual suspects?That's right, we're not talking police versions of the Kia Sorento, nor the Hyundai Tucson, or the Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan. We mean the left-of-field police cars. The ones you really might not have known were out there on the roads.So, with a little bit of help from Australian Police Vehicles Facebook group, here are our top five favourite police cars you might not have seen coming. Hyundai’s big eight-seater SUV is doing some undercover work for Victoria Police. This one spotted recently by Issacc Brown from IB Emergency Photography in the regional Victorian town of Sale happens to be the Calligraphy Black Ink edition of the Palisade. Exclusive to the Calligraphy Black Ink edition are 20-inch black glossy alloy wheels, tough looking dark-tinted radiator grille and black suede seats inside. The Palisade comes with two drivetrains and all-wheel drive which is powered by a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder turbo diesel or a front-wheel drive variant which uses a 3.8-litre V6 petrol. Oooh! NSW Police has got themselves a Chevrolet Suburban RST and this one spotted and snapped by Clinton J Down Photography is serving with the Tactical Operations Unit TOU. The RST grade means the large SUV comes with a 5.3-litre petrol V8, air suspension, 22-inch alloy wheels and luxurious interior features.The TOU role is “the safe resolution of high risk situations without loss of life, injury to persons or damage to property.”While this unmarked SUV is doing its best not to be noticed it’s hard not to miss something so enormous and rare on our roads.The Northern Territory Police are using an unmarked Ford F-150 as seen here snapped by an anonymous poster to the Australian Police Vehicles Facebook.While this full-sized American pickup truck is so large it almost blocks out the sun, it’s looking pretty inconspicuous as a police vehicle. The giveaways that this F-150 is serving on the force are the tiny LED emergency lights integrated subtly into the grille. You’d never know… well, almost.From what we can see this looks like the XLT grade which comes with a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engine and part-time four-wheel drive.Here’s one Kia kept quiet - Tasmania’s police has a Carnival people mover on its force as seen here in a photo taken by Taliesan Sharman.We’re big fans of the Carnival at CarsGuide with it not only being practical but great to drive making it the perfect big family car. This one seen here looks like just another suburban family hauler especially with the roof box and awning, but on closer inspection you’ll see emergency LED lights integrated into the grille and radio aerials.  There have been some tough looking police vehicles, but not many can claim to being as tough as a Police Rescue Squad Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series as snapped here by Fleet Street Photography.This is a 2019 70 Series, which sports a 4.5-litre diesel V8 and was only available with a five-speed manual gear box. While more uncomfortable to pilot than a camel, if you did happen to have got yourself into an accident somewhere incredibly remote the chances of one of these vehicles making it to you and getting you out of there is 100 per cent.

Hyundai is about to move to a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty in Australia, up from its existing five-year/unlimited kilometre item.

