Faster. Farther. The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid
- Mike Hagerty
- Apr 22
- 2 min read
(NOTE: Hyundai has issued a recall and stop sale for Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy and Limited models. This followed an incident in which a child was killed. Details here: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-recalls-defects/hyundai-palisade-recall-folding-seats-stop-sale-child-death-a6861032164/)
Regular readers know I was deeply impressed by the 2026 Hyundai Palisade at its first drive event last summer in Calistoga.
They're also aware that a full week in the Palisade last fall just confirmed those first impressions. The Palisade is deeply good.
The two weakest points were acceleration---0-60 felt quicker than eight seconds, but that's the number that keeps coming up in other outlets' instrumented testing---and fuel economy. That V6 is smooth and quiet, but thirsty, with an EPA estimate of 18 city/25 highway.
The Palisade Hybrid is here to fix both.
Out comes the V6 and in its place is a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor. Horsepower leaps from 287 to 329 and torque from 260 lb-ft to 339. Sprints to 60 from a standing start fall to 6.6 seconds and the EPA fuel economy estimate vaults to 29 city/30 highway.
That means a tank of gas that would take you 380 miles in the six with all-wheel drive now is 528 miles worth of fuel---564 if you go FWD instead of AWD and a whopping 619 miles if you opt for the fuel-miser Palisade Hybrid FWD Blue.
Yes, the four-cylinder makes more noise under acceleration than the six, and yes, that four-cylinder noise isn't completely congruous with the upscale surroundings of the Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy, but it's hard to argue with the improvement in performance and fuel economy.
Beyond that, the good news remains mostly unchanged---19.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row of seats, 46.3 cubic feet with that row folded and a whopping 86.7 cubic feet with rows three and two folded.
Rear seat passengers get 41.4 inches of legroom in the hybrid, down from 43.0 in the V6 models due to hybrid battery pack placement.
And in the top-of-the-line Calligraphy model (our tester), everyone is surrounded by tasteful interior design, high-quality materials and excellent workmanship.
The base price of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD is $58,780---$60,380 including destination. That money buys a remarkable list of standard equipment (see the window sticker at the end of the review).
The standard feature quotient is so high that there was only one extra-cost option on our tester---a set of carpeted floor mats for $245, putting the bottom line on the window sticker at $60,625.
If you get the feeling that my appreciation of the Palisade remains undimmed, you're absolutely right. Quicker and more fuel efficient, the Hybrid elevates the Palisade even further.
2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid AWD Calligraphy at a glance:
Price: $58,780 base/$60,625 as tested
Engine: 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid
Horsepower: 329
Torque: 339 lb-ft
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 5,016 lbs
0-60 Acceleration (Car and Driver): 6.6 seconds
EPA Fuel Economy Estimate: 29 mpg city/30 mpg highway
Fuel tank capacity: 18.2 gallons
EPA Range Estimate: 528 miles
