Yes, we know, another item on the Hyundai Palisade. Truth be told, we can’t help but like it and we sure hope the all-new model lands here soon.
Meanwhile in the US, the flagship SUV just made its debut over there. For the most part, the specs are the similar to the South Korean models. However, there are two key differences. The first is the availability of a V6 engine. The second, and more importantly, there’s an XRT Pro package.
What’s XRT Pro, you ask? It’s Hyundai-speak of off-road edition, and it’s already available in the Santa Cruz pickup and Santa Fe. Now, it’s the plush Palisade’s turn to get the rugged makeover. Not only that, it has actual goodies that should help make it go over the rough stuff even better.
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For starters, there’s the unique suspension arrangement. It gets beefier shocks and springs to give it improved articulation and handling off pavement. At the same time, the body has been raised by 25mm to give it a ground clearance of 213mm. With that, it also benefits from better approach, departure, and breakover angles that lessen the chances of scraping.
The other key addition to the XRT Pro package is an electronic limited slip differential for the rear. It essentially acts like a differential locker, providing better traction on uneven surfaces and steep climbs. That’s on top of the terrain select system that allows drivers to switch between mud, snow, and sand modes, along with all-terrain tires.
For those interested (and live in the US or Canada), it’s worth pointing out that the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro is only available with one powertrain option. That would be the aforementioned V6. It’s a 3.5-liter unit that makes 287hp and 353Nm. Curiously, it makes less torque than the 2.5-liter turbo offered in Korea that punches out 422Nm.
As for appearance, this version of the Palisade gets 18-inch alloys, chunkier body cladding and a fair amount of XRT Pro badges. There’s also blacked out accents that replace the chrome bits, and exposed tow hooks. Inside, passengers are greeted by leatherette trims and finishes, seat heating and ventilation, ambient lighting, and a 14-speaker surround sound system courtesy of Bose.
For now, it seems that the XRT Pro package will only be for North American markets. There is no word from Hyundai if it plans to expand the availability of its off-road oriented models worldwide.
More photos of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro:
