2021 Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Sorento

What's the difference?

The Hyundai Palisade impressed with how good it was to drive for something this size, and for the spacious practical cabin, which is outfitted with air vents and USB ports, too. More fuel-efficient powertrains such as a hybrid is what the Palisade could do with though, and while Hyundai wouldn't say if they were coming, I’m sure we’ll see them in the not too distant future. The safety tech, though, is cutting edge and the all covering third row airbags are big wins for this SUV as well. Ownership costs are very reasonable with affordable capped price servicing. The CX-9 and Kluger were the popular benchmarks for the class, but Palisade’s arrival could change this.

The sweet spot of the range is the entry grade diesel Palisade, it's more fuel efficient than the petrol has all-wheel drive and plenty of great features.

Much like the wider Sorento range, the GT-Line petrol is an absolute knockout and therefore should be on top of the shopping list of any family looking for a seven-seater.

In fact, the Sorento GT-Line petrol’s brilliant combination of good looks, cutting-edge technology, seven-seat versatility and overall driving comfort is worthy of Olympic gold.

While it might be hard to look past the lack of third-row curtain airbags, families that don’t need seven seats full-time should be able to, and they’ll be rewarded for doing so.

Excuse my language but, “gosh yes”.  Look at the size of that grille, those fang-like LED running lights, that long and broad bonnet, the epic side profile and those vertical tail-lights. It’s a beast, but a refined and prestigious looking one.

The Palisade is big, but not as gigantic as it looks. The dimensions show the Palisade to be 4980mm long, 1975mm wide and 1750mm tall.

The cabin keeps up that posh appearance, too. There’s the high centre console which stands like a wall dividing the driver and front passenger, and the stylish 10.25-inch media display that meets at a point on that compact dashboard which doesn’t intrude much into the cabin space.

The white interior you can see in the Highlander images and video can be swapped for a burgundy leather and black dash combination, while the entry-grade Palisade has black leather and a black dash as standard.

Both grades have leather seats (the Highlander has the plush Nappa leather ones) and the cabins have a high-end feel and look.

It’s interesting that the instrument cluster in the Highlander isn’t fully digital, this would complete that premium look but the feel of the material throughout is excellent.

The Palisade is offered in six mica and metallic paint colours including the standard 'White Cream Mica', and premium 'Timeless Black', 'Steel Graphite', 'Sierra Burgundy' and 'Rain Forest.'

When was the last time a new Kia model turned this many heads? The Stinger? Probably, but the Sorento is a different beast because it’s a vehicle most people would actually buy.

Yep, the Sorento is out to make a statement from the get-go. Where its predecessor was close to anonymous, this car draws attention for all the right reasons.

This all starts up front, where an enlarged version of Kia’s signature ‘tiger nose’ grille sits loud and proud with a black mesh insert.

The striking look is made all the more attractive courtesy of daytime running lights, which trail into the bottom corners of the grille while underscoring the headlights.

Then the bumper adds a bit of aggro with its large air intake, which is flanked by black U-shaped trim. Even the bonnet is nicely creased!

Around the side, the GT-Line petrol tested here ups the visual ante with an appealing set of Dark Chrome 20-inch alloy wheels.

Chrome accents also add intrigue below the A-pillars, while the wedge-like glasshouse dials up the sportiness.

At the rear, things get quite daring, with the split, horizontal tail-lights guaranteed to stand out from the crowd.

The tailgate is also intricately ‘folded’, while the spaced-out, centred ‘Sorento’ lettering below the number plate points out the bleeding obvious.

Inside, the Sorento GT-Line petrol continues to delight, with it feeling far, far more premium than you’d expect. No, seriously.

First, black quilted Nappa leather-appointed upholstery lovingly covers the seats, armrests and door inserts, while soft-touch plastics are deployed on the upper and middle dashboard, and door shoulders.

Then there’s the cool crosshatch metallic trim, which combines with the prevalent silver and gloss-black accents, with the latter attracting fingerprints and scratching, very easily.

But the main event is a side-by-side digital screen tag team - a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen and 12.3-inch instrument cluster.

Alongside the windshield-projected head-up display, this set-up is powered by Kia’s latest software, which is a pleasure to use, even with the myriad of capacitive buttons around the place. You still get some physical controls, though.

It’s also worth mentioning the gear selection, which is a rotary dial instead of a traditional lever. There’s a learning curve, but it works well enough when you get your head around it.

