Toyota Fortuner RIval, The Palisade 8-seater SUV has one of the critical aspects people look in the segment, SIZE
As promised, Hyundai has unveiled Palisade 8-seat SUV at ongoing 2018 Los Angeles Motor Show. To be produced at its facility in Ulsan, South Korea, this monocoque SUV is underpinned by a new platform and boasts large footprints for having imposing road presence. The design tone is aggressive and elements like large cascading front grill, slim headlamps with vertically slatted LED DRLs, and 20” alloys give Palisade a strikingly distinct personality. The SUV’s bulk is even more apparent in the profile though rear has been done neatly with vertical LEDs, roof spoiler, and pronounced bumper.
To power this massive SUV, Hyundai has utilized a 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine churning 292PS at 6000 rpm and 355Nm at 5000 rpm. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission which sends drive either to rear wheels or all wheels, depending on the configuration. There is no diesel for now though Hyundai could include the oil-burner later.
Hyundai Palisade, unlike Santa Fe, comes with 8-seat distributed over 3-rows of seating arrangement. The seats have quilted Nappa leather upholstery and thanks to its one-touch seat forward and tumble in 2nd row, getting into 3rd row shouldn’t require much effort. The first two rows get ventilated seats while the third-bench receives reclining and power folding function. Other noteworthy features include shift-by-wire technology, 10.25” touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual sun-roof, Harmon sound system, 12.3” TFT cluster, heads-up display, 16-cupholders, 7 USB ports, etc.
Safety features available on the Palisade include seven airbags, blind-spot assist, lane-change assist, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision avoidance assist, electronic child-safety lock, and powered tailgate among others. Slated for US launch in mid-2019, Hyundai is yet to reveal whether Palisade will come to India or not. However, if it does, Hyundai will slot it above the upcoming Santa Fe. All it needs a 4×4, an automatic, a 2.0/3.0 litre diesel engine and it should sell if the company market it right in the Indian market.
