Hyundai Palisade 2026: Why This Family SUV Just Got Even Harder to Beat

Last year, we called the Hyundai Palisade the best family vehicle on the road. Now, with its first Top Safety Pick+ award since 2023, that call looks even smarter. The three-row SUV earned the honor after Hyundai quietly upgraded the rear seatbelts last November. The catch? Only 2026 models built after that date qualify, check the sticker on the driver’s door jamb to be sure.

But the award only confirms what we already knew: this is the car families should be looking at.

The 2026 Palisade addresses the biggest complaint about earlier models: fuel economy. The new hybrid version gets 31 mpg combined versus 21 mpg for the gas-only model, saving an estimated $900 a year in fuel. The hybrid starts at $44,160, about $4,700 more than the base SE, but the gap narrows at higher trims.

The top-tier Calligraphy Hybrid, at $56,780, includes premium Nappa leather, heated and cooled seats front and back, and an in-cabin intercom system, useful when the kids are in row three. Even the standard gas model remains a strong choice, but with gas prices climbing, that extra 10 mpg matters.

Safety is where the Palisade really shines. It scored "Good", the IIHS equivalent of an A+, in every crash test category, including small overlap front, side impact, and headlights. In front crash prevention tests, the Palisade avoided a collision in every car-to-car scenario, slowing to just 7 mph in one pedestrian test and 3 mph in a car-to-motorcycle test.

D. Power gives it an 84 out of 100 for quality and reliability. Even used models hold up well, the 2022 model has only seven complaints on file, and the 2025 has none yet. For a busy parent, that kind of dependability is priceless.