2023 Hyundai Palisade Review: An Even More Well-Rounded Package

• The Hyundai Palisade gets a refresh for 2023.
• There's more standard safety tech and a new, more rugged XRT trim.
• Do the changes make it better than before? Read on to find out.

How does the 2023 Palisade drive?

It will probably come as no surprise that the refreshed Palisade drives a lot like the 2020-2022 model. New valving in the suspension allows the car to make finer adjustments to changing road surfaces, but the difference it makes is practically indiscernible. What really matters is that the Palisade is just as comfortable and easy to drive as before. Even more impressive, if you decide to drive along with the radio off, it's so quiet you'll only have your tinnitus for aural company.

A relaxed throttle makes pulling away from a stop easy, but the 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 doesn't feel that potent until it's well into the top of its rev range. If you really want to overtake cars on the highway, you'll have to pin your foot to the floor. Luckily, coming to a stop is far easier. An easy-to-modulate pedal makes coming to a considered stop a cinch and reduces the head toss that more touchy brake pedals can induce.

Reworked transmission tuning means the shifts themselves are sharper than before, but response from the wheel-mounted paddle shifters is a bit lethargic. The antidote is, really, to just never use the paddles. When left to its own devices, the Palisade finds the right gear at the right time. We didn't get the chance to wring out the Palisade on our drive, but we doubt that handling factors heavily in the minds of potential buyers.

After all, these vehicles spend the majority of their lives hauling passengers and their assorted addenda from school to soccer games and back home again. Rarely, if ever, will an SUV like a Palisade be asked to do more. However, if you're keen on a little adventuring (as so many Americans in the post-COVID era have become), the XRT trim might be of a little more interest to you.

We were given the chance to take an XRT model off-road, and while the muddy, rutted trials were far from challenging, it was the kind of environment this car might find itself in. In XRT guise the Palisade handled these trails with aplomb, and in the trickier portions, the all-wheel-drive system's locking center differential was able to scramble the SUV out of muddy ruts and up slippery inclines. It certainly won't tackle Moab, but it will more than easily get you to your campsite.

Does the 2023 Palisade get any new tech?

If you are planning a little getaway, you might be thankful for the new Wi-Fi hotspot that's standard on all 2023 Palisades. The hotspot feature joins a load of new technology that's been added as a part of the refresh. Other new and available niceties include a digital rearview mirror that receives a feed from a camera out back, USB-C ports and Digital Key 2 Touch, which allows you to tap the back of your smartphone to the door handle to lock or unlock the car. You can also share up to three digital keys with friends and family. We asked, and it even works when your phone is dead or turned off thanks to the magic of near-field communication (or NFC).

There's new standard safety technology too. The rear passengers now get side airbags, bringing the Palisade's total to nine. Adaptive cruise control is now linked with the navigation system, which allows it to preemptively slow for curves. We can report the system worked flawlessly on our test drive.

The Highway Driving Assist 2 tech will also now monitor the cars around the Palisade, and if another car starts to drift into your lane, the Palisade will move over and give the lane-stealer extra space. Luckily, we didn't get the chance to test this feature, but given our experience with HDA 2 in the past (courtesy of the Ioniq 5), we know this system works too.

How is the 2023 Palisade's interior?

Unlike the driving experience, the 2023 Palisade's cabin actually feels fresh. Yes, the basic layout of all the controls is the same, but there's enough revision to make a real difference. For starters, the steering wheel is new to the Palisade. It's the same one that's featured in the current Sonata, but it fits in here. This wheel is more pleasant to look at, can be heated, and is simply nicer to hold and use. Plus, the controls on it are slightly more legible, which is a plus.

The center console is largely the same, but there's a new touch control interface that manages the climate control system. The knobs on either side of the new touchscreen still control the temperature, but fan speed and whether the A/C is on or off is controlled by this small digital display. We often deride the use of touchscreens for primary controls, but to Hyundai's credit, the screen is bright and as easy to use as it is to read. We're thankful that temperature, sync and auto settings still get physical buttons, but this addition declutters the center stack while maintaining functionality.

There's also a new center touchscreen that rises above the dashboard. It's larger than before, now stretching 12 inches across (up from 10.25 inches) and has 720p resolution. The interface behind the glass is the same, but we appreciate the extra screen real estate. As for the cabin, Hyundai has made the Palisade feel even more premium. The upgraded leather seating on higher trim remains, but Hyundai has added a massaging driver's seat to help reduce fatigue on long drives. Models equipped with second-row captain's chairs now have winged headrests, and there's a new third-row seat heating option too. 

So what's the verdict?

The Palisade remains one of our favorite SUVs in the segment. It's usable every day, quiet on the highway, and loaded with tech you'd actually use. Even though it's Hyundai's priciest product, the 2023 Palisade presents as a great value for money. SE models start at $36,245, and prices go up from there. The new XRT trim costs $41,545 and the Calligraphy model tops the charts at $50,195. All-wheel drive is a $1,900 option across the board.

2023 Palisade pros: Upscale looks, quiet and comfortable cabin, lengthy list of optional features

2023 Palisade cons: No available hybrid powertrain, 22 mpg combined fuel economy is unremarkable, AWD should be standard on higher trims

Edmunds says

Has Hyundai finally done enough to overtake the Kia Telluride? We won't know until we drive the updated Kia later this year. Stay tuned to find out.