It’s common for Hyundai and Kia to debut new vehicles in their home market of South Korea a few months before the unveiling of these products for other regions. Generally, the styling remains the same worldwide, but there can be tweaks to the available equipment. Here’s an early look at the 2026 Hyundai Palisade ahead of its arrival in the United States.
This will be the second-generation
. The original model debuted at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show and went on sale for the 2020 model year. It gave the company a larger three-row SUV for customers who found the smaller, seven-seat Santa Fe XL a bit too cramped in the back. Buyers had the choice between seven- and eight-seat configurations. All of them came with a 3.8-liter V-6 producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Front- and all-wheel-drive configurations were available.
Take A Look At The New Palisade
Like the latest
, Hyundai’s new SUVs adopt boxier styling than their predecessors. This new design language is a prominent part of the next-gen Palisade’s look, too. Where the existing version still has some curves on its nose and flanks, the new one adopts a monolithic appearance.
The nose is blunt and features a stack of angular LED lights on the outer edges. The grille has a mix of broad and shorter horizontal slats and an illuminated strip along the upper portion. Prominent fenders adorn the vehicle’s flanks. An intriguing styling element is the metallic effect on the roof rails that continues onto the D-pillar, while a body-color section is on the roof to break up the colors. A similar piece of trim runs along the lower body stills. The shiny sections add a different texture to the exterior that keeps it from looking too monochrome. At the back, the taillights match the shape of the headlights. Hyundai’s designers conceal the exhaust pipes, which adds a svelte look to the back.
A Glimpse Inside The Palisade
Hyundai also released a pair of photos showing the Palisade’s cabin, and there are similarities to the recently unveiled
electric SUV. Both of them feature panoramic screens for infotainment and instrument duties on the dashboard. The HVAC controls are on the center stack underneath the displays. Fans of physical buttons can rejoice because there are few buttons and knobs in the cabin.
This Palisade has a handsome cabin with lots of beige leather. Orange accent lights provide a warm glow on the dashboard and door panels. Hyundai didn’t release any technical details about the new Palisade. Those details should come closer to when the SUV goes on sale. The model would likely continue to offer all-wheel drive, at least as an option on some trims, because that configuration is something many buyers want in this segment.
TopSpeed’s Take
Boxy vehicles went out of style for a little while, but Hyundai is among the automakers bringing back the blocky look. The new Hyundai Palisade looks like it would have a lot of presence on the road while keeping all of the occupants comfortable in a cabin with premium materials.
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