2023 Hyundai Palisade vs 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, as Hyundai's largest SUV, had a commanding presence on the road, further enhanced by its 2023 styling update. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, gave the Palisade a stronger, more assertive look. Standard LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights added to its modern appeal, while the Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured premium rear accent lighting and a unique grille. The 20-inch alloy wheels, standard across the lineup in Canada, contributed to its premium feel, especially in the Ultimate Calligraphy trim with its new multi-spoke design. The interior of the Palisade was equally impressive, with the Ultimate Calligraphy trim offering premium Nappa leather and a dual-pane sunroof. The spacious cabin accommodated up to eight passengers, with second-row captain's chairs available for added comfort.

In contrast, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe had a more conservative exterior design, maintaining the same look as the 2022 model. Available in four trim levels in Canada, the Santa Fe featured a wide upper and lower grille, thin LED headlights, and a distinctive front-end design. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim, tested in the U.S., showcased a black interior with Nappa leather seats, providing a high-quality look and feel. The cabin, while dark and monotone, offered comfort with heated and cooled front seats and heated second-row seats. The Santa Fe's interior was spacious, with ample rear-seat legroom and cargo space, thanks to its two-row configuration. The extended panoramic sunroof and head-up display added to the vehicle's appeal, although some minor ergonomic issues were noted.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade was powered by a 3.8-litre V6 engine, delivering 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This made it more powerful than competitors like the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas, and slightly more so than the Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder. The Palisade's eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard paddle shifters, provided smooth gear changes. In Canada, the standard all-wheel drive (AWD) system, demonstrated during a muddy off-road test, proved capable. The Palisade offered a comfortable ride, with a towing capacity of up to 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) and a dedicated Tow Mode for optimized shifting. Fuel consumption was rated at 12.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.5 on the highway, and 11.2 combined.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 191 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version with 281 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The turbocharged engine, available in Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims, provided brisk acceleration and smooth performance, with no discernible turbo lag. The Santa Fe's eight-speed "wet" dual-clutch automatic transmission contributed to its sporty feel, especially in Sport mode. The vehicle's drive-mode selector offered four customizable modes: Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart. The turbocharged Santa Fe could tow up to 1,587 kilograms (3,500 pounds) with trailer brakes, while the non-turbo version had a towing capacity of 907 kilograms (2,000 pounds).

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade offered generous interior space, comfortably seating seven or eight passengers. It provided 1,052 millimetres of legroom in the front row, 1,077 in the second, and 798 in the third, with a total passenger volume of 4,397 litres. The second-row seating featured a standard one-touch seat slide for easy access to the third row. Cargo space was ample, with 509 litres behind the third row, 1,297 litres behind the second, and 2,447 litres with all but the front-row seats folded flat. The Palisade's interior was designed for convenience, with HVAC vents in all three rows, multiple cupholders, and a hands-free smart liftgate on all but the base trim.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, with its two-row configuration, offered 1,060 millimetres of rear-seat legroom, among the best in its class. Cargo space was competitive, with 1,032 litres behind the second row and 2,041 litres with the second row folded down. The Santa Fe's interior featured an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats as standard in Canada. Higher trims included a hands-free smart liftgate, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim offered advanced features like Remote Smart Parking Assist, a head-up display, and ambient lighting. Despite its spaciousness, some ergonomic issues were noted, such as the driver's seat position and the wide centre console affecting leg space.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade boasted a 12.3-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system, standard across all trims, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy trims featured a premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Palisade's technology suite included a 4.2-inch colour driver info display or a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in higher trims. Hyundai's Bluelink connected vehicle system, standard on all trims, offered remote accessibility and management features, such as remote start presets and seat heating or cooling activation.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe excelled in in-vehicle technology, with a 10.25-inch touchscreen featuring navigation, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and BlueLink connected services. The Luxury and Ultimate Calligraphy trims offered a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim also included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and wireless device charging. The Santa Fe's infotainment system, while not the most visually striking, was highly customizable. Voice recognition capabilities were mixed, with some difficulty in recognizing commands related to music and temperature adjustments.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. It came with Hyundai’s Smart Sense suite of safety features, including forward collision avoidance, driver attention warning, and lane-keeping assist. Blind-spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance were standard on all trims. The Palisade also featured adaptive cruise control with stop and go, Highway Driving Assist, and a full-display digital rearview mirror on higher trims. Safe exit warning and rear seat occupant alert were standard across the lineup.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe was equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety-related ADAS, including forward-collision avoidance, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. Highway Driving Assist was standard on the Ultimate Calligraphy trim. The Santa Fe received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. The vehicle's safety features provided peace of mind, with reminders for rear-seat occupants and safe-exit warnings.