Chubby: Hyundai Palisade's First Test In Six Theses

2023 Author: Natalie MacDonald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 02:36

The flagship of any car brand's lineup is usually something very expensive, very cool and very large. Mercedes has an S-class, Ki- has a K900 sedan, and in the Hyundai lineup, after the withdrawal of expensive models into a separate Genesis brand, the SantFe crossover was considered the flagship. And this continued exactly until a huge Palisade arrived in Russia - a car that is not only able to accommodate eight, but also in the most expensive version costs under 4 million rubles. We just drove the new Palisade and share first impressions in six key messages

Fact # 1: No, this is not Santa Fe at maximum speed

Although these models also have something in common - technique. Hyundai Palisade is built on an extended SantFe platform of the current generation (which is currently being sold in Russia) with a transverse engine arrangement and similar suspension arrangements. The motors are also unified: in Russia, the newcomer is offered either with a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 with a capacity of 249 horsepower, or with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 200 horsepower exactly. Moreover, the diesel is still "old", with a cast-iron block, as on the current SantFe. And the transmissions are the same - an uncontested eight-speed "automatic", and no "robots" with two clutches, as on the new KiSorento or the next "Santa", which is about to get to our market.

But the top-end 3.8-liter V6 with a capacity of 295 hp did not arrive in Russia - which is logical, given the domestic tax rates. And we will not have versions with front-wheel drive, only the HTRAC all-wheel drive with a rear axle clutch and a set of “off-road” modes of the MultiTerrain Control control electronics. The suspension is passive, but there can be “self-leveling” struts at the back, which maintain the correct position of the body, regardless of the load. Their design, by the way, is quite simple: a valve system that increases or decreases the pressure in the working cylinder of the shock absorber in response to the load. These are on SantFe and KiSorento.

Fact # 2: It's really big

For starters, just numbers. 4990 millimeters long - like the current BMW X5, or 21 centimeters longer than SantFe. The wheelbase is 2,900 millimeters, which is slightly less than the X5, but 14 centimeters more than the Santa Fe. Finally, Hyundai's flagship crossover is about 10 centimeters taller and wider than the Santa. And this is really noticeable: from the outside, the Hyundai Palisade seems very massive, and from the side and three-quarters behind it generally resembles the Cadillac Escalade of the previous generation.

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The ground clearance is 203 mm. There is no protective plastic on the body, and the chrome trim on the front bumper will be frankly a pity to scratch on the bushes

At the front, there is a hefty metal-trimmed grille, narrow LED navigation lights and large LED headlights that are unusually low. But if we recall the dimensions of the Palisade, it turns out that the lighting technology is at about the same level as that of ordinary cars or compact crossovers. But the radar of the adaptive cruise control is located too low and gets dirty quickly in winter.

Fact number 3: And inside - too big

The inside of the Hyundai Palisade is huge. Everything is big here - doors and door handles, the area of decorative inserts on the front panel, buttons and handles. As if someone took the familiar details and increased them by twenty percent. And the center console dividing the front passengers is so wide that it looks more like a fashionable bedside table with a bunch of compartments and niches for things. And she's tall! So much so that there is another niche underneath, accessible from both sides - just like on Volvo cars.

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Light trim makes the interior of Hyundai Palisade very elegant - especially with such inserts under matte veneer

Finishing materials are not bad, but some "American" or something. The plastic is not as rough as, for example, in the VW Teramont, but does not create a premium feel. Metal inserts are just silver plastic, and decorative trim is generally better to watch and choose live. Because some of the options look rustic, the matte veneer finish with horizontal stripes imitating the layers of wood looks much better.

Much also depends on the interior color. Dark is boring, light is much more interesting, especially in the Cosmos configuration, where the ceiling will be trimmed with light faux suede. Very smart. There is also an option with burgundy leather, but it is also better to look at it personally, otherwise you never know …

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The split second row seats are comfortable and even ventilated. In this configuration, even adults will be able to get to the third row without folding the second seat.

On the second row it is at ease - either in the version with a three-seater sofa, or with separate "captain's" chairs, which are available only in the top-end Cosmos configuration for an additional payment of 30 thousand rubles. In both cases, legroom is not just a lot - heaps of it. In addition, the seats can be moved back and forth in a decent range. A three-seater sofa is a little more practical, but its padding is stiffer. Separate armchairs with individual armrests are more comfortable and have not only heating, but also ventilation.

In the third row, by the way, it's also not bad. The backs are adjustable in tilt angle, there are own cup holders and ventilation deflectors, USB connectors for recharging gadgets (there are 7 of them in the crossover, including those located in the backs of the front seats), and there is enough legroom even for not too tall adults - you just need a little move the second row forward. And to get to the "gallery" or get out of there, it is enough to press a button on the back of the chair or on its base, and the seat will easily move off.

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The trunk is rather big, even in a seven-seat configuration. The backrests of the second row are folded with buttons on the side panel in the trunk. In the USA, for example, the third row can also be folded with buttons, but in Russia for this you have to pull the straps on the backs

And even the trunk in the three-row cabin configuration is not at all conventional. For some reason, the Russian specification claims only 300 liters of usable volume, but in reality, several suitcases and a couple of backpacks on top easily fit into the compartment. So one can believe more in the "American" 509 liters. And if you fold the third row by pulling the straps on the backs of the seats, the compartment will become really large - 700 liters according to Russian performance characteristics or 1274 liters according to data for the American market. The floor is flat, but the wheel arch covers and cup holders built into them will stick out on the sides. The maximum volume of the trunk with the second and third row seats folded is almost 2.5 cubic meters!

