2023 Nissan Rogue vs 2023 Hyundai Palisade

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade, as Hyundai's largest SUV, presented a striking presence on the road, enhanced by a 2023 styling update. The new front fascia, with its bold strokes and squared-off grille, gave the Palisade a more commanding look. Standard LED accents, daytime running lights, and headlights added to its appeal, while the Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured premium rear accent lighting and a unique grille. The Palisade's 20-inch alloy wheels, standard across the lineup in Canada, contributed to its premium feel. The interior of the Ultimate Calligraphy trim was stylish, featuring premium Nappa leather and a dual-pane sunroof, while lower trims offered cloth seats and a single sunroof. The Palisade accommodated up to eight passengers, with second-row captain's chairs available on higher trims.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue maintained a handsome and rugged design, appealing to those seeking a practical and stylish compact SUV. The lineup included S, SV, SL, and Platinum trims, with prices ranging from $30,898 to $43,748. The Platinum trim, which we tested, offered upscale features like diamond-pattern leather seats and a range of premium amenities. The Rogue's design was practical, with large side mirrors and thin windshield pillars for good visibility. However, the rear seat comfort was lacking, with low-mounted cushions and diamond-shaped quilted pleats. The Rogue's cargo space was versatile, with up to 2,064 litres available when the rear seats were folded down.

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 several competitors, including the Mazda CX-9 and Volkswagen Atlas. The Palisade's eight-speed automatic transmission featured paddle shifters, and its standard all-wheel drive (AWD) system in Canada provided capable off-road performance. The Palisade offered a comfortable ride and competitive towing capacity of up to 2,268 kilograms. Its fuel economy was rated at 12.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.5 on the highway, and 11.2 combined.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue featured a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. The engine's variable compression design aimed to balance performance and fuel economy. The Rogue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) included paddle shifters, and AWD was standard on all but the base trim in Canada. The Rogue offered multiple driving modes, including Eco, Auto, and Sport, with additional Off-Road and Snow modes for AWD versions. While the Rogue felt responsive in urban settings, it lacked highway passing power. Its fuel economy was rated at 7.7 L/100 km combined, though our test vehicle averaged 8.1 L/100 km. The Rogue's ride quality was generally good, but its steering felt lifeless.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade provided ample space for passengers and cargo. It offered 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 Palisade's third-row seats folded flat, providing up to 2,447 litres of cargo space. A hands-free smart liftgate was standard on all but the base trim. The Palisade's interior was designed for comfort, with HVAC vents in all three rows and plenty of storage options.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue served as a practical family vehicle, with room for four adults and a fifth passenger when needed. The Platinum trim featured premium leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. The Rogue's rear doors opened to nearly 90 degrees, facilitating easy access. However, the rear seat comfort was lacking, with low-mounted cushions and diamond-shaped quilted pleats. The Rogue offered up to 1,028 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, expandable to 2,064 litres with the seats folded down. The Divide-N-Hide feature allowed for versatile cargo configurations.

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade boasted a 12.3-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and Bluetooth connectivity. A premium 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was standard on higher trims. The Palisade featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on Urban and Ultimate Calligraphy models, along with a head-up display on the latter. Hyundai's Bluelink connected vehicle system provided remote accessibility and management features, including remote start presets and seat heating or cooling.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue used an older infotainment system with an 8-inch or available 9-inch touchscreen. The test vehicle had the larger screen, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and a Bose premium audio system. The voice recognition technology was limited, struggling with certain requests. The Rogue also featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a head-up display, both of which worked well during our test drive.

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, Highway Driving Assist, and a full-display digital rearview mirror on higher trims.

The 2023 Nissan Rogue was equipped with Safety Shield 360, which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. Higher trims offered ProPilot Assist with Navi-link, combining adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assistance. The Rogue earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS for 2022, though it received Marginal and Acceptable scores in updated crash tests. The NHTSA awarded the Rogue a five-star overall rating, with four stars for frontal-impact collisions.