The entry-grade Palisade and the Highlander both come standard with eight seats – that’s two up front, a bench of three in the second row and another bench of three in the third.

The Highlander can also be optioned with seven seats at no extra cost. Why would you want less seats? Well the bench seat in the second row is replaced by two captain’s chairs, which offer more comfort.

I sat in the second rows of Palisades with both seating configurations, and I think that for a family the eight-seater is definitely the pick because you can use that middle part of the second row bench for books or toys between the kids or as a seat if you need to.

How spacious are the Palisade’s third row seats? Look, nothing is better than a van or people mover for seating seven people but if you can’t bring yourself to own a Hyundai iMax or Kia Carnival as your family car, then the Palisade is a damned good choice.

I’m avoiding the question. Okay, the good news is the third row of the Palisade feels more spacious than any of it rivals and even for me at 191cm (6'3") tall I could sit back there without my knees touching the seat in front.

Making this even more of an amazing feat is that I could then sit in the seat in front without my knees touching the driver’s seat set in my own position.

So, three of me could sit behind each other comfortably. That’s a worst case scenario on many levels, but means legroom is great.

The not so good news is the roof feels low in the third row for me and when I sat upright my head was just touching the ceiling. Luckily, the third row has a recline function which can add a bit more headroom.

Kids will have plenty of room though, unless they’re my height and then it’s probably time they bought their own car.

That middle seat in the third row is almost not a seat it’s so narrow, but when vacant the extra space it gives two window-seat passengers back there is great.

Climbing into the third row of any SUV needs a bit of flexibility, but it doesn’t come much easier than the step into the Palisade’s rear seats.

As for the boot space, with the third row in place there’s 311 litres of cargo capacity and with them folded flat into the floor the luggage room opens up to 704 litres.

Cabin storage is excellent. That floating centre console means the area under it is large enough for a small backpack, there’s also an enormous covered storage box under the middle armrest up front.

Hyundai says there are 16 cupholders on board: I saw four cupholders in the third row, two in the second and another two in the front. I asked where the rest were and was told they counted the doors pockets as well.

Three-zone climate control on both grades is good to see, along with directional vents in all three rows and air conditioning in the third row.

The wireless charger is only standard on the Highlander grade, but all Palisades have seven USB ports: three in the front and two for both second and third rows.

Both grades in the Palisade range also come with the 'Driver Talk' function which pipes the voices in the front seats to the back seats so the kids can hear you say: “If I see you do that again, you’re walking the rest of the way”. Just be careful to turn it off after you’ve made your threats, though.

It’s disappointing the entry-grade Palisade doesn’t come standard with privacy glass or the rear window sunblinds of the Highlander.

Measuring 4.8mm long (with a 2815mm wheelbase), 1.9m wide, and 1.7m tall, the Sorento GT-Line petrol is on the smaller side for a large SUV, but that doesn’t mean bad things for practicality.

For example, the boot’s cargo capacity is a useful 187L (VDA), but stow the 50/50 split-fold third row (via handy pull tabs) and it increases to a competitive 616L, while shelving the 60/40 split-fold second row (via two latches) will grow it to a cavernous 2011L.

Better yet, four tie-down points and two bag hooks are on hand to secure loose items, while the load lip is tiny and the floor flat, making bulkier loads easier to deal with.

And yes, a 12V power outlet is also in tow, while the load cover can be stowed underfloor when not in use.

The third row is accessed via one-touch buttons, which mercifully tumble the second row forward. With the latter in its rearmost position, a 184cm (6'0") frame like mine needs to split its legs, with knees pressed against the backrest in front, but a centimetre of legroom is on offer.

Amenities-wise, each of the two seats gets its own USB-A port, cupholder and rectangular cubby, which are located to the sides. Not too shabby.

Things get even better in the second row, where the bench manually slides and reclines. Behind my driving position, I have a massive eight centimetres of legroom as well as roughly four centimetres of headroom. And the central tunnel is small, so three adults can sit abreast with no complaints.

Better yet, there are two USB-A ports are in the front seat backrests, plus another at the rear of the centre console, right next to a 12V power outlet. Map pockets are also on hand alongside storage nets. You don’t see that every day.

Then there’s the second-row cupholder overload, with the fold-down armrest featuring two, while another two are incorporated into the door armrests. And yes, the rear door bins can also accommodate two regular bottles.

And when it comes to fitting child seats, five top-tether and four ISOFIX anchorage points are split between the second and third rows. Yep, it’s pretty easy being a parent here.

