Fitting more than seven people into a car is often the domain of a people mover, unless of course you’re one of those brands that offer an 8-seat SUV, like Hyundai, with the 2024 Palisade Elite.
Providing a reasonably comfortable and versatile package, it has a starting price of $76,570 drive away. As the entry level trim for Australia, the Elite doesn’t leave much behind, thanks to a lengthy list of standard features.
Black leather seats kick things off in an interior that features a good driving position, with a nice view of your surroundings. For a large car, it does a good job of being compliant and user friendly, for the most part.
We did notice that the HVAC screen in the lower centre console can be affected by sun glare, making that display difficult to read at times. There were no such issues with the twin 12.3-inch digital displays for instruments and infotainment.
The second row benefits from the Palisade’s size too, thanks to its adjustable seat positioning and recline. As per Hyundai’s adverts, it definitely feels like a first-class experience; only missing video screens in the seat backs for that true airline experience.
There’s plenty of room in both front rows, while the third row is best left as a child only zone. Perhaps you could fit some adults back there for very short trips, but it wouldn’t be super comfy for anyone.
A slight inconvenience comes with accessing the third row via the split-fold second row pews. It’s no deal breaker, but if you have a loaded car, it means two people having to move to let someone in to the back seats.
Conveniently, the Palisade offers five anchor points for child seats across the rear rows. Boot space starts at 704-litres and opens up to a huge 2,447-litres with the second and third rows down.
There are plenty of storage areas throughout, including some large cubbies in and under the centre console. The whole family can get involved in counting and locating where all 17 of the cupholders are hidden too.
There’s a handy ‘passenger talk’ function that projects the voices from the front row to the rear occupants via the rear speakers. Audio is delivered through an Infinity 12-speaker premium system in decent clarity.
All occupants can access USB ports for their devices with a single USB-A connector in the centre console for phone connectivity (Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), along with a wireless charging pad.
A USB-C port can be found under the centre console, with two each for the second and third rows. Climate can be set separately for those in the rear for their own comfort, while dual zone is available up front.
Our Palisade was powered by a 2.2-litre diesel with HTRAC all-wheel drive. This engine delivers 147kW and 440Nm, and delivers a claimed 7.3-litres/100km in the fuel economy stakes. We managed a respectable 8.6-litres for nearly 900km from its 71-litre fuel tank.
Standard drive modes include Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart, while Snow, Mud and Sand Terrain modes are also available. Changing the drive mode alters the digital display appropriately, while paddle shifters behind the steering wheel allow a more engaged drive.
The 8-speed gearbox has a tendency to revert to Drive after a period of time, which can be inconvenient. The Elite trim level offers a reversing camera, proximity sensors around the vehicle and blind spot monitoring.
Hyundai’s driver assistance systems have already come under a lot of scrutiny, even in our own reviews, but it remains difficult to support a system that is annoying, restrictive, and regularly wrong.
Those beeps and warnings stand out and become annoying, or worse, get ignored. The speed sign recognition system consistently misread signs on our daily commute during testing, for example. Yes it can be deactivated, but it resets every time you turn the car off.
A smart key allows you to start the Palisade remotely, which is handy for cooling the car down (or warming it up) before getting in. You’ll also find blind spot collision avoidance assist, lane keen and lane follow assist, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist.
Rear occupant alert and safe exit assist also feature on a car that has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. The Palisade goes up against the 7-seat Santa Fe and 8-seat Staria for seating capacity and overall space, but is dearer than both.
It is competitive against the Nissan Pathfinder Ti and Mazda CX-90 though. Hyundai offers a 5-year unlimited kilometre, with some pre-paid service plans. All-in-all it’s a decent large SUV for those who need space but don’t love a people mover.
Even in Elite trim, it’s well appointed and comfortable, offering a lot of flexibility in a layout that simply works as a 5-seat, 7-seat or 8-seat setup. It also doesn’t miss out on much over its higher-spec Calligraphy sibling.
The 2024 Hyundai Palisade Elite comes in Abyss Black, Creamy White and Shimmering Silver at present, but at the time of testing was also available in Moonlight Blue, Graphite Grey and Sierra Burgundy.
You can find out more from the Hyundai Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote on your next vehicle purchase, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One.
To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Hyundai Australia for independent review purposes.
