Hyundai Palisade luxury SUV arrives in Malaysia officially

KUALA LUMPUR: Hyundai Sime Darby has just given the media a preview of the Palisade luxury SUV. This new Hyundai rides on an all-new SUV chassis with exceptional second and third-row seating space coupled with easy reconfiguration flexibility. This Hyundai Palisade is made in Ulsan, Korea, and will be officially launched in Malaysia in a few days.

Palisade Sales

Meanwhile, 3 units of the Palisade have already been sold, with the remaining 7 units having very interested buyers. A total of just 10 units were imported (we spotted 9 units a month ago) for 2021 to gauge market response for a premium Hyundai SUV.

Palisade Cabin

The interior design combines a sense of relaxation and comfort creating a serene environment with eight-passenger seating standards for family adventures. Leather-equipped models offer premium, quilted Nappa leather, while on the instrument panel, smooth woodgrain trim in a wraparound interior design creates a spacious, comfortable ambience.

The One-Touch second-row seat allows for one-touch operation of the seat forward and out of the way for easy access into and out of the third-row seat. For more convenience, the third row offers power-folding/unfolding and reclining seats.

Second-row captain's chairs are also available with ventilated seating surfaces. Every Palisade seating row offers USB outlets for convenience for all passengers, for a total of seven available USB outlets.

Hyundai Palisade also offers a class-exclusive Blind View Monitor that complements the standard Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, which provides easy-to-see body-side views whenever the turn signal is activated.

The audio and navigation display is a generous 10.25-inch touchscreen in widescreen format, coupled with a 12.3-inch fully-digital TFT center instrument cluster offering various view modes and differentiated drive mode illumination.

Two Bluetooth devices can be connected simultaneously, with one for a mobile phone connection and the other for audio streaming. The single instrument panel gauge cluster integrated with navigation offers exceptional legibility and ease of use, coupled with an available head-up display feature.

Centre console innovations such as shift-by-wire controls free up valuable control space for the features drivers use most. The shift-by-wire system also includes automatic park logic that shifts the vehicle into park when the engine is off and the driver opens the door. Palisade's centre console bridge design also frees up convenient storage space underneath the centre console control area with driver and passenger access.

The interior features seven available USB outlets, including front-seatback-based USB outlets for the second-row occupants and mini-pockets for digital devices of all kinds. A generous 16 cup-holders means there's always a place to stow a beverage at any seating position. Seatbelt connection notification to the driver is active in every seating position.

The Palisade also features an industry-first, innovative new roof vent diffuser design that can provide a focused, partially-diffused, or fully-diffused stream of air to rear passengers. This new diffuser vent design provides quieter rear air conditioning airflow, draft-free operation, a more uniform distribution of air, and the capability for a focused stream of air whenever desired.

Hyundai Palisade offers abundant technology, including Hyundai's latest navigation system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. To eliminate the need for a charging cord, there's an available Qi wireless charging pad for compatible Android devices as well as recent Apple iPhones.

When it comes to audio technology, the available premium sound system is well-suited to the Palisade's upscale interior.

Off-Road Ability

The Palisade offers Hyundai's HTRAC® All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system. The HTRAC AWD system was developed as a multi-mode system, providing an electronic, variable-torque-split clutch with active torque control between the front and rear axles. The driver-selectable HTRAC Normal, Sport, and Smart modes help provide confident control in all weather conditions.

Palisade Powertrain

The Palisade is sold with either a 3.8-litre V6, dual CVVT, direct-injected engine, for excellent power and efficiency, or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 197 horsepower and 440 Nm of torque for great economy and high torque.

The 3.8-litre power plant produces an estimated 291 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and an estimated 355 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm. Hyundai Palisade offers more standard horsepower than any other SUV in its competitive set and an unsurpassed level of torque. Palisade delivers that power to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Palisade Buyer

Well, Hyundai in Malaysia says that the Palisade buyer wants an exclusive large and intimidating SUV with luxury features found in a Genesis vehicle. The buyer is willing to pay the asking price (estimated to be below RM 398,000) for high safety, high features, and high riding fully imported SUV.

Hyundai Sime Darby is not going to locally assemble the Palisade as the possible selling numbers do not make for a good business case. It is better to just import it and sell it as an exclusive luxury SUV. 

Also read: Hyundai Kona Electric now on sale in Malaysia at a starting price of RM 149,888