The XRT PRO marks a brand new design method for Hyundai
Hyundai has revealed its three-row 2026 Palisade SUV throughout media days at this week’s New York Worldwide Auto Present, and the mannequin’s lineup, which features a debut hybrid powertrain, contains a new off-road-focused trim named the XRT PRO. The South Korean automaker has launched earlier XRT fashions, however this variant might be its first to have the XRT PRO badge and is designed with US customers in thoughts. In response to Hyundai, the XRT PRO has extra off-road-minded {hardware} and software program enhancements than any of its earlier automobiles. This SUV’s entrance finish options purple restoration hooks, additionally current on the rear, and a extra muscular decrease fascia in comparison with the non-XRT PRO 2026 Palisades. XRT PRO drivers additionally obtain an additional inch of floor clearance complemented by improved method, departure, and breakover angles, off-road terrain tires, and a factory-installed tow hitch housed in a hid panel.
Sufficient energy to get you thru the grime
Below the hood of the XRT PRO would be the 2026 Palisade’s newly developed 3.5-liter V6 as a substitute of the hybrid powertrain, producing 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Towing capability is aggressive at 5,000 lbs and can be utilized alongside a devoted tow mode. Hyundai will construct its 2026 Palisade in Ulsan, South Korea, and XRT PRO fashions are scheduled to reach at sellers in early summer time. Olabisi Boyle, SVP of product planning and mobility technique at Hyundai Motor North America, stated in a launch: “It’s [2026 Palisade XRT PRO] bought house on your crew, functionality when the street will get tough, and the form of consolation, model, and effectivity that proves luxurious doesn’t have to return with a luxurious value. We needed to ship a car the place affordability can meet life-style, regardless of the place off-road you wish to go.”
Seems to be to match the brawn
Design-wise, the 2026 Palisade XRT PRO receives model-exclusive 18-inch dark-finish alloy wheels and darkish accents on its grille, window encompass, and cladding. Inside, you’ll discover leatherette seating surfaces with front-row heating and air flow, ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, and a Bose 14-speaker audio system. All-wheel drive (AWD) is commonplace on the XRT PRO, and new modes like mud, sand, snow, and terrain additional its off-road functionality. Actual-time pitch and roll, compass, and elevation shows assist hold you on the precise path, whereas the XRT PRO-exclusive rear digital limited-slip differential optimizes stability and traction on difficult surfaces.
Ultimate ideas
One legitimate grievance relating to earlier XRT trims from Hyundai, which have been a part of fashions just like the Santa Fe, is that their off-road designs featured rugged stylistic cues however didn’t supply precise functionality. Now, Hyundai is altering its method by premiering the XRT PRO Palisade with equal components off-road kind and performance. With the Palisade receiving its first-ever hybrid powertrain and the XRT PRO for its 2026 manufacturing yr, Hyundai is placing itself in a good place to construct on the previous Palisade’s success, which concluded its best-ever gross sales yr in 2024, up 23% from 2023. Whereas Hyundai hasn’t but introduced a beginning value for the 2026 Palisade XRT PRO, it’s anticipated to carry a base value of round $51,000.
