Tow Test: Hyundai Palisade 2021

Hyundai’s new flagship SUV has arrived in Australia with mild rather than monster towing specs. While not even quite Toyota Prado size (or nearly as 4WD-capable), the Hyundai Palisade has the imposing presence and feel of a larger wagon, such as the Toyota LandCruiser or Mercedes-Benz GL.

It’s all good and well to look big and burly, but does the 2021 Hyundai Palisade match its bluff with substance when it comes to striking the right blend of family carrier and tow hauler?

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2 CRDi AWD on test here is at the very top of the four-tier Palisade model tree, which branches out with two petrol V6 two-wheel drive models and one other turbo-diesel four-cylinder four-wheel drive variant.

In both petrol and diesel form, there are two trim levels: Palisade and Palisade Highlander. Hyundai is no longer a budget brand; this top-tier model is priced at $75,000 plus on-road costs and is the most expensive vehicle offered wearing the Hyundai nameplate to date.

Our test model also had almost every possible option from the accessories catalogue, such as all-in-one mats ($345), cargo liner tray ($140), headlight protectors (180), integrated side steps ($1019), 36-litre portable fridge-freezer ($1399), side awning ($405), tinted side window visors ($219) and, of course, the $1390 tow bar kit.

Some further accessories also fitted had indicative pricing only at the time of writing. Indicative pricing for the front and rear dash cams is $589-$789, towing load-assist kit (which increases tow ball download from 100kg to 180kg) is up to $899 and electric brake controller $699-$799. Fitting costs for all these accessories are not included.

This brings the price as tested to $82,584 plus on-road costs, using the upper price estimates for the accessories mentioned above.

Even without the extras, this Hyundai is in luxury SUV territory, and amply covers off most buyer expectations for all the fruit at this price point.

Infotainment features include a 10.2-inch touch-screen display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-speaker Infinity audio system, embedded sat-nav and an intercom system that allows front seat occupants to talk to rear seat passengers via the speakers.

There are also 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, Nappa leather upholstery, suede headlining, heated and ventilated front- and second-row seats (in seven-seat versions), a dual-pane glass sunroof, wireless phone charging, head-up display and a hands-free powered tailgate.

The Palisade is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while services are due at 12-month or 15,000km intervals.

Under Hyundai’s capped-price servicing program (CPS), each service for the Palisade diesel is capped at $469. The first 1500km service is free and while using the CPS program owners can get up to 10 years of free roadside assist and sat-nav updates.

The standard paint colour is the White Cream Mica shown in the photos, with premium colours adding $695.

Protection and smarts

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade has a comprehensive safety armoury, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and lane following assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus a 360-degree parking camera system and camera-based blind spot live feed.

The Palisade has not yet been assessed by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Measuring 4980mm long, 1975mm wide and 1750mm high, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade is wider than the current class leader, the Toyota Prado, by a substantial 90mm, but is slightly shorter and a good 100mm lower.

The cabin has an unusual two-plus-two-plus-three seating layout in the seven-seat model, while the (no-cost) eight-seat option accommodates three in both second and third rows.

The seven-seat Highlander on test offers great amenity and convenience inside. There feels like a lot of space to settle in and get comfortable, particularly up front and in the second row.

Only the three-seat split-fold third row is tight for width – for three adults at least. For two adults sitting here, there is more headroom and legroom than you’d expect, and for sub-teens there will be few complaints.

There’s a good view out, lots of bottle holders, USB ports and storage to keep everyone happy.

Used as a four-seater (with the third-row seats folded), the 704-litre cargo volume is ample. With all three rows up, the 311 litres of available space is acceptable for the class.

Easy to drive

The driver’s workstation is all set up well, with the only complaint being the numerous, fiddly buttons on the bridge centre console. You have to look down when selecting the drive-by-wire gear buttons at first but after a while it becomes more intuitive.

The Palisade feels big and wide on tight city streets at first. While it doesn’t exactly shrink around you, you do get accustomed to it. The cameras and sensors do make parking easy though.

The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel does not have ideal step-off acceleration, but doesn’t suffer the sort of lag that some turbo-diesels have. It’s quiet, smooth and has quite strong, if not dazzling, mid-range throttle response.

The engine is certainly efficient on an easy cruise for such a big, heavy and bluff SUV, achieving a 7.0L/100km average on test rolling down the freeway unladen.

Hitched and rolling

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2 CRDi AWD has a relatively low maximum towing capacity for a large SUV – 2200kg.

The maximum standard tow ball download is also low at 100kg, although with the optional towing load assist kit, this is raised to 180kg.

While we later discovered that the test vehicle had the optional load assist kit, at the time of testing we could only go by the towing information stickers on the vehicle – which noted the standard tow kit’s maximum TBM as 100kg.

This meant we were restricted with the caravan we could use for the tow test. The Sydney RV Group in Penrith were able to help us out with an Adria Altea 402, with a tare mass of 1462kg and a tow ball download of 100kg.

The Palisade’s gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 2755kg and gross combined mass (GCM) is 4955kg. This means that the Palisade can be loaded up to its full payload capacity while also towing up to its maximum capacity, which is not always the case.

The reversing camera screen does not have a tow ball marker to line up the tow ball with the hitch, but it’s a useful camera for hitching up solo and the 360-degree camera helps if you’re backing up to the trailer in a tight spot.

As you might expect with only 100kg pressing down on it, the Palisade’s suspension front rise/rear droop was quite insignificant. It rose 10mm at the front and dropped 15mm at the rear.

The Palisade didn’t feel as responsive off the mark as you might expect with less than 1500kg behind it, but it held 90km/h easily on the test hill climb at about half throttle.

Engine braking was quite good, with the paddle shifts aiding a quick downshift or two to give some engine braking downhill. On our test descent, the Palisade was able to hold the 70km/h we started with all the way down the descent.

Cruising down the freeway in Comfort mode, the transmission was not happy to settle in a gear, shifting often. When it did get up to top gear (eighth) for a period, the tacho was showing 1600rpm at 100km/h.

It was happier in Sport mode, where it held fifth gear, with the tacho showing 2500rpm at 100km/h.

Ride was smooth on the highway and well damped, but on rough two-lane country roads the Palisade was fidgeting on its suspension, never quite settled. However, the combination felt planted on the road, without a hint of sway.

The fuel consumption average while towing was good at 11.7L/100km. Of course, towing a bluff trailer closer to the Palisade’s 2200kg limit will be higher, but then our figure was achieved while doing hill testing and regular stop-starts for photography.

Summing up

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2 CRDi AWD is well equipped, comfortable and spacious and would seem to have all the makings of a very good heavy-duty tow vehicle.

While the Palisade’s towing performance, economy and stability are good and ride quality is acceptable, the great shame is that it is not engineered to tow a little more weight, both overall and on the tow ball.

How much does the 2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2 CRDi AWD cost?

Price: $75,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 243g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
Tow rating: 2200kg maximum, 100-180kg ball weight