- The 2026 Hyundai Palisade is now offered with a hybrid powertrain for the first time, mating a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four with two electric motors.
- The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is rated at 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque combined, substantially more than the standard 287-hp 3.5-liter V-6.
- All Palisades will be built in South Korea, with hybrid models reaching customers in fall 2025.
Along with an assertive and glitzy exterior design, the other big change for the new 2026 Hyundai Palisade is the introduction of an optional hybrid powertrain. The second generation of Hyundai’s largest SUV was already revealed earlier this year with a hybrid setup for the Korean market. But now the official details on the U.S.-market version of the Palisade Hybrid have confirmed that it will not only be a more efficient Palisade, but it will also be substantially more powerful than the standard V-6 engine.The new hybrid Palisade pairs a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four with two electric motors, which live within the six-speed automatic’s transmission case. The four-cylinder engine is good for 262 horsepower on its own, and combined with the pair of e-motors, the entire system spits out a healthy 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. Both the hybrid and nonhybrid versions of the Palisade are available with front- or all-wheel drive.Hyundai claims the Palisade Hybrid will achieve more than 30 mpg on the highway, with an almost 620-mile range on a full tank of gas. An exclusive “Stay Mode” lets you use the infotainment and climate control for long periods when parked, with the vehicle keeping an eye on the status of the battery system. Hyundai says this setting gives the hybrid model a “more EV-like ownership experience.”The hybrid model carries a 4000-pound tow rating, and the HTRAC all-wheel-drive system features a specific Tow mode, which adjusts the powertrain’s behavior by holding lower gears for longer and minimizing shift frequency while pulling hefty cargo. There is also an integrated tow hitch included on three trim levels: XRT Pro, Limited, and Calligraphy.This new hybrid setup is significantly more potent than the Palisade’s standard 3.5-liter V-6, which produces 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Those figures are actually slightly lower than the 3.8-liter V-6 in the outgoing Palisade, which made 291 hp and 262 pound-feet. The V-6 is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and can haul a bit more than the hybrid, with a 5000-pound towing capacity. Hyundai has yet to announce pricing and hasn’t said which trim levels will be available with the hybrid powertrain, but we can look to the small Santa Fe SUV for guidance. The Santa Fe Hybrid comes in three of the standard Santa Fe’s five trims: the SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy. Using the same logic, we expect the Palisade Hybrid to start around $48,000 for the SEL, with a hybrid Calligraphy costing roughly $58,000.The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid will be assembled in Ulsan, South Korea. The V-6-powered Palisade models arrive first, hitting dealership lots in the early summer, with the hybrid variant set to reach customers in early autumn. Full pricing should be revealed in the next two months.More Palisade StoriesCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: caranddriver.com
