Hyundai Australia will bolster its large SUV lineup next year when it welcomes several new variants of the second-generation Palisade launched this week, including a new off-road flagship and more affordable variants.
Supply constraints see the new Palisade released this month in only a single Hybrid Calligraphy flagship trim – a far cry from the six drivetrain/trim combinations offered for the outgoing first-generation model.
However, Hyundai’s local arm has confirmed that the range will broaden in 2026 with the introduction of new trim grades, a non-hybrid powertrain, and other cheaper front-wheel drive options.
Among the new variants will be the XRT Pro – a more rugged version featuring an off-road-friendly raised ride height, all-terrain tyres, and a new electronic limited-slip differential. Other upgrades include a revised front fascia, a dark-finish grille, window surrounds and cladding, and exposed red recovery hooks front and rear.
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The remaining newcomers – additional hybrid trim levels, non-hybrid turbo-petrol versions, and front-wheel drive model grades – are set to sit below the Hybrid Calligraphy, which is priced from $89,900 before on-road costs.
All new versions will likely arrive for the new model year, commencing mid-2026.
“Certainly we’ll see more variants that sit below this car,” said product planning and development manager Tim Rodgers at the local launch of the new Palisade.
“We’ll look to expand the model lineup in a future model year event… I think the plan would be to try and roll everything out in one hit including XRT Pro – that would be our preferred way to go about it.”
Pricing and specifications for the additional variants haven’t yet been detailed, with decisions still pending regarding the amount of overlap between the Palisade and its smaller large-SUV stablemate – the Santa Fe – which tops out at $76,900 before on-road costs in Hybrid Calligraphy AWD guise.
Having said that, the XRT Pro is likely to slot in below the Calligraphy, as it does in the US market. The Palisade XRT Pro is offered with a V6 in North America, although our equivalent is set to feature four-cylinder power.
Hyundai has been busily rolling out XRT variants across its SUV range, with theIoniq 5 electric SUV,Tucson mid-size SUV, Santa Fe and Palisade all receiving the treatment in North America.
However, the XRT sub-brand is still relatively new to Australia – a pair of XRT option packages were made available for the Santa Fe late last year, but the Palisade is the first model to receive an XRT Pro variant Down Under.
Hyundai Australia told CarExpert that 181 XRT packages have been sold to Santa Fe customers since September last year, and there’s optimism within the company that this fresh off-road sub-brand can emulate the success of its N performance division.
“We’ve seen success in how N operates, and we’re trying to replicate some of that magic with an off-road spirit, so to speak,” said Mr Rodgers.
“XRT is a perfect sub-brand to do that with. You just have to look at what people are driving on the road to see that. Yes, hot hatches are very popular… but so are big lifted 4x4s – people are into that. We just want to bring the people what they want.”
Hyundai Australia is also banking on cheaper versions of the Palisade to drive already strong demand for the large SUV, even if diesel and petrol V6 versions are no longer available.
Calligraphy aside, the first-generation model was offered in a variety of trim levels including an unnamed base model, the Highlander, and Elite, all of which lowered the cost of entry.
Non-hybrid variants will likewise make the Palisade more accessible. These will be powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, which produces 213kW and 422Nm in the Sonata N Line – down 32kW and 38Nm on the new hybrid system.
Front-wheel drive versions with both the hybrid and turbo-petrol powertrain will also be offered from next year.
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