After a year with the 2021 Hyundai Palisade in Limelight long-term garage, it has proven to be the perfect car for our family, as a daily driver for my wife in particular. When Hyundai refreshed the Palisade for the 2023 model year, I began to wonder what we were missing. I'll get a chance to see when one lands in my driveway for a week.
Here are the most important differences I noticed in the new Palisade, in order when I noticed them:
Look
Look, I don't buy the Palisade for looks, but I can't help but notice the differences. I think I'm more fond of the old design in general, but it's not different enough to really make me interested. Little jumps and tucks are basically a commitment as part of any up do, and practical up do are what matter here.
Better access to the door
Our old bulkhead had a button on the front doors. You must press them to lock or unlock the door. With this new device, you can grab the handle and it will open. Instead of pressing a physical button to lock it, it's a touch-sensitive square in the shape of a button that you press to lock the door. Now if only they added the same functionality to the rear door handles.
Digital HVAC display
We still have physical controls, but there is also a digital display between the HVAC dials. At first glance it seemed pointless, as I prefer to use these dials for adaptation. Well, they're out of stock. However, I still use the actual dials to set the front temperature.
Rearview mirror camera
I love this addition. I mentioned in my first Palisade road trip review what a blessing those times when the car is full of cargo is. I was told on another Hyundai press trip that the folks there had read this comment, and that I would like some of the changes that were coming. It seems that this was one of them, and they are right. I very much appreciated the rearview mirror camera option
This is a great version too. You can adjust the brightness, and even cross aim for the camera feed. Do you have a trailer you'd like to see? You can point the camera up. Do you want to be able to enjoy mowing the car behind you at a traffic light? Goals. This is a rare and possibly unique feature.
Lane centered steering without operating cruise control
In the 2021 Palisade, you get a little lane-keeping help with the adaptive cruise control turned off, but use that to use the actual lane-centering feature that helps guide you through curves. In '23, if the cameras can find lanes, you can tap the little button on the steering wheel to assist with steering. Great cry, right? Path focus technique is usually bad. Actually, that's not the case with the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis I've driven, especially in something as big as the Palisade, a well-functioning lane-focused system that can help make driving less stressful.
Semi-automatic track change
The '23 Palisade can now be upgraded with Highway Driving Assist II. This sequel to the original HDA I system found on the outgoing Palisade adds adaptive cruise control and automatic lane changes for a lane centering system. When the system is active, click on the turn signal and if the coast is clear, the car will help you to steer to the next lane. It does it a lot slower than I'd like, so I still do it the old fashioned way, at my faster pace.
The HUD screen displays parking around you
Instead of just telling you when you're behind another car and your blind spots are occupied, the HUD displays more precise locations for the different cars it can see around you. So if there's one in your blind spot, and one on the other side just after the front fender, you'll see them represented as blocks around your virtual vehicle in the screen.
Ergo motion seat
It's not the best massage, and I usually don't use this function when better versions are available, but it might help you feel refreshed during long flights. The side supports are also adjustable. As with Mercedes-Benz's Multi-Contour seats, the Palisade's side bolsters can be tightened to better keep you in place as you shift between drive modes or drive more aggressively. It's a neat trick, but I'm not sure how useful it will be on lumbering SUVs than on small sports sedans.
New parking camera view
I don't find it particularly game-changing, but maybe some of the parking spots are worth it. The simple top-down surround view is good enough for me, providing all the information I need when parking.
Final verdict
The 2023 Hyundai Palisade is clearly familiar compared to previous model years. We're not sure about the design updates, but there are plenty of other changes that are already making a difference. Not big enough that we're rushing to replace my wife's 2021 model with a 2023 update, and some updates don't make much difference at all. But the people who make a difference do so because Hyundai has put some legitimate thinking into how it can help the driver. We look forward to using them, and any new innovations incorporated by then, when we go buy our next Hyundai family car.
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