Hyundai Palisade 2023 review: Elite 7-seat diesel

It’s a big and serious-looking seven-seater SUV. The facelift keeps the boxy rear but the curvy cutaways on the boot lid soften the affect. The lower height profile stops it feeling like you’re driving a truck but there are hints of ‘chonk’ at the wrong angles.

The grade you choose determines the design at the front but the Elite 7-seater’s nose means business with the way the new vertical LED lights hug the 'huge' black grille. The dark tinted rear windows and sheer length stirs thoughts of a hummer-limo experience.

The Palisade’s interior has always been a highlight. The ‘large’ aesthetic from the exterior is carried through to the features inside. It makes the design feel well-executed and mostly, well-thought out. Overall, the interior looks clean and polished.

It’s a true seven-seater and the third row gets more space than the average SUV – even adults will be relatively comfortable back there (on short trips). The middle seat and front seat passengers still benefit the most with ample headroom and legroom.

The middle row only has two seats but there’s a handy walkway between them, meaning access to the third row is also better than most.

The storage throughout is fantastic with numerous cubbies and net pockets. The middle console is huge and you get an extra-large shelf underneath (perfect spot for a handbag). The glove box is a decent size, too.

The front and middle rows enjoy drink holders in each door but passengers are spoiled with cupholders. The middle and third row get two on each door and wheel arch, respectively. Because of their positioning, my five-year old enjoyed access to them from his car seat, too (which isn’t always the case).

The boot is a great size at 311 litres (VDA) with all seven seats in action and 704L (VDA) when the third row is folded flat. The lower load height makes it easy to shove things into the boot, too. The powered tailgate and the space underneath the cargo floor for smaller items are handy features and impressively, you get a full-size spare on all Palisade variants.

You will grow fond of the sheer practicality of the interior. I’m impressed that all three rows get a fair amount of amenities. Yes, even the third row isn’t forgotten and it’s what makes it a winner for me in the seven-seater SUV market. The third row enjoys directional air vents, USB ports, cupholders, and those handy child seat mounts that help you forget that there isn’t a middle seat in the second row.

The seats offer comfort plus with thick padding and decent under thigh support but it is a shame that only the driver’s seat is electric.

The centre console is easy to navigate and the buttons and dials are sloped to make it easy to see and access while on the road. If you can get over the beeping of the safety tech, this is a lovely SUV to handle.

The seats offer comfort plus with thick padding and decent under thigh support. (Image: Dean McCartney)

As you’d hope for in a family SUV, the Palisade comes with some great safety features, like: blind-spot monitoring, AEB and forward collision warning with car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning detection plus lane keeping aids and rear cross-traffic alert, which is always a winner for me. This also has the usual airbags including a curtain airbag covering the third row and a front centre airbag.

Remembering that the previous one - before this facelift version arrived – only got four stars, it’s nice to see that this has been awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating against the strict 2022 criteria.

The middle row seats each have ISOFIX and top tether child seat mounts. It’s very easy to fit a child seat and all occupants get plenty of room, even when a 0-4 rearward facing seat is installed. Unusually, the third row gets an ISOFIX mount and two top-tether child seat mounts but as they’re positioned right next to each other, you’d still realistically only fit only one child seat back there.

The Palisade has been awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating. (Image: Dean McCartney)

The Elite 7 diesel will cost you $69,900, before on-road costs. The standard features list is great on it though and if you’re considering a seven-seater, the Palisade offers real comfort and space for a family but it is pricier than its equivalent rivals, the Toyota Kluger and Mazda CX-9 and you’re not even in the top-spec version yet.

The official combined fuel cycle is 7.3L/100km and I achieved 8.0L/100km after some highway road tripping and city excursions. Given how big this car is and the power you get, I’m impressed with the fuel econ. If you do more city-based driving, I’d expect that to be higher but the diesel has proven to be pretty economical this week.

The Palisade comes with Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited km warranty, which is standard for this class. You can pre-purchase either three-, four-, or five-year capped-price servicing. On the five-year plan, services average $489, which is competitive for this class. Service intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Elite 7 diesel will cost you $69,900, before on-road costs. (Image: Dean McCartney)