These days, most Range Rover buyers wouldn’t dare to even imagine taking their beloved luxo-utes away from paved roads. Their contemporary value lies in their timeless style, comfortable and plush interior environments, abundance of space, and effortless power. Hyundai aims to capture a similar sense of magic with their next-gen Palisade.
Somehow, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade manages to look more rugged and determined than its previous generation, while simultaneously retaining its signature friendliness.
It’s a design that playfully admits it wants to be like a Range Rover, but still possesses the distinct angular charm of current Hyundai design language. It’s certainly making a solid effort to be presentable and modern, but doesn’t try too hard to be ‘futuristic’.
If the Range Rover is a hedge fund manager in a Savile Row suit, the 2026 Palisade is a software engineer wearing Uniqlo. It’s sophisticated, yet sensible. It’s far more casual than the much more expensive Range Rover, but it’s an SUV that looks just as at home in the office parking lot as it does at weekend soccer practice. 
Currently, Hyundai uses a naturally-aspirated, 291 horsepower, 3.8L V6 to power the full-size crossover, but the next-generation model will likely use a revised powertrain. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid options are likely, which would add a significant power boost and maximize fuel efficiency, but we’re eager to see if the no-nonsense, naturally-aspirated V6 will remain as the model’s most basic offering.
Since the Ioniq 9 has taken the place of the full-size crossover offering in Hyundai’s electric lineup, it’s unlikely we will see a full-EV version of the 2026 Palisade. Thus, where the Ioniq 9 leans towards a softer, more understated charm, the 2026 Palisade leans into its more old-school, rugged nature both in terms of styling and its amenities.
Final thoughts
Hyundai’s simple recipe – a really, really big crossover that isn’t an SUV – proved successful with the previous generation Palisade, especially in the North American market where it has become so popular that it has inspired other manufacturers to invent new models just to compete.
