2023 Hyundai Palisade Performance

While it may not be a sporty vehicle, the Hyundai Palisade has more than enough performance for a family SUV. After all, it takes quite a bit of oomph to haul up to eight people and their stuff around town, and 291 horsepower gets the job done. A little more would be nice, though, as the Palisade never feels sprightly. A decent amount of torque can get you going from a traffic light, but getting up to speed on the highway fully laden can take some time. It takes around seven seconds for the Hyundai Palisade to go from 0-60 mph, according to independent tests, and it can reach a top speed of 132 mph. On the plus side, it has a great towing capacity when properly equipped, with the ability to haul 5,000 lbs. Every model gets access to AWD, making the Palisade a great choice for buyers in cold-weather states, though it isn't as well-equipped to go off-road.

The Hyundai Palisade gets a capable V6 engine that displaces 3.8 liters to produce 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. This is channeled through an eight-speed automatic gearbox to the front wheels as standard, or all four wheels if you opt for the optional AWD. The gearbox is a good companion for the engine, and does an adequate job of selecting the right gear - it may hunt around a little going up hills though. Paddle shifters give you the option to take a bit of control back.

Power delivery is smooth, which ensures predictable acceleration, and once you get up to speed, overtaking on the highway is effortless. It is a bit unfortunate that the extensive makeover for Palisade did not include additional engine options, as this family hauler could be genuinely fun to drive with a little turbocharging.

You can't expect particularly amazing gas mileage from a naturally aspirated engine, especially a V6. That being said, the Hyundai Palisade is actually reasonably efficient, getting mpg figures of 19/27/22 across the city/highway/combined cycles when equipped with front-wheel drive. Swapping that out for AWD sees these numbers drop slightly to 19/25/21 mpg.

The tank has a fuel capacity of 18.8 miles, which gives the three-row SUV a maximum range of around 410 miles with mixed driving.