2026 Hyundai Palisade Debuts with an All-New Look and Built-In Dash Cams

2025 New York International Auto Show Debut

Hyundai unveils the second-generation of its flagship SUV, the Palisade, for the global market last year. At this year’s 125th New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), we yanks got to stand and witness the premium of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade in our very own U.S. spec. The crowd for the debut was so vast that it spilled over into the floor space of other automakers during the presentation.

After forcing my way through the crowd through a mosh pit of selfie sticks and press passes, I got to see the new-gen Palisade with my own eyes.

All-New 2026 Hyundai Palisade

The new 2026 Hyundai Palisade arrives sporting a fresh exterior design. It achieves a sense of elegance with a nonsense approach utilizing straight lines that slice through the mid-size SUV’s profile, flared fenders, front fascia, and even its LED head and taillights. I especially like the Palisade’s front end, with a row of horizontal lines slicing through the grille and headlamps.

Hyundai states this new design enlarges the overall size of the SUV with a focus on increasing the space in the third row and improving outward visibility.

Looks aren’t the only things new with the Hyundai Palisade. It features a new powertrain, improved capabilities, additional safety technology, and its first off-road XRT PRO variant.

More Power and More Range

The 2026 Palisade’s standard engine is the naturally aspired 3.5L V6 making 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. This amount of brawn is enough to give the SUV a towing capacity rating of 5,000 pounds, motivated through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The standard V6 engine can also be equipped with Hyundai’s HTRAC four-wheel system.

In addition, Hyundai added a new hybrid 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine incorporating two electric motors to produce a combined 329 horsepower. This new source of power can keep the SUV moving for an estimated range of 619 miles at over 30 mpg and still tow anything under 4,000 pounds.

2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT PRO

A great portion of Hyundai’s NYIAS presentation was devoted to the Palisade’s new and first off-road capable trim level, the XRT PRO. A Palisade XRT PRO can be spotted by observing the canyon red tow hooks peeking out from its dark accented front grille and fender cladding.

If that doesn’t provide a clue, then look for the exclusive 18-inch dark-finish alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires that do their part in raising the SUV by one inch to provide 8.4 inches of ground clearance.

XRT PRO Palisades come standard with Mud, Sand, and Snow terrain modes to traverse the road less traveled. The HTRAC all-wheel drive system allows the SUV to monitor what each wheel is doing and send power where and when it needs it most.

Other off-road goodies include an exclusive electronic rear limited-slip differential, an OEM tow hitch with downhill brake control, and surround view monitoring with a forward ground view for an up-close view of the terrain ahead.

A Safe View from Inside

The new 2026 Hyundai Palisade features 10 airbags as standard, including dual-front driver and passenger, dual side-front and rear, center-front, knee airbags for the driver, and side-curtain airbags. The full-length side-curtain airbag also extends to cover third-row.

I appreciate Hyundai’s design choice of housing the dual 12.3-inch digital screens under glass and tucking them flush into the dashboard, it looks much more visually appealing.

A standout interior feature and a first for Hyundai are the two built-in dash cameras that provide continuous recording while driving. It uses the vehicle’s 360-degree view sensors and automatically records movements while parked.

The intention is to give the driver better peace of mind for all life’s driving and parking scenarios, from panic stops to fender benders. Video clips can be accessed using the SUV’s center screen display or the MicroSD card in the glovebox.

Moreover, this SUV comes loaded with a host of safety features as part of Hyundai’s Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS):

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Blind-Spot Collision Warning
• Safe Exit Assist
• Forward Attention Warning
• High Beam Assist
• Navigation-Based Smart Cruise Control
• Lane Following Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse
• Remote Smart Parking Assist

At the time of this article, pricing has not been announced for the 2026 Hyundai Palisade, partly due to the recent and chaotic news surrounding tariffs. However, according to Edmunds, Hyundai would not be raising the prices of its models, opting instead to do away with its maintenance-free program.

The new Palisade will reach dealerships by summer 2025, and hybrid models in the fall.