The IT Nerd

Under the hood of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade Luxury has a stout 3.8 L V6. And by stout I mean that it has 291 HP and 262 pound feet of torque. It’s mated to an 8 speed automatic transmission and power goes to all four wheels via Hyundai’s HTRAC AWD system which gives you the ability to select what terrain you are on to make the most of its capabilities. This combo made for effortless driving. Especially on the day I returned it when it snowed heavily and I switched the HTRAC AWD system to snow to make sure that I stayed safe on the road. It would do things like come off the line, pass slower cars, merge onto the highway and the like with ease and without the need to push it hard. The transmission was also smooth shifting and always picked a gear to keep the engine in the sweet spot.

The effortless nature continues in how well it drives. While I would not say that you should carve up some back roads in this vehicle, it is very easy to drive and gives you the feeling that it is a lot smaller than it is. It’s also surprisingly nimble as well with a decent turning radius given how big this vehicle is. While some sporty drivers would wish for some more road feel via the steering wheel, I seriously doubt that you’ll find any reason to complain about the driving dynamics.

There’s a number of driving modes on tap that range from Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart. I kept it in the latter which is allowing me to get 12.8 L/100 KM in terms of fuel economy at the moment. That’s not bad and I think it is going to get better as the week goes on. It also has an automatic engine stop/start system to get you some additional savings in fuel. Like most of these systems, it is defeat-able if you don’t like it as like most of these systems it does turn off the HVAC system along with the engine. But I left it activated during the week that I had it.

Tomorrow I will discuss the interior which can be described as “beyond impressive” for the most part. Tune in tomorrow to find out what I mean by that.

I’ll just get this out of the way right up front. In the form of the Palisade, Hyundai has created a three row crossover that is almost perfect. On top of that, you can get it at a price point that fits your budget while getting a lot of content in the bargain. And what this review will show is why I feel that way. Let’s start with the exterior looks.

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The Palisade is a big, bold and imposing vehicle that screams that it’s large and in charge. That’s highlighted by that grill which is huge. The 20″ rims in this trim level add to that by giving the vehicle a lot of presence. Trust me, you’re going to get noticed when you drive up to your destination in one of these.

My review of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade Luxury is made up of five parts:

• Exterior
• Engine, transmission, handling, fuel economy, and driving comfort
• Interior
• Technology in the vehicle
• Wrap up

The next part of this review will cover the engine, transmission and driving comfort. And one thing that stood out to me about about this vehicle is how easy it is to drive considering that it is a big three row crossover. Tune in tomorrow to get the details.