Hyundai has just unveiled the new 2022 Palisade facelift at this year’s New York International Auto Show, bringing along a refreshed exterior and reworked kit list, just four months after the pre-facelift model was introduced here in Malaysia.
Most of the styling changes of the new 2022 Hyundai Palisade are on its front fascia, featuring a new and wider “Cascading grille” design that takes up almost the entire width of the front, just below the bonnet shut line.
The “parametric shield” chrome outline of the grille creates an illusion at the top that gives it a Mitsubishi Triton-esque look, but unlike the Tucson, the grille here doesn’t actually have any lighting elements at all; the daytime-running lights on the new Hyundai Palisade are actually vertically-aligned, running from just beside the grille elements at the top, down to the main headlight housings lower on the bumper.
There’s also the usual tweaks to the bumpers, both front and rear, with the latter featuring a new narrow strip across that houses the reflectors and reverse lights, alongside new square tailpipe exits. Otherwise, the rest of the exterior remains unchanged from before, save for the new wheel designs, with sizes of up to 20 inches in diameter.
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The 2022 Hyundai Palisade facelift also received a pretty significant makeover on the inside, headlined by a tweaked dashboard layout, and a new steering wheel design similar to that of the Elantra.
While the overall looks remain similar, Hyundai has given the new three-row SUV a slim air vent strip design that spans nearly the entire width of the dashboard to “add a sense of spaciousness”. Also new on the Palisade are the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and the larger 12-inch infotainment display sitting atop the dashboard, featuring the marque’s latest BlueLink telematics system.
The more minor changes include a new coat of black paint on the button bank right underneath the centre air vents, new ambient lighting, upgraded USB-C ports, a more powerful wireless charging pad (up to 15W), and the company’s Digital Key 2 Touch system that’s compatible with both iPhone and Android.
The seats have also been upgraded across all three rows – the driver now gets an Ergo Motion set-up that Hyundai says provides better comfort and reduce fatigue during long drives; second-row passengers now get a wing-out headrests and seat ventilation, while those in the third row can also now enjoy the seat heating function, which is apparently a first for Hyundai.
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On the safety front, rear side-impact airbags are now included as standard equipment on the new Palisade, while advanced driver assist features such as the navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, highway driving assist, reverse collision assist, and remote parking are also available as option.
In an effort to keep up with competition from other brands particularly in the US, Hyundai is also now offering the 2022 Palisade in an XRT variant that comes with darkened trims and off-road-style trims, including blacked-out wheels, grille, and roof rails, alongside “skid plate design elements” on the bumpers.
Despite the fiercer looks, however, the powertrain underneath the bonnet remains unchanged from before, and is the same 3.8-litre petrol V6 engine across the entire range. Power output is rated at 291 hp and 355 Nm, and is paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and a choice of two- or HTRAC all-wheel drive.
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