In the first row, a wireless smartphone charger, three USB ports and a 12V power outlet take up most of the centre stack’s cubby, while two cupholders and a small cubby are located behind.

And the central bin is not only large, but features a removeable tray, while the glove box is also on the larger side.

Finally, the front door bins can also take one regular bottle each and still have enough space for other paraphernalia.

Priced from $61,070, plus on-road costs, the GT-Line petrol sits second from the top of the Sorento range, with only its diesel counterpart going $3000 higher.

The GT-Line's generous standard equipment list includes, four drive modes ('Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Smart'), dusk-sensing LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, 'Dark Chrome' 20-inch alloy wheels (with a full-size spare), auto-folding side mirrors with heating, roof rails, keyless entry, rear privacy glass, and a hands-free power-operated tailgate.

Inside, add push-button start, a 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system, satellite navigation, (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, digital radio, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a windshield-projected head-up display, a wireless smartphone charger and a panoramic sunroof feature.

And then there’s the heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, heated and cooled front seats, heated outboard middle seats, 14-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 10-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, auto-dimming rearview mirror, black quilted Nappa leather-appointed upholstery, ambient lighting and second-row sunshade blinds.

Seven paintwork options are available, with our test vehicle finished in 'Snow White Pearl', which costs $695 extra, bringing the price as tested to $61,765.

For reference, the Sorento GT-Line petrol’s direct rival is the related Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander petrol ($61,700), while it also faces competition from the Mazda CX-9 Azami FWD ($66,190) and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 162TSI Highline ($53,190).

There are two engines in the Palisade line-up: a 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine making 217kW/355Nm and a 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel producing 147kW/440Nm.

The V6 petrol is only available with front-wheel drive, while the diesel comes exclusively with all-wheel drive.

Both engines have an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The braked towing capacity for all Palisades is 2200kg, but you’d be wise to choose the diesel powered one if you plan to hitch up something bigger than a box trailer.

Only the diesel variant was available to drive at the Australian launch, but I found it to be smooth and torquey, while the Palisade’s insulation did a superb job of keeping the clatter out.

There’d be nothing wrong with engines like this 10 years ago, but we’re almost a quarter of the way through the 21st century so it’s disappointing that there isn’t a hybrid variant or even a high output turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, as can be found in the Mazda CX-9.

As its name suggests, the Sorento GT-Line petrol is motivated by a 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 petrol engine.

This 'new' 'Smartstream' unit produces a hearty 200kW of power at 6300rpm and 332Nm of torque at 5000rpm.

And in tow is a dependable eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission (with paddle-shifters) and a basic front-wheel-drive system.

But if you’d prefer a 148kW/440Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive instead, the GT-Line diesel will do the trick for $3000 more.

The Sorento line-up will add eco-friendly Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid petrol-electric powertrain options later this year, but it remains to be seen if they will be available in the GT-Line grade.

For reference, both versions of the Sorento GT-Line have a braked towing capacity of 2000kg (750kg unbraked).

Hyundai says that after a combination of open and urban roads the petrol V6 should use 10.7L/100km. That’s thirsty.

Only the diesel variant of the Palisade was available to test. Hyundai says you should get 7.3L/100km. After 161km of mainly motorways and country roads, the trip computer was reporting an average of 7.0L/100km. City and urban driving would see that mileage climb higher.

It’s already been said, but lack of hybrid variant or fuel-efficient turbo four-cylinder petrol is disappointing.

The Sorento GT-Line petrol’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is 9.7L/100km, while its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are 222g/km.

Reasonable numbers, but in the real world we averaged a higher 11.7L/100km over 209km of driving, and I'm not sure how much better anyone else could do in mixed conditions.

For that reason alone, the Sorento’s upcoming ‘self-charging’ hybrid version is shaping up as the go-to option for family buyers, particularly in and around the city.

In good news, though, the Sorento GT-Line petrol’s 67L fuel tank takes more affordable 91RON petrol at minimum, which is always a win for the budget-conscious.

And for what it’s worth, the alternative Sorento GT-Line diesel uses 6.1L/100km and emits 159g/km, although it will take years to recoup the $3000 difference in cost and make the initial investment worthwhile.

The Palisade didn’t drive as I expected it to. I mean that in a good way. See, as much as I tried to come into this test with a clear mind and no preconceptions, I had my doubts about how well the Palisade would handle, ride and steer. After all, it is a long, tall and wide SUV.

