Australia 2026 Hyundai Palisade The range has been expanded with a new entry-level Elite grade and there is expected to be a more robust off-road Hero specification later in the year.
“We’re pleased to say Elite is on the way… And then later on we’ll look to expand the Palisade model range with XRT Pro. So there’s a lot of activity,” Hyundai Australia product development and planning manager Tim Rodgers said Daily Sparkz at the recent market launch of the Elexio electric SUV.
The Elite is due to be available in March 2026 and will be priced at $76,500 before on-road costs – cutting the cost of entry into the new-generation large SUV range by $13,400.
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The new 2026 Hyundai Palisade Elite, like the Calligraphie that launched the second-generation model here late last year, will be offered exclusively with the brand’s new 245kW/460Nm 2.5-litre turbo-hybrid system.
A non-hybrid version of the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol powertrain is available in other markets such as Hyundai’s native South Korea, producing 207kW of power and 422Nm of torque and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
This powertrain is included in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options in Australian government certification documents released this week. The braked towing capacity is stated to be slightly higher than hybrid variants at 2,200 kg (compared to 2,000 kg).
A front-wheel drive version of the Palisade Hybrid and the more robust XRT Pro also appear in these documents. All are listed with a choice of seven or eight-seat configurations.
Aside from the XRT Pro, it’s unclear how many of these variants Hyundai will offer in Australia. The previous generation of the Palisade lineup opened with the front-wheel-drive, gasoline V6-powered Elite, which cost $66,800 on-road.
The XRT Pro, on the other hand, is a more adventurous variant with exclusive design and features to improve off-road capability. Although not sold in Korea (yet), the XRT Pro debuted alongside the broader Palisade lineup at the 2025 New York Motor Show.
In the US it is only available with a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and all-wheel drive, but Australian government registration documents list it with the non-hybrid 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine and all-wheel drive.
In the US market, the XRT Pro offers the following:
- Electronic rear axle limited slip differential – eLSD
- 8.4 inch ground clearance (~213 mm)
- 1.0 inch (~25.4mm) more than standard Palisade
- Improved approach, departure and breakover angles
- 20.5 x 22.4 x 18.3 degrees
- 255/60 R18 off-road tires
- Real-time pick and roll, compass and altitude display
- Terrain modes mud, sand and snow
- Exposed recovery hooks in Canyon Red – front, rear
- Downhill brake control
- Tow mode with OEM trailer hitch
- 115 volt outlet
The second-generation Hyundai Palisade launched in Australia in November 2025, exclusively in the premium Calligraphy trim and at a higher starting price than the most expensive version of its predecessor.
In 2025, the Palisade range – including the previous model’s discontinued models – recorded 2,364 sales, down 22.8 percent year-on-year and accounting for 1.7 percent share of the mainstream large SUV segment.
The Palisade also debuted Hyundai’s latest-generation hybrid drive technology, which is said to offer improved efficiency and performance – you can read more about it Here.
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MORE: Explore the Hyundai Palisade showroom
