CHATHAM, Mass. – Known for offering value throughout its large, diverse vehicle line, Hyundai’s 2024 Palisade XRT provides useful features in a well-equipped three-row sport-utility vehicle (SUV).
Hyundai’s flagship, the Palisade is a large SUV at 196.7 inches long, 77.8 wide, 68.9 high and 4,506 pounds, and extremely roomy for seven, without filling the road like some of the gargantuan SUVs based on full-size pickup trucks.
At the same time, despite its size and capabilities — the Palisade can pull a trailer of up to 5,000 pounds — it is reasonably efficient to operate. My week in the driver’s seat resulted in a fuel-consumption rate of 23.8 miles per gallon, even better than the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rating of 21 mpg overall (19 urban, 24 highway).
Power to the people
Moving the Palisade XRT down the road and into the wilderness (for those so inclined) is a powertrain built around (as Hyundai calls it) the Lambda II 3.8-liter Atkinson Cycle GDI (gas direct injected) D-CVVT 24-Valve 6-cylinder engine.
The powerplant produces 291 horsepower and 262 pounds-feet of torque which can get from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in a quick 6.4 seconds (according to Car and Driver testing). No one is taking the Palisade to the dragstrip, but it gets up and moves with alacrity when you want or need the power without needing to stop at every filling station along the road.
The remainder of the powertrain includes an eight-speed automatic transmission routing the power through the Hyundai HTRAC AWD (all-wheel-drive system).
The driver-selectable Drive Mode Select control allows for optimizing powertrain actions depending upon road/environmental conditions. The available settings are Comfort, Eco, Sport, Smart, Snow, Tow and AWD Lock. The latter one can be an aid in challenging off-road situations for which the Palisade XRT is capable of handling.
Capable platform
The other factor in terms of dynamic qualities of the Palisade XRT is the vehicle’s platform. The suspension pieces include MacPherson-type struts, coil springs and stabilizer bar up front, and a self-leveling independent multi-link setup at the rear with separated shocks and springs.
The rack-and-pinion power steering is motor driven with a decently quick 2.87 turns lock-to-lock and a turning diameter of 38.7 feet.
The power-assisted, anti-lock (ABS) and electronic-brake distribution (EBD) braking system features ventilated 13.4×1.2-inch rotors in the front and 12×0.43-inch solid ones in the rear. Standard on the Palisade XRT is electronic stability control with traction control and brake assist, as well as vehicle stability management.
The Palisade XRT comes with 20×7.5-inch alloy wheels wearing 245/50 R20 all-season tires.
Advanced Driver-Assist Systems
Supplementing the various platform systems outlined above, the Palisade XRT comes with a solid group of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS). These include blind-spot collision warning; rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist; rear parking-distance warning; forward collision-avoidance assist with car/pedestrian/cyclist detection; lane-keep & lane-following assist, and trailer-sway control.
The sum of these and the platform’s parts are a SUV which is easy to drive quickly on virtually any type of road until the surface becomes extremely challenging. This is no sports car and its size is always evident, but I never felt awkward or concerned while maneuvering around and through the tight confines of Cape Cod’s villages as well as fighting through greater Boston traffic. In addition, the vehicle’s somewhat squared-off corners which makes judging those tight spots easier than a stylized vehicle with protruding body work.
Roomy, well-equipped cabin
The squared-off corners reflect the overall angular shape of the Palisade (and Hyundai’s slightly smaller three-row SUV, the Santa Fe), resulting in a roomy interior without any hidden encroachments on shoulder space (which often happens with those aforementioned swoopy designs).
The XRT model comes with three rows (captain’s chairs in the second row which feature power folding and tilt/slide for easy access to the third row); a tri-zone automatic climate-control system (two zones for front-seat passengers; a separate one for those in the rear, with controls at the rear of the center console); tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and heated/power-adjustable front bucket seats.
At the heart of the XRT’s standard infotainment system is a 12.3-inch color LCD touchscreen in the center of the dash (mirroring the 12.3-inch customizable cluster screen to its left). In addition to supplying controls for the infotainment system (including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, HD radio and streaming Bluetooth connectivity), the screen provides the visual output of the rearview camera and standard navigation system.
A wireless charging pad sits in the center console, while USB power ports are positioned for occupants of all three rows.
Again, this is a roomy space for up to seven folks and their stuff, though a lot more stuff can be carried if the third row is folded (the seat is a 60/40 split for optimization of people-and-cargo carrying).
A well-rounded SUV value story
There are six trim levels within the 2024 Hyundai Palisade family, with the XRT representing a nice mix of equipment and features for a very reasonable price.
The line opens with the front-wheel drive SE model at $38,045, progressing to the premium-equipped Calligraphy Night Edition at $55,245. The 2024 Hyundai Palisade XRT, with every feature outlined here (and many not specified), a very well-equipped large, three-row SUV with good fuel economy, has a base price of $43,550.
The test unit had on option, carpeted floor mats ($215), so with the $1,395 inland freight & handling fee, the total came to $45,100. (The 2025 Palisade XRT, which adds a surround-view monitor, front parking sensors and auto-dimming side mirrors, has a base price of $42,650).
This is not an insignificant amount of money, but it is a very competitive, excellent value proposition for a roomy, well-equipped, three-row SUV in today’s U.S. automotive market.