I also knew Hyundai Australia hadn’t carried out any specific Australian tuning to the Palisade’s suspension, as it does for many of its cars, and something it obviously sees as an edge it might have over competitors. Instead the Palisade has a ‘one-size-fits-all’ global suspension tune.

So, the one thing – the driving part – the bit I was expecting the least from, turned out to be the biggest surprise and up there with the Palisade's best attributes.

Not only does the Palisade ride comfortably, but it does so without feeling too ‘floaty’ or ‘bouncy’. Handling is also impressive for something this size and purpose, too.

No, the body control was superb considering the corners, bumps and dips of the country roads I was taking it through.

It was also surprising to find the Palisade’s steering is quite quick and well weighted. Some of those country roads were narrow but the speed limit was 100km/h and I’ve driven them in large SUVs before with vague steering that requires constant adjustments.

But the Palisade’s steering feels natural, accurate and smooth, which is hugely reassuring at that speed in a thing almost as wide as the entire lane.

The Palisade variant I tested was the diesel all-wheel drive Highlander, and while it’s not a performance-focused SUV at all, I didn’t feel as though it was underpowered. Sure, acceleration isn’t mind blowing, but I found it was enough for overtaking easily and moving swiftly if needed.

That 2.2-litre diesel isn’t whisper quiet, but the Palisade’s cabin is so well insulated that unless the engine is really being pushed hard, the noise of it is almost non-existent inside.

Nudging five metres long and two metres wide the Palisade doesn’t feel small, but then it doesn’t feel gigantic like a Nissan Patrol or Toyota LandCruiser are to drive.

Visibility is excellent all around, especially through those large rear side windows. The rear window is also large and offers good vision – unless there are heads in the way.     

As far as family-focused seven-seaters go, the Sorento GT-Line petrol is nice to drive around town, although it is a little unrefined in some areas.

For example, off the line and at low speed, the engine-transmission combination isn’t as smooth as you’d expect it to be. It just feels a bit lazy and clunky.

This is a shame, because once you're up and running, the naturally aspirated V6 delivers pleasing performance, even if it doesn’t feel quite as quick as its outputs suggest.

And the torque-converter automatic behaves just the way you’d want it to, eventually proving to be responsive when required, while also being subtle with its gear changes.

Better yet, the suspension (MacPherson strut front/multi-link rear) lacks adaptive dampers but is no worse off for it, with it being more than comfortable in its own right, despite the obvious threat posed by the 20-inch alloy wheels.

Indeed, this set-up deals with speed humps and road imperfections really well. And with ride quality almost always flawless, children will have few complaints to make, including in the third row.

Parents will also have a good time when driving thanks to the electric power steering, which is on the lighter side, making low-speed manoeuvres, including parking, easier to perform.

This system is also quite direct, but not sports-car quick, so you certainly won’t be fooled into thinking you’re driving something very different. That said, its balanced nature is well suited here.

And when it comes to handling, the effects of the local tuning program are once again apparent, with relatively strong body control demonstrated in spite of a 1835kg tare mass.

Again, we’re not talking about a sports car here, but cornering can be enjoyable so long as understeer and traction can be managed.

Yep, the front wheels can be spun quite easily in the wet and dry, and not just off the line…

ANCAP awarded the entire Sorento line-up its maximum five-star safety rating under its 2020 standard.

Advanced driver-assist systems in the GT-Line petrol extend to front autonomous emergency braking (with intersection assist and pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane-keep and steering assist, adaptive cruise control, high-beam assist, active blind-spot monitoring (with cameras) and rear cross-traffic alert, remote park assist, rear AEB, surround-view cameras, front and rear parking sensors, 'Rear Occupant Alert' and 'Safe Exit Assist.'

Other standard safety equipment includes seven airbags (dual front, front-side and curtain, plus front-centre), anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist and the usual electronic and traction control systems.

But it's important to call out that the curtain airbags don’t extend to the third row, which is extremely disappointing for a family-focused seven-seater. Buyer beware.

The Hyundai Palisade is covered a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 12 months/15,000km and the pricing is capped.

According to Hyundai the V6 petrol costs $399 per service over five years, while the diesel is $469 for each service for the same period.

As with all Kia models, the Sorento GT-Line petrol comes with an industry-leading seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with no strings attached. It also gets seven years of roadside assistance.

And the Sorento GT-Line petrol’s service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Capped-price servicing is available for the first seven visits, costing $3449 in total, for an average of about $493, which isn’t too bad.