2025 Hyundai Palisade Review

2025 Hyundai Palisade Overview

The 2025 Hyundai Palisade continues to set the standard for midsize SUVs with its seamless blend of practicality, comfort, and upscale design. Since its debut, it has consistently impressed with its well-rounded performance and premium feel.

Under the hood, the Palisade is powered by a 3.8-liter V-6 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is available for added versatility. The ride is smooth and composed, making it ideal for daily commutes and long-distance road trips alike.

Inside, the Palisade boasts a spacious and well-crafted cabin that seats up to eight passengers. It’s not an SUV that leans into sporty dynamics or serious off-road capability, but instead focuses on what matters most to families—comfort, technology, and safety. Hyundai includes a generous array of standard features, including advanced driver-assistance systems and multiple connectivity options, plus an abundance of USB ports to keep everyone charged and connected.

For buyers who want more premium touches, higher trims offer luxuries like quilted leather upholstery, second-row captain’s chairs, and a high-end audio system. While the Mazda CX-90 provides a sportier driving experience and the Jeep Grand Cherokee boasts superior towing capabilities, the Palisade finds its niche as a polished, family-friendly SUV that offers outstanding value.

Striking a perfect balance between practicality and refinement, the 2025 Hyundai Palisade remains one of the top contenders in its class.

When Is The 2025 Hyundai Palisade Coming Out?

The 2025 Palisade was unveiled in December 2024, with pre-orders starting shortly after. Deliveries began in early 2025, making it available for purchase across various markets.

What’s New for 2025 Hyundai Palisade ?

For the 2025 model year, Hyundai makes a few thoughtful updates to keep the Palisade fresh. The XRT trim now comes standard with a parking distance warning system and a surround-view camera, enhancing safety and convenience. A new SEL Premium trim level has also been introduced, positioned between the XRT and Limited models. This new variant effectively replaces the previously optional Premium package, bundling key upgrades into a standalone trim. Beyond these changes, the Palisade carries over largely unchanged, continuing to offer the same trusted formula of comfort, technology, and value.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The 2025 Hyundai Palisade starts at $38,675 and ranges up to $55,975, depending on the trim level and selected options. This wide price spectrum allows buyers to choose from a well-equipped base model to a feature-rich, near-luxury experience.

Our top pick is the midrange SEL Premium trim. Newly introduced for 2025, it replaces the former Premium package and bundles many of the Palisade’s most desirable features. These include USB-C ports in the third row, a heated steering wheel, an upgraded digital instrument cluster, and Hyundai’s most advanced suite of driver-assistance technologies.

For buyers who want a strong mix of comfort, safety, and tech without venturing into the highest price bracket, the SEL Premium strikes an excellent balance of value and sophistication.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Powering the 2025 Hyundai Palisade is a smooth and capable 3.8-liter V-6 engine that delivers 291 horsepower, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. While acceleration is solid rather than sporty, the engine provides more than enough muscle for daily driving and highway cruising. For those seeking a bit more engagement, the transmission can be manually controlled via steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

The automatic gearbox generally shifts seamlessly, though it can feel slightly busy when climbing steep grades. Front-wheel drive comes standard across most trims, with all-wheel drive available on the SE, SEL, XRT, SEL Premium, Limited, and Calligraphy trims. The Calligraphy Night Edition, however, includes all-wheel drive as standard.

Towing capability is another strong suit of the Palisade. Every model comes equipped with a transmission cooler, trailer pre-wiring, and trailer sway control. When outfitted with the dealer-installed trailer hitch, the Palisade is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds—plenty for hauling a small camper, boat, or trailer.

During our drive of a fully-loaded Calligraphy model through the scenic roads around Asheville, North Carolina, the Palisade impressed with its refined ride quality and quiet cabin. We even ventured off the pavement for some light off-roading and found the big SUV more than capable of handling mild trails and rougher terrain—reinforcing its versatility well beyond the suburbs.

0–60-MPH Times

During testing, our all-wheel-drive XRT model accelerated from zero to 60 mph in a respectable 6.4 seconds. When it came to stopping, the Palisade demonstrated confident braking, coming to a halt from 70 mph in 161 feet.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA rates the front-wheel-drive 2025 Hyundai Palisade at 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, while the all-wheel-drive versions earn slightly lower figures of 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

In real-world testing, our all-wheel-drive SEL model achieved a solid 23 mpg over a 200-mile highway route, closely matching its official 24 mpg highway rating.

For the latest and detailed fuel economy information on the Palisade, you can visit the EPA’s website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The 2025 Hyundai Palisade offers flexible seating configurations to accommodate families and passengers comfortably. The base SE trim seats eight with a traditional second-row bench, while nearly all other trims come standard with second-row captain’s chairs, reducing seating capacity to seven. The new SEL Premium trim allows buyers to choose between the bench or captain’s chairs for the second row, adding versatility.

Space is generous across all three rows, with easy access to the third row thanks to a convenient button that moves the second-row seats forward. Power-folding second- and third-row seats are optional on the SEL trim and come standard on the Limited, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Night Edition models, simplifying cargo loading and passenger transitions.

The cabin is well-insulated from road noise, creating a quiet environment, though some wind noise does seep through the doors at higher speeds. When it comes to cargo space, the Palisade impresses: folding all rear seats flat opens up 86 cubic feet of room. In our C/D testing, it easily accommodated 33 carry-on suitcases with the second and third rows stowed away.

With the third row folded and the second row upright, cargo capacity stands at 46 cubic feet, while using all three rows reduces space to a modest 18 cubic feet—still enough for everyday errands. Under the load floor, there’s a handy storage compartment perfect for keeping muddy or wet items out of sight.

While door cubbies are on the smaller side, the Palisade offers practical storage solutions within and below the center console, ensuring passengers have convenient spots for personal items.

Infotainment and Connectivity

All 2025 Hyundai Palisade trims come equipped with a sharp 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring standard Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, built-in navigation, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Bluetooth connectivity. The system supports up to seven USB ports, ensuring that passengers across all three rows can keep their devices charged and connected. Additionally, the Palisade allows simultaneous connection of two Bluetooth devices for added convenience.

With Hyundai’s Blue Link app service, owners can remotely lock, unlock, and start the vehicle using voice commands through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, bringing smart home integration right to your fingertips.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The 2025 Hyundai Palisade comes well-equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, and many advanced driver-assistance systems become available as you move up the trim levels. Key safety highlights include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection

• Standard lane-departure warning paired with lane-keeping assist

• Standard adaptive cruise control featuring a semi-autonomous driving mode

For detailed crash test results and safety ratings, you can visit the websites of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Hyundai stands out with one of the industry’s best warranty packages, offering exceptional peace of mind for Palisade owners. Notably, the powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles for the first owner—an impressive benchmark in the segment.

Additionally, Hyundai now provides complimentary scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, a perk that surpasses many mainstream competitors like Toyota.

• Limited warranty: 5 years or 60,000 miles

• Powertrain warranty: 10 years or 100,000 miles

• Complimentary maintenance: 3 years or 36,000 miles

2025 Hyundai Palisade Specifications

Final Verdict

The 2025 Hyundai Palisade continues to impress with its combination of luxury, practicality, and value. Its spacious interior, advanced technology, and comprehensive safety features make it a top contender in the midsize SUV segment. While it lacks a hybrid option, its overall package is hard to beat.

2025 Hyundai Palisade Videos