Fact # 4: Palisade rides nicely

That's right - it's nice. The 3.5 petrol "six" accelerates the large crossover easily and confidently, and generally seems to be the ideal partner for the Palisade. Quiet, elastic, with a pleasant pickup at high revs and a solid voice that penetrates into the cabin only if you press harder on the right pedal. Eight seconds to "hundred", 210 kilometers per hour "maximum speed", but also an increased tax (although Palisade in any case falls under the "luxury tax") and a consumption of at least 12 liters with a quiet ride and 14-16 - if you go for everything money.

Diesel 2.2 also copes well with its tasks. It is 50 thousand cheaper, falls into a different tax category and successfully compensates for the lack of 49 "horses" with an extra hundred Newton meters of torque. Yes, the dynamics of the diesel crossover is dimmer (10.5 seconds to "hundreds"), overtaking on country roads is a little more difficult, and the diesel sound does not shine with nobility either inside or outside the car. Yes, and even barely noticeable vibrations from the cast-iron "four" no-no, yes, they will run at idle along the steering wheel and seat. But the fuel consumption fits into 11 liters, and the figures for the power reserve under a thousand kilometers, glowing on the screen of the on-board computer, make you think about traveling somewhere to the ends of the world.

Moreover, the chassis settings are quite suitable for this. Suspension, which in combination with 20-inch wheels seems a little too stiff in the city, especially on bumps with sharp edges, on the track opens up from the most unexpected side. Because the Palisade, it seems, does not matter at all what is under the wheels! The comb of poorly laid asphalt, joints, cracks or icy gaps that densely dot the roads northeast of St. Petersburg - all this is swallowed by a large Korean crossover without choking. It is worth picking up a cruising speed of 80-100 kilometers per hour, and the quality of the road surface ceases to matter: this thing just rushes like a tank. Tight, collected and calm. The suspension energy is impressive! Even on twentieth wheels - no bumps.

On smooth asphalt, the Palisade rides very softly and quietly - thanks to the two-layer side and windshield windows. But on a rough surface, the magic suddenly disappears: the noise from tires clearly penetrates into the cabin, and in the rear seats, due to the large volume of the cabin, it seems even louder. Of course, you can make a discount on the fact that the tires on our cars were winter, albeit non-studded - perhaps the summer ones will be more comfortable.

It is also important that after a couple of hours driving a Hyundai Palisade you forget that you are driving a big and heavy car. The reactions to the steering wheel are not sharp, but understandable, the effort and information content, maybe not exemplary, but adequate. And it is easy to control the thrust - the accelerator is tuned softly, but linearly, the eight-speed “automatic” obediently drops 1-2-3 gears in response to a request to accelerate, and when braking, this almost five-meter contraption does not even think to nod.

Fact # 5: But it's not cheap

In 2021, everything is "expensive", but Hyundai Palisade is not dumping either. Prices start from the mark 3.199 million rubles for a crossover with a diesel engine in the Lifestyle package, which will have 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, a full package of heating, airbags and electric drives, 8-inch multimedia with basic music and a minimum package of safety systems. But such a set of equipment can be obtained with a V6 engine, having paid in addition 50 thousand rubles.

But it is better to immediately look at the Prestige package, in which for additional 250 thousand rubles they will offer all-round cameras, an electric rear door, ventilation for the front seats and an electric passenger seat, a 7-inch on-board computer screen on the tidy, multimedia with a 10.25-inch display and even Harman Kardon music with 12 speakers and a subwoofer.

Yet 280 thousand from above, for the Hi-Tech package, a head-up display and a full range of security systems will be added to the list of "goodies", including adaptive cruise control, a system for monitoring blind spots and collision avoidance, a lane keeping system (by the way, it works very well!), an alignment system bodywork, as well as curtains on the rear windows and 20-inch wheels.

Against the background of the price of such a car in 3.729 million rubles (with diesel engine) surcharge in 70 thousand for the upholstery of the armchairs with Napp leather and the ceiling with artificial suede (Cosmos equipment), it seems not too big. But to spend another 30 thousand for separate second-row seats or not - it's up to you to decide.

Fact # 6: Competitors, however, are not cheaper

The main opponent of the Palisade, the huge VW Teramont, is temporarily not for sale in Russia due to a delay in the supply of updated cars. Restyled cars will appear at dealerships closer to the summer and will certainly add to the price to those 3,009,000 - 4,059,000 rublesthat asked for a crossover last summer. But a well-equipped Teramont with a V6 engine, which visited our detailed test in June, cost an absolutely indecent 4.15 million rubles!

You won't be able to save even when buying a seven-seater MazdCX-9. For a car with a 2.5-liter turbo engine with 231 hp. and with a cloth interior they now ask for a minimum 3,043 million, and leather trim will appear only for a surcharge of 121 thousand. And only in top-end equipment - with Bose music with 12 speakers and Napp leather on the seats - the CX-9 will cost about 100 thousand cheaper similar "Palisade".

You can take a closer look at the Chevrolet Traverse, which is also large and comfortable, and also with a V6 engine - but it is also rated at least 3.7-4 million rubles, depending on the configuration. Or to the ToyotHighlander crossover, which is now sold quite sluggishly and costs from 3.8 million rubles.

Finally, one could dream of a KiTelluride crossover soplatform "Palisade" - the same big, but with a different body design and a different interior, but … Its fate on the Russian market is as vague as the dawn in Scotland. In the Hyundai-Kia alliance, it seems, they decided not to push their brainchildren against each other, so instead of one Telluride, we sell two other models: KiMohave (for those who need an SUV) and the Carnival minivan (for those who need a lot of space in the cabin). And if nothing changes, the future of Hyundai Palisade in Russia looks almost cloudless.