2021 Hyundai Palisade price and specs revealed early
The 2021 Hyundai Palisade will be offered in two trim levels
– and with a choice of seven or eight seats – priced between $60,000 and $75,000 before on-road costs when it arrives in Australia in the coming months.
According to a dealer bulletin seen by Drive – the details of which are yet to be confirmed publicly – the Hyundai Palisade will launch in Australia with a choice of two model grades, the entry-level, eponymously-named 'Palisade', and the high-grade Highlander.
While pricing has yet to be locked in, the document lists approximate prices before on-road costs for the base 'Palisade' from $60,000 to $64,000, with Highlander pricing to fall between $71,000 and $75,000.
Note: Overseas Hyundai Palisade models pictured above and throughout the story.
Such prices would make the Palisade the most expensive Hyundai vehicle available in Australia, surpassing the zero-emissions $65,290 Kona Electric Highlander.
Two engines will be offered with the Palisade locally: a 217kW/355Nm 3.8-litre petrol V6, or a 147kW/440Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder.
While both engines are mated to eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmissions, the petrol V6 will be available solely with front-wheel-drive, while the turbo-diesel is all-wheel-drive only, as per the Hyundai Santa Fe.
Standard equipment for the base 'Palisade' – which is available in eight-seat configuration only – will reportedly include 18-inch alloy wheels, a full-size spare wheel, LED daytime-running lights (but halogen headlights), black leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, tri-zone climate control, 7.0-inch 'Supervision' digital instrument display, keyless entry and push-button start.
It also features a power-adjustable driver's seat, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, Infinity premium sound system, and roof-mounted air vents for the second and third rows.
A wide array of active safety technologies are standard on the entry-level grade, including radar-based autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane-following assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert (both of which can both detect and brake for hazards), along with high-beam assist, trailer stability assist and curtain airbags for all three rows.
There's also Safe Exit Warning, which prevents the rear doors from being opened into cyclists and oncoming obstacles, and Rear Occupant Alert, which notifies drivers of passengers/children left in the second and third rows, upon exiting the vehicle.
Stepping up to the Highlander – available with seven or eight seats – adds 20-inch alloy wheels, bi-LED headlights, LED tail-lights with incandescent indicators, nappa leather trim, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, memory driver's seat, dual-pane sunroof, a head-up display, power tailgate, rear window blinds and suede headlining.
Bolstering the Highlander's safety suite is a 360-degree camera, and Blind-Spot View Monitor, which projects a camera feed from the side mirrors into the instrument cluster upon switching on the indicator.
Seven-seat Highlander models also gain seat ventilation for the second row.
Entry-level Palisade buyers, according to the document, will be able to select from five colours: White Cream, Timeless Black, Steel Graphite, Sierra Burgundy and Rain Forrest.
Opting for the Highlander grade adds Moonlight Cloud, but cuts Rain Forrest. The colour of the Highlander's nappa leather depends on the exterior colour: White Cream, Timeless Black and Sierra Burgundy cars feature burgundy leather, while Steel Graphite and Moonlight Cloud models score beige trim.
All colour options bar White Cream will command a price premium – though exactly how much these 'premium' colours will cost remains unclear.
The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms in the coming months. Stay tuned to Drive for official pricing and specifications when they are announced.