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An updated Hyundai Palisade has been unveiled in New York, combining the Tucson's looks with a premium interior experience. The latest Palisade also adds an off-road oriented XRT trim, much like the all-new Kia Telluride X-Pro. Meanwhile, the luxurious Calligraphy trim gets even more lavish inside, and it even borrows a few features from the Genesis GV80 luxury crossover.
The Palisade gets a new look for 2023, with a larger grille and updated headlights that adopt Hyundai's new parametric shield styling. Vertical LED lighting flanks each side of the grille, and the main headlamps are still housed below the DRLs. These Tucson-esque styling elements give the Palisade an edgier look up front, replacing the outgoing version's more rounded design. Moving past the front, changes are pretty minor. The exterior mirrors gain an auto-dimming function, and there are new multi-spoke wheel designs. The only adjustment at the back is a new rear bumper, which houses a new horizontal reflector. A new exterior color, Robust Emerald, is also available for 2023, though the rest of the color options remain the same as before.
The new Palisade also gains a new XRT off-road trim, which joins the Tucson and Santa Fe XRT. While there are no major performance upgrades, the Palisade does have a more robust look in XRT guise. There are new 20-inch alloy wheels with a dark finish, new side sills, black roof rails, upgraded front and rear fascias with skid plates, a darkened grille, black leatherette seating, and a power sunroof.
Hyundai didn't completely redesign the interior, but there are still some much-needed upgrades. A new digital instrument cluster sits next to the larger 12-inch infotainment system, and an all-new, fully digital rearview mirror is a first for Hyundai. Additionally, an LTE WiFi hotspot is now available, along with Digital Key 2, smarter voice recognition, and new BlueLink features. The old USB-A charging ports have been replaced by quicker USB-C units, and wireless charging rises by 10 watts. The Palisade's interior design has also been updated, with a redesigned steering wheel, refreshed materials and trim pieces, and a new horizontal air vent that stretches across the dashboard. Additionally, there is an all-new ergo-motion driver's seat, which was first introduced in Genesis vehicles. It is essentially a massaging seat, though it moves in certain ways that reduce fatigue and improve comfort. This is an incredible step up for the Palisade, as this feature is also seen in several Mercedes vehicles. Another extremely luxurious upgrade is the addition of heated third-row seats, which is unheard of for an SUV in this price range, and second-row passengers can now enjoy armrest angle adjusters. Lastly, the Palisade Calligraphy adds acoustic rear glass for minimal road noise throughout the cabin.
Performance is mostly the same as before, as last year's 3.8 liter V6 carries over for the 2023 model year. The only improvement is the introduction of Tow Mode, which is now included in the Palisade's HTRAC all-wheel drive modes. When in tow mode, the vehicle stays in lower gears more often, and lessens the frequency of shifting response.
Safety tech has also been upgraded for 2023, with rear side-impact air bags now standard. New active safety tech includes forward collision warning, a new adaptive cruise control, highway driving assist, rear cross traffic alert, and remote parking assist.
The 2023 Hyundai Palisade will definitely have competitors scrambling to match its incredible level of luxury, even though it is anything but a luxury vehicle. Pricing will be announced closer to the Palisade's summer release.
Do you prefer the luxe Palisade over the more rugged Telluride?
Images: Hyundai
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