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2021 Hyundai Palisade: A Trip into the Countryside -REVIEW

gaycarboys - Alan Zurvas

Palisade: 4 Boys or Bust

Buyers continue to move ever further away from conventional passenger cars, SUVs like Palisade seems to be the plaisir extrême de la journée. Why is this happening? No one can say. Perhaps it is the allure of trip in the country.

With that in mind, the boys and I piled into the big Hyundai for a sneaky weekend at the cabin. Ethan’s mum has abandoned her favourite weekender for a box in the sky in Sydney. That’s bonkers, but it means more cabin for us.

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We set off, the Palisade packed to the portals with gourmet goodies, for Drover’s Rest. There were 2 hours to kill, so driving was a chore to be shared.

For a full list of features, click the link – Palisade (LX2) Specifications – Dec 2020

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Car Review -2021 hyundai Palisade Highlander Review

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ABOVE: 2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander

The Trip

Moleskinned Max was first up, while I tried to grab 40 twinks. While that subtle pun sets in, consider for a moment that Palisade could just about make the Sydney – Brisbane leap in a single bound. The thought of missing the turn to the wineries is unthinkable. The hideous humidity, and insects the size of house cats, do the north no favours.

My hopes of blissful slumber were shattered by Max’s discordant rendition of the Kylie classic, Can’t Get You Out of My head. Max and Casper found the button that allows the driver to talk to other passengers through the audio system, whether they want to hear from him or not. And yes, it is loud. Thanks Hyundai, I’ll see you later.

Sleep sabotaged, Max and Casper regaled us with tawdry tales of drunken boarding school hijinks. Lads will be lads, and the same goes for ex-private school twats. All those stories you’ve heard about a bunch of highly-hormoned teens, is true.

Palisade has 8 generous seats, well, at least 5 of them are. I donned my noise cancelling buds, stretched right out, and watched a b-grade movie on the inbuilt entertainment screen.

With the 3rd row folded, sufficient space for 8 bulging bags was had. One thing is certain, gays do not understand the concept of travelling light.

Drover’s Rest

Rolled up the drive, hungry and tired.

The evening was spend sheltering in the warmth of the cabin, from a storm of biblical proportions. Next day we set off for the highest hill to survey the damage.

The rest of the weekend was spent touring the vast estate, a mix of Alpaca farming, and vineyards. Trees had fallen, so we were constantly looking for a workaround.

What the boys thought:

Me: I love the sheer American-ness of it. It is huge in the same way a Range Rover is, but for 1/5 of the price. No one is saying it is as capable, but is probably more reliable. Fuel consumption is great, and highway performance is just fabulous.

I really liked the fancy dash and infotainment system. When you indicate, a live video feed replaces the dial on which ever side you’re turning. I hated the driver-talk feature. GET.IN.THE.BIN. The boys kept playing with it, like a room of 5 year olds.

The 3rd row is claimed to be useful. Only the shortest of us got in without slipping a disc.

Casper: It is hard to believe this is a Hyundai. It feels and looks like one of the black SUVs from an American Movie. It made us feel quite butch, even Ethan, and that’s saying something.

The look is spot on, and the digital dash is gorgeous. The 10.25”/7” screens look sharp. The turning camera thingies are fabulous, but the smart rear hatch was a bit moody.

It looked good parked outside the cabin.

On rougher roads, was still quite smooth. It feels really quick despite the tiny engine. I loved the smooth transmission.

The rear LCD screens are probably useless because anyone with kids is going to have tablets to keep their little shytes quiet. Parenting has gone to the dogs.

Max: I love all cars, and big SUVs are right at home here on the land. We have a classic Range Rover on the property, and this looks like a posher version of that.

The driver aids are brilliant, especially the radar cruise control. The lane centering takes ages to gets used to, as does the blind spot, that flashes like a demented Christmas light for 90% of the time. The constant warnings of cameras, school zones, speed zones, and black zones drove me mad. We turned it all off.

There dog would be happy on the boot, but she is a shedder and Alan said I’d have to de-dog the car at the merest hint of whiff.

I’d buy one of these when I grow up.

Ethan: I love camping so much. There is loads of room for gear and is much more comfortable than Max’s ancient Rangie. He says it is a classic, but I reckon its just plain clapped out.

It handled the steep track much better than I thought it would, and was easy to park in town when we went for a booze run. I like sporty cars, so this probably isn’t for me but I appreciate that it is great at what it does.

Alan says it is new to Australia, but not to the world. What the?

I loved the drive, and it felt good to be sitting so high instead of below everyone’s bumper.

Favourite gadgets as voted by us:

  • Side view cameras
  • Smart opening tailgate
  • easy entry
  • driver to passenger mic
  • smart lane control
  • blind spot monitor
  • Apple car play
  • 25” screen, Driver 7” screen (includes blind spot cameras)

For a full list of features, click the link – Palisade (LX2) Specifications – Dec 2020

The engine and drive:

The 2.2 diesel is a cracker. The 147kw and 440Nm is plenty. AWD makes the big SUV useful and the 8-speed automatic super smooth. Why is the V6 3.8 is only two-wheel drive. What a waste. Palisade wafts along, even over rubbish surfaces. It isn’t quite as cushioned Toyota LandCruiser for example, but that costs many more monies.

Steering is quite light, and despite the massive bulk, feels very small on the road. Parking might sound a chore, but the cameras make seeing all parts of the car easy. You get it pin point accuracy every time.

Fuel usage is decent at 7.3L/100k, and with a 71L tank, you’d get 1,000km from a tank, maybe more.

For a car weighting in at 2065kg, handling is astounding. Cornering is good, and, left in smart driving mode, it does most of the work for you. Sport mode is a bit of a waste of time, so let smart mode do the hard yards.

Conclusion:

Palisade is half way through its life cycle so misses out on some of the cool stuff, but you are unlikely to notice. The warranty is decent at 5 years, but Hyundai cheaped out on the roadside assist with only 12 months before you have to pay NRMA yourself.

It suits both the gingham table cloth, and the dark suit and glasses sets, so look out.

Palisade is handsome, comfortable, and astounding value.

Price:

Engine Transmission Palisade Highlander
3.8 GDi 2WD 8 speed Automatic $60,000 $71,000
2.2 CRDi AWD 8 speed Automatic $64,000 $75,000

Engine: 2.2 turbo diesel

Power: 147kw/440Nm

Econ: 7.3L/100k

Trans: 8 speed auto

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