17 hours ago
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A new Hyundai Palisade is around the corner with hybrid power as standard – replacing diesel – and a higher price.
Family Cars
The next-generation 2026 Hyundai Palisade is due to launch in Australia by the end of this year with standard petrol-electric hybrid propulsion.
Diesel will be axed – despite accounting for 89 per cent of Palisade sales last year, the remainder a petrol V6 – and replaced by a hybrid, combining a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with two electric motors.
A non-hybrid version of the 2.5-litre turbo engine is "under study" for Australia, Hyundai says, but it is yet to be locked in.
Prices are all but certain to rise for the new model, due to its larger body and new technology – as well as the addition of hybrid technology.
The latest Santa Fe saw prices climb by $9450 at the bottom end of the range – comparing the new hybrid to the old petrol V6 – which, if mirrored on the Palisade, would represent a considerable uplift from today’s $66,800 to $81,719 plus on-road costs price band.
In South Korea, an optioned-up, top-of-the-range petrol Palisade Calligraphy costs close to 15 per cent more than before, while more affordable models are up closer to 10 per cent.
It would see the cheapest model in Australia start from more than $70,000 before on-road costs, and the flagship hybrid priced north of $90,000.
Powering the Palisade hybrid is a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine assisted by two electric motors – both on the front axle – a six-speed auto, and a 300-volt battery that can power external electical devices through a vehicle-to-load function.
It is rated at 246kW combined, from a 193kW/353Nm petrol engine and 54kW/264Nm from the electric motors.
Australia will be offered a choice of seven- and eight-seat configurations, skipping the nine-seater available in South Korea, which adds a front-centre seat to allow the car to be driven in bus lanes.
Fuel consumption for a top-of-the-range all-wheel-drive Palisade on 21-inch wheels is rated at 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the hybrid, or 12.2L/100km in the 207kW/422Nm petrol-only version.
The most frugal version of each powertrain – a front-wheel-drive base model on 18-inch wheels – quotes 7.1L/100km in the hybrid and 10.3L/100km in the petrol, both calculated over a mixed city-highway driving cycle.
In contrast, fuel consumption for the V6 was rated at 10.8 to 11.8L/100km in South Korean testing, plus 8.1 to 8.8L/100km for the diesel.
The new Palisade is 65mm longer overall, 5mm wider, 55mm taller and 70mm longer between the wheels than its predecessor, offering LED headlights, 21-inch wheels and Range Rover-esque looks on flagship grades.
Inside, there is a pair of 12.3-inch displays – the infotainment touchscreen and instrument display – as well as a mix of physical and touch-sensitive air-conditioning controls.
Flagship models are available with heating and power adjustment for all three rows of seats, as well as ventilation for the first and second rows.
Even the entry-level model in South Korea offers three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, seven 100-watt high-power USB-C ports, a wireless phone charger, and eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation.
Leather upholstery, a head-up display and a 14-speaker Bose stereo are available.
Family Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
