The brand new Hyundai Palisade might look like a flagship SUV, but its engines are still shared with some other models, including those from Kia. Here we have the Korean-spec version with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel.
Both Hyundai and Kia offer this unit in a number of models, including the Stinger four-door coupe. If it were shipped to America, which it won't, its output would read 200-hp at 3,800rpm and 322 pound-feet of torque. Of course, the U.S. version will make do with a 3.8-liter V6 producing 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, though both are to be paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission with front-drive standard and HTRAC all-paw drive available.
The brands day's of making identical and boring crossover SUVs are long gone. So even though the Palisade is technically a 5-meter Santa Fe XL, it doesn't look like it. Those things right under the hood are daytime running lights; the headlights sit much lower down in the bumper. You also can't miss that cascading chrome grille.
Its proportions are quite imposing. The slab-sided Palisade is about three inches longer and two inches taller than the Santa Fe XL. Significantly, the wheelbase has been increased by about four inches.
But how fast is a 2-ton vehicle with a 200 horsepower engine? Well, this independent acceleration test shows it takes about 10 seconds for the Palisade to achieve the benchmark 100 km/h or 62 mph. That's not bad at all.
As the walkaround videos, also from Korea, will show, the Palisade is absolutely stunning in its Limited top trim. But it's also very family-friendly: rear captain's chairs, adult-sized 3-row seats, 7 USB ports, 16 cup holders, a roof-mounted air conditioning system and even an intercom that boosts your conversations. All this will go on sale next summer, minus the diesel engine, of course.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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