The Perfect SUV for Off-Roading and Family – 2023 Hyundai Palisade XRT

As a family man with four kids, I have owned my fair share of minivans and three-row SUVs. When the Palisade was introduced in 2019, I was excited to drive it and have had the chance to drive it a few more times since then. The 2023 Palisade has received a facelift, a fresh interior, and a new trim, which I was fortunate enough to test out. The new trim is the rugged-themed XRT model, which complements the Santa Fe and Tucson XRT models in the Hyundai SUV lineup.

The Palisade XRT includes dark-finish, rugged-themed 20-inch alloy wheels, a rugged-look front and rear fascia with skid plate design elements, rugged-look lower door trim, black roof rails, and black leatherette seating surfaces. The exterior of the Palisade XRT features new front and rear bumper fascia, a new front grille, new headlamps and daytime running lights, a new multi-spoke alloy wheel design, and auto-dimming outside mirrors. The color for this model is Steel Graphite, and the vehicle’s dimensions are 114.2 inches in wheelbase, 196.7 inches in length, 77.8 inches in width, 68.9 inches in height, and 7.9 inches in ground clearance.

The Palisade XRT’s power comes from an Atkinson-cycle 3.8-liter V6, dual CVVT, direct-injected engine that produces an estimated 291 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and an estimated 262 lb.-ft. of torque @ 5,200 rpm. The Palisade delivers this power to the wheels via a refined eight-speed automatic transmission with a multi-plate torque converter and offers both two-wheel and HTRAC® four-wheel-drive configurations. The vehicle has a GVWR towing of 5,871 lbs (AWD) and fuel economy of 19/25/21 (AWD).

The interior of the Palisade XRT features a new instrument panel, gauge cluster, and audio interface design, a new steering wheel design, new seating surfaces and materials, an ergo-motion driver’s seat, a second-row armrest angle adjuster (8 passenger, first for Hyundai), heated third-row seats (first application for Hyundai), and acoustic-laminated rear door glass (Calligraphy model). The vehicle’s technology features include a 12-inch navigation with 720p resolution, a digital full-display center rearview mirror (first application for Hyundai), a WiFi hotspot (first application for Hyundai), digital key 2 touch (compatible with iPhone and Android), new Bluelink features, enhanced USB-C ports that replace USB-A ports (quicker charging up to 3 amps), enhanced wireless device charging (from 5W to 15W), and enhanced dynamic voice recognition. The vehicle also has a driver assistance system that includes forward collision-avoidance assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, highway driving assist, reverse parking collision-avoidance assist, and remote smart parking assist.

The Palisade XRT is priced at $40,850, with our tested model’s MSRP at $43,960. The top-of-the-line Calligraphy base model starts at $51,400. Overall, I found the Palisade XRT to be a comfortable and spacious family vehicle that is now even more rugged and stylish.

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