In Taylor Swift terms, Hyundai has entered its Fearless Era as it explores bold new design themes that are a major departure from its past.In stark contrast to its humble beginnings, Hyundai is looking to make bolder vehicles, as witnessed by the recently revealed second-generation Palisade. Crucially, the Palisade is dramatically different from the Tucson and Santa Fe, or any other model in the range, as Hyundai pursues a unique design for each of its models. This is opposed to the ‘Russian Doll’ philosophy that many other brands use, which see similar design themes carried over from one model to the next. Interestingly, this more ‘family’ focused design theme is the one pursued by Kia, Hyundai’s sister brand, and in Australia recent years has seen the younger sibling overtake its elder on the sales charts.So, why has Hyundai pursued this very different and deliberately polarising strategy? We were fortunate enough to discuss this with the man in charge, SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design.We spoke immediately after the reveal of the new Palisade and Palisade XRT Pro for the first time outside of South Korea, and Lee used the new family-sized SUV as a way of explaining the brand’s design philosophy.Specifically, he discussed why the Palisade and the similar-sized, but all-electric, Ioniq 9 have almost no visual similarities.“ I think it's a very important question,” Lee said. “Obviously, as I mentioned to you briefly yesterday on Ioniq 9 versus Palisade, the customers are different for a full, dedicated EV versus a traditional ICE and hybrid cars."So we cannot have the same toolbox SUV, so we purposefully have a different direction… where Ioniq 9 is for more like an early adopter and is open for new things.He continued: “Palisade, when you see it, you know it is so easy to understand. It's a toolbox SUV with a lot of premium character, and with the bold DRL (Daytime Running Lights) you can recognize it from a long distance."I'm particularly very proud of the surface DRL, because a lot of DRLs these day, I mean the lamp is a functional piece, but you see a lot of linear DRL."And instead we're doing surface DRL to have a more, like a chunky shape. So you look at it from a long distance, you can instantly notice a Palisade that's coming towards you, which is so important,” he said.Lee highlighted the importance of making a strong visual first impression for each Hyundai model, which is why he and his design teams have opted for a clear differentiation between each model, rather than Kia’s signature look that carries across each of its offerings.“A mid to large SUV is a big face with a bold character, but when you get closer, there's a lot of sophisticated surface treatment,” Lee said.“So what we want to do is like, mainstream, it should be easy to understand, bold yet premium character. So this is our challenge.”He also explained that the different needs of different customers across the various models also plays a major role in Hyundai’s decision to create unique designs.“There are many brands doing the family look… but I always talk to our team, Hyundai is all about customer-centric brand,” he said.“We need to really understand the customer first in order to design. So, I mean, for the Palisade, if you sit inside of the car, it's so comfortable, easy to use, there is no forced area. Everything is all about usability.“I must say, the UX (user experience) is designed this way… because this is a family car. I mean, we are out there, family, parents in a very detailed ."So like, how they drop off kids in the morning, how they pick them up after school hours and how they use a sippy cup, how they use the tailgate and how they use stuff."So it's all about observing customers in order to make it easier, more comfortable, with better design.”

Hyundai Australia may still be waiting for a ute, but it just got the next best thing - a rugged, Toyota LandCruiser-rivaling SUV.Unveiled overnight at the 2025 New York International Auto Show, the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro is the most off-road capable model the South Korean brand has ever offered in Australia. Due to launch locally in early 2026 as a fully-fledged member of the new Palisade line-up (rather than an option pack like the Santa Fe XRT), this new model features a raft of off-road-focused enhancements.There’s a unique grille, with a unique lower bumper that incorporates twin, chassis-mounted tow hooks, as well as creating more ground clearance for an improved approach angle of 20.5-degrees. New side skirts and a similar treatment to the rear bumper improve the departure and breakover angles to 22.4 and 18.3 degrees, respectively. Underneath there is a new XRT Pro-exclusive rear electronic limited-slip differential for better off-road capability as well as downhill brake control and new terrain modes for mud, sand and snow. There’s also real-time pitch and roll, compass and elevation displays and a new camera at the front to provide a clear view of the road ahead when you’re off-road and can’t see over the bonnet.However, aside from a ride height increase, to give the Palisade XRT Pro 213mm of ground clearance, the suspension is unchanged from the rest of the Palisade range. This is also partly helped by the new all-terrain tyres that wrap around the 18-inch off-road styled alloy wheels.Under the bonnet the XRT Pro is exclusively available with a 214kW/252Nm 3.5-litre V6 naturally aspirated petrol engine. This is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and Hyundai’s all-wheel-drive system.Speaking at the New York reveal, Olabisi Boyle, Senior Vice President of Product Planning and Mobility Strategy for Hyundai Motor North America, explained the reasoning that went into developing the XRT Pro."The 2026 Palisade XRT Pro is for people doing it all - raising families, chasing goals, showing up every day,” Boyle said.“We built this SUV by putting people first - thinking about real lives, real needs. It’s got space for your crew, capability when the road gets rough, and the kind of comfort, style, and efficiency that proves luxury doesn’t have to come with a luxury price.“We wanted to deliver a vehicle where affordability can meet lifestyle - no matter where off-road you want to go."Hyundai Australia has confirmed other versions of the new Palisade will go on sale in late 2025, starting with the new 192kW hybrid powertrain variant. The XRT Pro will follow soon after, in early 2026, with pricing and final specifications expected to be announced closer to them going on sale.

