Hyundai Palisade 2021 review: Highlander 7-seat

The Palisade is a Yank Tank made to look better. The car was initially aimed at the American market where it isn't even all that big. Given Hyundai has to make a statement when you can have a Chevy or a Ford this big, the Korean company went all in, also staving off big units from Toyota.

There's about a hectare of grille on the front, flanked by Hyundai's signature upside down lighting. Here on the Highlander, you get the full LED treatment which looks very high-tech.

The Palisade is a Yank Tank made to look better. (image: Peter Anderson)

Some will call the front end heavy-handed. Well, to be accurate, some have, but a look around at similar chonkers reveals large grilles. Hyundai just went biggest.

The side profile is very Chevy Suburban with an attempt to put a Land Rover style fin to make the rear part of the roof look like it's floating. 

It's a solid go and looks pretty good, especially with the dark glass of the top of the range. And then out back it's a big wide tailgate with slim, tall tail-lights.

The side profile is very Chevy Suburban with an attempt to put a Land Rover style fin to make the rear part of the roof look like it's floating. (image: Peter Anderson)

Climbing inside you'll find a very nicely put together interior. The dash area sweeps majestically across the car and is split by a very wide console. It's fairly high-end looking, with a Mercedes-like double digital screen set up, one for the media system and the other for the dash, at least in Highlander.

The centre console is fairly clean, with a modest set of buttons for things like the transmission and climate control and a big dial to choose the drive modes. 

You can also slide a cover over the space for the cupholders and wireless charger. And the Highlander has some surprisingly good-looking fake wood, which I am rarely on board with.

The Highlander has 20-inch wheels. (image: Peter Anderson)

Actual outer space is probably jealous of how big the Palisade's interior is . While the entry-level car (if you could call it that) is a true seven-seater, the Highlander has a six-seat configuration. Two captain's chairs - a bit like the up-spec Hyundai Odyssey's middle row - separate the front seats from the rear bench. If you want the seven seats, just ask, otherwise you can cram eight in a Palisade.

There is an abundance of cupholders, with two up the front, four in the middle (in the door cards) and a further four in the rear row and more in the doors. That's... well, it's a lot. Sixteen all up. But really, the cupholders in each door will hold a bottle rather more successfully.

This one has a Nappa leather interior. (image: Peter Anderson)

Two captain's chairs - a bit like the up-spec Hyundai Odyssey's middle row - separate the front seats from the rear bench. (image: Peter Anderson)

If you want the seven seats, just ask, otherwise you can cram eight in a Palisade. (image: Peter Anderson)

Under the console is a handy spot to sling things, including small bags or a solitary bag of shopping. The cupholders in the centre console are joined by a wireless phone charging port with a USB port so you can connect to the media system. 

There are six more USB ports throughout the cabin and each row has its own set of air vents. Passengers are very well looked after.

In addition you get five top tether points (eight seater) or four (seven-seater) and three ISOFIX anchors for child seats.

The boot is big even with the third row in place - 311 litres is your opening bid, rather more than the jacket pocket you get in most seven-seaters. Drop those seats, and you have a frankly excessive 704 litres.

And you know how the third row is a postcode away? There's a function in the media system that lets you have a quiet word with the back seat rebels via the rear speakers so you don't have to talk/shout across the more genteel middle row occupants.

The boot is big even with the third row in place - 311 litres is your opening bid. (image: Peter Anderson)

Drop those seats, and you have a frankly excessive 704 litres. (image: Peter Anderson)

It has all the space you could ever need. Or, hopefully, want. (image: Peter Anderson)

Speaking of the third row, it's more spacious than the very 'occasional use only' slots for feet in the Santa Fe. 

In this seven-seat version it's much easier to get into the rear seat and has the added, unexpected bonus that you won't have to faff around with baby or booster seats in the second row.

Given the Palisade is a tick under five metres in length and nearly two metres wide, it's a surprisingly wieldy machine. The doors are massive and make loading and unloading kids and stuff easy (especially with the hands-free tailgate). 

There is space galore for either passengers, or stuff, or both, and it's all easily configurable. Getting to the back row is easy with either the simple step-through convenience of the seven-seater or the electric movement of the middle row in the eight seater.

It is big and, yes, you'll need to have your wits about you in car parks and all of the safety gear is extremely welcome because you can't see everywhere. The turning circle is a reasonable 11.8 metres. 

And you can tow 2200kg of stuff, too, if your trailer has brakes. The roof racks will take another 100kg.

The Palisade arrives with six airbags (the curtains reach all the way back to the third row), ABS, stability and traction controls, forward AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, reverse AEB, blind-sport monitoring, safe exit assist, 

The forward AEB works for pedestrians and cyclists between 10km/h and 70km/h, while the AEB will do its level best to stop you walloping another car between 10km/h and 180km/h.

It comes with dual LED headlights. (image: Peter Anderson)

If you go for the full eight seats, there are five top-tether points, four in the seven-seater. The middle row scores two ISOFIX points with three in the third row.

There is not yet an official ANCAP test and because you can't buy a Palisade in Europe, no Euro NCAP homework for the local crasher to copy (which is all above board, of course).

I wasn't expecting fireworks from the fuel economy but this massive machine came in at 8.8L/100km of diesel drunk. 

The official combined cycle figure is 7.3L/100km but the Palisade spent most of its time with me in the suburbs, with one decent highway run. 

To get that close to the official figure is excellent going and well inside my hotly-debated 30 percent rule.

The Hyundai Palisade is hugely impressive, resetting the bar for what to expect, even at $75,000. (image: Peter Anderson)

Hyundai covers the Palisade with its trademark five year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Every 12 months or 15,000km you'll be expected to pop in to Hyundai and drop $469 for each of the first five services ($70 more than the petrol).