So you desperately want a Range Rover, but you can’t stomach the thought of waking up to either a fresh puddle of vital fluids on your driveway or no car at all, because it's been stolen.

Well, have we got the SUV for you.

There are a few mental hurdles you’ll need to clear first: chiefly that it’s a Hyundai, meaning it carries roughly as much street clout in a drug deal as offering to buy everyone a flat white. 

But then again, no one will steal it. It costs a fraction of the British alternative. And without even squinting, it looks broadly the same (I’m almost certain the taillights share a Range Rover part number). And it won't do the British thing and decide not to start one morning.

And it's been updated for 2026, so it should be better than ever. 

But there's a big and expensive question hanging over the Hyundai Palisade: Is there even a market for such a car?

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What is it?

The Palisade isn't new territory for Hyundai. It debuted back in 2018 at the (very appropriately named) Los Angeles Auto Show as the brand’s sprawling, North American-sized flagship.

It certainly brings to mind those massive American SUVs, offering seating for up to eight adults - or seven if you opt for the middle-row captain’s chairs - plus guns in the boot.

The old models relied on either a thirsty 3.8-litre petrol V6 or a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel. But the big news for 2026 is that the powertrain has gone exclusively hybrid, pairing a 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors. 

The range kicks off with the Elite in 8-seat trim from around $76,500, while the top-spec Calligraphy pushes into $89,900 to $90,900 territory. That’s a lot of money for a Hyundai - even one wearing a Range Rover’s suit. Is it worth it? 

Palatial. Photo: James Coleman.

What’s it like to live with?

Some things are not very premium.

In the Elite model I borrowed from Hyundai Australia, the interior is distinctly plain. It’s practical, vast, and looks like it could survive a toddler, but it’s undeniably very black. On my test car, the plastic backing on the driver’s seat had even come unclipped and was dangling loosely - though I suppose that doesn't deviate too far from the genuine Range Rover experience.

Then there are the ergonomic head-scratchers. Why is the button for the 360-degree parking camera located all the way over on the passenger side of the centre console? In a car this wide, you need arms like Elastigirl.

It drives a bit like a boat too. The brake pedal requires a delicate touch to avoid pitching your passengers forward at every red light, and the 2.5-litre engine roars to life at random moments with a tone that made me wonder if it was trying to identify as petrol or diesel.

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Being a modern Hyundai, it also beeps at you for every micro-deviance from the speed limit or lane markings - even when the car is wrong. This gets very annoying very quickly, as does deactivating the chime orchestra every single time you start.

But it is exceptionally frugal for such a beast - I managed to drive from Sydney to Canberra on less than a quarter tank, and my average was about what you'd get from a small SUV (8L/100 km).

You also get a staggering amount of family-friendly space. Even with all three rows up, there's a genuinely useful boot left over. So for what the Palisade is actually designed to do, it excels.

Still a usable boot, even with the rearmost seats up. Photo: James Coleman.

The verdict

In the end, it all comes down to the price.

In the flagship Calligraphy spec - where you’re lounging in Nappa leather beneath a dual-panel sunroof, enjoying heated rear seats, and rolling on multi-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels - you can almost justify the $90,900 price tag. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy it all for longer than in a Range Rover.

The base Elite sits in a weirder spot, where the only reason to choose it over the cheaper Santa Fe is if you need its 2000kg towing capacity, but if it’s pure passenger space you’re after, a top-spec hybrid Kia Carnival costs about the same and does the job better.

As it stands, the Palisade is a very expensive Hyundai that doesn't quite feel expensive enough.

Quite the unmissable face on it. Photo: James Coleman.