The Palisade has been a big success for Hyundai and the company is hoping to keep that momentum going by introducing a facelifted variant. Recently spied undergoing cold weather testing, the updated crossover is heavily disguised but appears pretty evolutionary. We can see updated lighting units and what appears to be a mesh grille that echoes the one found on the Tucson and Santa Cruz.
The sides should carryover, but we can
expect a handful of changes out back. The camouflage does a good job of hiding
the updates, but we wouldn’t be surprised to find new taillights and possibly
an updated bumper. Speaking of the latter, we can see what appears to be a
full-width reflector or light strip but it remains unclear if that will also be
found on the production model.
While spy photographers didn’t get close
enough to snap interior pictures, previous images have shown the Palisade will
adopt a freestanding digital instrument cluster that flows into a familiar
looking infotainment system. The same images also revealed the model will be
equipped with a new steering wheel and a revised dashboard that features
slender air vents. It remains unclear if there will be any powertrain changes,
but the current Palisade features a 3.8-liter V6 that develops 291 hp and 355 Nm of torque. It’s connected to an eight-speed
automatic transmission, which can be paired to an optional all-wheel drive
system.
While a number of questions remain, the
Palisade has proven popular with consumers as 86,539 units were snapped up by
Americans last year. That makes the model nearly as popular as the similar Kia
Telluride, which racked up 93,705 sales in 2021.