The New Hyundai Palisade’s Engine Sits Way Low

When Hyundai revealed the new Palisade in South Korea at the end of last year, there was one glaring omission. The second-generation model lost the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6 of its predecessor. Well, at least that’s the case in the domestic market. The fullsize SUV hasn’t been introduced elsewhere, so we’re not losing our hope yet. In the meantime, a new walkaround video reveals how impressively low the four-pot sits underneath the hood.

You’re looking at the turbocharged 2.5-liter gasoline engine that Hyundai mounts in both the pure gas and hybrid flavors of the new Palisade. It might not be the only four-cylinder engine available, although the company hasn’t said anything about bringing back the diesel. In the preceding model, there was a 2.2-liter CRDi available in certain markets.

In-depth footage from YouTuber CarSceneKorea allows us to peek underneath the Palisade’s hood. The spacious engine bay is practically begging for a bigger V-6, but we’ll have to wait for the US release of the family hauler to see whether it’ll retain all six cylinders. Having the smaller engine mounted so low should improve the center of gravity to benefit handling, but the Palisade is ultimately a family hauler/grocery getter. You’re not going to set any Nürburgring records, that’s for sure, although we wouldn’t mind seeing a Palisade N in full attack mode on the Nordschleife.

Beyond the tiny four-cylinder mill sitting low in a cavernous engine bay, one other detail caught our attention. In the seven-seat version with captain’s chairs in the middle row, Hyundai put tiny screens inside the armrests. The display is accompanied by physical buttons for the massaging functions of the heated and ventilated second-row seats.

We usually oppose automakers cramming more screens inside cars, but we’ll let this one slide because the 2026 Palisade still has many physical buttons. They’re on the doors, dashboard, ceiling, and cargo area. This black leather interior with illuminated seatbelt buckles belongs to the Calligraphy model, the fanciest trim level available with all the bells and whistles.

Photo by: CarSceneKorea

2026 Hyundai Palisade screenshot from video

The buttons mounted on the left side of the cargo area allow you to electrically adjust the second- and third-row seats. That’s where an outlet for the vehicle-to-load (V2L) function is located. However, the Palisade featured in this video is the gas-only version, so it does not have V2L. Only the hybrid, with its 1.65-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, supports V2L, turning the SUV into a huge power bank.

The Palisade can accommodate up to nine people, provided you opt for the version with a three-seat front row featuring a bench seat in the middle. Korean owners will be legally allowed to drive the nine-seat model on the bus lane. It’s unclear whether Hyundai intends to sell this configuration elsewhere. For even bigger families, the futuristic-looking Staria minivan can fit as many as 11 people.

Expect the new Palisade to land in the United States later this year as a 2026MY.