Hyundai has detailed its largest combustion SUV, the Palisade, before it goes on-sale in Korea. Expected to arrive in Australia some time in 2025, the three-row SUV ditches its diesel powerplants for an all-petrol based offering, including a new powerful hybrid model with the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder in its sights. The new-generation Palisade is bigger than its predecessor: 65mm longer (5060mm), 5mm taller and wider, riding on a 70mm longer 2970mm wheelbase. The Palisade rejoins a busy seven-seat segment with the brand also offering the Ioniq 9 electric car and smaller Santa Fe in Australia.In Korea, the Palisade is available in a nine seat configuration with a three-wide front bench. Normally, that would be unlikely for Australia but Hyundai has engineered a twin centre airbag for safety, so it may get in. It is otherwise a seven seater with two front, two middle ‘captain’s chairs’ and a three-wide rear bench.The interior has been completely overhauled in the style of the smaller Santa Fe, with upmarket trims such as Calligraphy getting twin curved 12.3-inch displays, with the centre working as the multimedia touchscreen. Upholstery comes in a variety of colours with top-spec variants getting the choice of black or brown leather in Korea. Huge 21-inch alloy wheels are available optionally. Helping keep the ride plush are the first adaptive dampers ever fitted to a non-N Hyundai SUV. The technology is borrowed from Genesis models. Under the bonnet you’ll find a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder in place of the old 3.8-litre V6, while the more efficient diesel is effectively replaced by the new hybrid system. Petrol alone, the Palisade develops 210kW. The hybrid’s 1.65kWh lithium-ion battery and electric motor bumps this to 249kW with combined driving range in excess of 1000km. Electric car-like features include vehicle-to-load (V2L) along with ‘Stay Mode’ that allows the car to idle for long periods of time without compromising on air-con effectiveness. Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed but in Korea, Palisade prices have jumped by up to 15 per cent. If we apply that same increase to the flagship Calligraphy model ($81,719) today, it’s possible a new AWD hybrid could be pushing $95,000 before on-road costs.

In 2025, no other car company in Australia will offer quite the combination of body styles and powertrain choices for buyers seeking an SUV or crossover with three rows of seating as Hyundai.

This is our first offical glimpse at the new Hyundai Palisade.Leaked images shared by Autospy have given us a look at the next-generation large SUV, which is scheduled to arrive in showrooms next year as the bold Hyundai Santa Fe's big brother, as well as a Toyota Kluger, Nissan Pathfinder and Kia Sorento rival.Notwithstanding its move to a new platform that will accommodate hybrid power for the first time in the model’s history, it has been completely redesigned inside and out.Leaked images show a bold new front end, with a new rectangular front grille and thick, vertically-striped LED headlights.The entire design appears larger and boxier than before, with sharper lines and bonnet creases giving it the feel of a super-sized American family SUV, such as the GMC Yukon Denali.So too does its brand new multi-spoke alloy wheels.Previous reports have suggested the Palisade could adopt a nine-seat configuration, suggesting that the dimensions will indeed be larger for 2025.A top-down image shows the option of dual sunroofs, as was offered on the previous generation, along with roof rails.Inside, the Palisade appears more opulent than before, with the cabin clad in brown leather upholstery and ambient lighting with metallic and wooden-look trims.The twin-screen setup for digital-driver’s displays and the multimedia touchscreen is integrated into the leather-clad dash, while physical buttons remain for climate controls.As has become standard on modern Hyundais, the gear shifter is situated on the steering column, freeing up space for a floating centre console, a cupholder and what looks to be a storage area for a mobile phone or wireless charging pad.From what engine the next-generation Palisade will source its power from is unclear at this stage, however, it is all but certain that the 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated V6 will be dropped from the range.Speculation suggests the Palisade will run with a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, paired to a single electric motor for a hybrid version.Pricing is still well off, but the current Palisade starts at a list price of $66,800, before on-road costs.