By Tony C. Lesesne
I get to test the gorgeous Hyundai Palasade. Hit the ignition baby, its time to explore why this elegant 3 row SUV makes such a bold statement in the segment.
PERFORMANCE
The Palasade is one smooth beautiful ride with the whole package. Its Powered by a 3.8-liter V-6. Coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Palasade’s engine produces 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, enough to achieve zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds. That’s impressive for a big SUV like this. There are even paddle shifters – yes manual shifting right there on the steering-wheel. The gearbox shifts smoothly like you’re riding on pillows.
Front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is optional. The front-wheel-drive Palisade gets 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. The all-wheel drive, gets 19 city and 24 mpg highway. All Palisades come standard with a robust transmission cooler, trailer pre-wiring and sway control, and can tow up to 5000 pounds via a trailer hitch.
EXTERIOR
This is one gorgeous vehicle from the outside to the inside. Lets focus on the design -that grille and the unique headlamps. There are vertical lower fog lamps below arching, headlights that flow vertically down to the bottom layer – wow. Chrome effect around the grille- with a matching bottom over the spoiler. The side profile shows a very sleek and elegant SUV even as big as it is. Those high tech mirrors with blind spot monitoring looks good and works even better, especially in tricky thick traffic. The back – chromed exhaust on the bottom, solid rear design. Sun roof and roof rails. Hyundai’s HTRAC all-wheel drive combines a 4WD system with the performance and full efficiency of front-wheel drive. The back is characterized by a sporty rear roof spoiler lip for aerodynamics.
INTERIOR
There’s room for up to eight passengers in the SE and SEL trims, seven in the Limited. Look at that – 3 rows for 7 people. And I mean there are comfortable seating at that. Overhead, there’s not just one sun roof but two. The front seats; plush, sport buckets, build to fit the way you sit and drive. You can customize your seating. USB charging ports in the front seats as well for those in the back. Moving back to the cargo area – drop the back seats for 46 cubic feet. The second row features a one-touch button to move the seat forward for easy access to the third row. Right at the bottom of the center console are Drive mode options. A responsive and intuitive 10.3-inch display rendered with sharp resolution provides lots of content, info and readouts. Both systems also can be operated by knobs, buttons and with the touch of a finger. Underneath the back door, more storage – clever right?
With Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth connectivity standard on SE and SEL trims, and up to seven USB ports, There are 3 Palasade trim levels, SE: $32,895, SEL: $34,845, Limited: $46,045 – all of which provide an impressive, and I dare say luxurious product at an affordable price.