HYUNDAI is renowned for its seven-seat family haulers. The Santa Fe has been a stalwart of the local SUV scene since 2007, and through three generations, the model has improved by every conceivable metric… However, some people regard the Santa Fe as a five-seater with an extra pair of occasional seats – not a “true” seven-seater. For them, the full-size Palisade is the answer.

The Palisade debuted at the Los Angeles Motor Show in 2018, was eventually adapted for right-hand-drive markets and went on sale Down Under in late 2020. Based on a stretched version of the Santa Fe’s platform, the Palisade is 210mm longer and 85mm wider than its sibling, which is why it offers notably more passenger and cargo space. It’s also available in eight-seat guise…

Eight-seat Palisade derivatives come fitted with five child-seat anchorages with ISOFIX connection points in the two outboard second-row seats and one third-row seat. Seven-seat versions, in turn, have four child-seat anchorages in combination with three ISOFIX points.

Sixteen cupholders, seven USB outlets and a myriad cubby and storage spaces are provided, while the third-row seats have reclining backrests and there’s a one-touch tilt and slide function for moving the second row forward (by 220mm) to allow easier access to the rearmost seats.

The Palisade is powered by either a 217kW/355Nm 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine that drives the front wheels or a 147kW/440Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel in conjunction with all-wheel drive. 

According to ADR combined cycle testing, petrol models consume an average of 10.7 litres of fuel per 100km and turbo-diesel models 7.3L/100km. Both powerplants are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while all derivatives’ braked towing capacity is listed at 2200kg.

We tested the mid-tier Palisade Elite with a turbo-diesel engine and all-wheel drive (Hyundai says diesel AWD variants account for almost 70 per cent of the range’s sales). Priced from $65,500 (plus on-road costs), the five-door SUV costs just $300 more than the top-spec Santa Fe Highlander, but it offers significantly more space – and is very nearly as well-equipped.

As standard, the model includes 18-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare, black leather upholstery with electric adjustment for the driver, tri-zone climate control (with vents for all three rows of seats), keyless entry and ignition, third-row intercom, “Quiet Mode” audio isolation, a wireless charging pad, front- and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, self-dimming rear-view mirror, auto headlights, plus adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go functionality.

A 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment array incorporates native satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio, supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, plus it offers the ability to pair multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices simultaneously. Audio comes courtesy of a 12-speaker Infinity premium sound system.

Safety kit includes an electric park brake with auto-hold function, tyre-pressure monitoring, six airbags (including curtain airbags for the third row of passengers), forward collision warning, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, lane-keep and lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic avoidance, driver alertness monitor, high-beam assist, and rear seat occupant detection.

Like its stablemates, the Palisade is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with roadside assistance and capped-price servicing ($399 for petrol versions, $469 for their diesel equivalents). Service intervals are set at 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first) with 

The Palisade competes in the SUV Large (under $70,000) segment. Its rivals include the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota LandCruiser Prado, as well as the Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Skoda Kodiaq and Toyota Kluger.