5 things to know about the 2020 Hyundai Palisade

The 2020 Palisade is Hyundai’s newest three-row SUV that replaces the outgoing Santa Fe XL

Palisade seats up to eight passengers, is equipped with a 3.8-liter V-6 engine and has standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If the regular review was TL;DR, here are five things you should know about this all-new vehicle.

You can connect two phones via Bluetooth at the same time

You have always been able to pair multiple phones to a vehicle with Bluetooth connectivity, but this is the first iteration I’ve seen of pairing two devices at the same time.

They can’t both be doing the same thing at the same time, but you can pair one phone to use for calls and then pair a second phone to stream audio.

While I wouldn’t call this a marriage saver in my house (my husband and I do not share the same musical tastes), this would definitely have made some road trips with my sister a lot more pleasant.

The third row isn’t a penalty box

I always tell people I'm about the size of a 10-year-old child. So, I spend a lot of time crawling around in third row seats to see if they’re viable. The Palisade third row is one of the better ones I’ve seen recently.

In addition to a decent amount of legroom, there are cup holders and available USB ports back there. Plus, the seats are reasonably comfortable.

My only complaint would be that the hip-point is a little low, so my knees sloped up a bit over the end of the seat bottom. I’m just 5 feet tall, so I imagine taller, averaged-sized adults would be a tad uncomfortable.

For shorter drives, however, this could easily fit two adults if it had to.

One other point about the third row: I love the one-touch button on the second row that opens up a wide passage for passengers to access the seats in the back.

The blind-view monitor is cool

Most people are likely familiar with the orange dot that lights up on an A-Pillar or side mirror to alert you that something is in your blind spot.

Hyundai takes it one step further with a blind-view monitor that shows an image of what’s in your blind spot as soon as you activate your blinker.

This is available only on vehicles with the 12.3-inch behind-the-wheel, all-digital gauge cluster. On the right, it takes the place of the speedometer. On the left, it takes the place of the tachometer.

While this will be helpful on the highway, I see this as particularly useful in urban situations with bike lanes.

Ultrasonic rear-seat sensor keeps kids, pets safe

In 2018 there were 52 children who died in a hot car because their parents or caregivers forgot they were in the back seat.

Hyundai is fighting back with the Ultrasonic rear-seat sensor, which was originally launched on the all-new Santa Fe.

This rear seat sensor, which is available on the SEL trim as a part of the Convenience Package ($2,200) and standard on the Limited trim, has a motion detector. And if the vehicle detects movement in the back seat after it has been closed and locked, it will send the owner an alert to a phone – protecting both pets and children who can’t speak up for themselves or get out of the vehicle.

Palisade and Telluride have different missions

Though Hyundai and Kia don’t like to admit it, the Palisade and Telluride are closely related. They have the same platform and powertrain, they both seat eight with the middle bench seat, and they’re both all-new for the 2020 model year.

Hyundai execs say in terms of look and feel, Telluride is more on the adventure side of the spectrum whereas Palisade is more on the luxury side.

Additionally, there are three features available on the Palisade that are not on the Telluride: the 12.3-inch behind-the-wheel full-color digital display, a power folding third row and the shift-by-wire transmission.

The Bottom Line:

The new Hyundai Palisade is a winner, and it’s going to do well for the brand. It fits a slot that the long-gone Veracruz missed and the Santa Fe XL didn’t quite fill.

It’s comfortable and easy-to-drive, plus every passenger gets a decent amount of space.

Adding in the helpful technology, affordable pricing (base price is $31,550) and plethora of storage space, I see Palisade taking a leading spot on the three-row SUV food chain.