Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Hyundai Palisade Hybrid

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid was available in Canada in two trim levels: Luxury and Ultimate Calligraphy. These trims seamlessly integrated into the existing gas-only Palisade lineup, which included Preferred Trend, the rugged XRT Pro, and Ultimate Calligraphy. While the top trim was predictably more impressive, all Palisade trims exuded style and presence. The base Luxury trim came standard with 20-inch alloy wheels, and the front of every Palisade featured a massive grille with horizontal slats framed by LED projector headlights and a stack of five large LED daytime running lights. The profile boasted body-colour, heated side mirrors, with the Luxury Hybrid adding power-folding to their feature list. Acoustic side glass on the front and rear windows was standard across all trims. The rear view was equally handsome, with wide-spaced letters spelling the vehicle’s name below a large Hyundai emblem, and stacks of five LED taillights wrapping around the rear corners. The exhaust was tucked away, hinting at the Palisade's focus on peaceful, efficient driving rather than outright performance.

Inside, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade was even more impressive. The base gas-only trim levels came standard with H-Tex synthetic leatherette upholstery, eight-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat with two-way lumbar support, and three-stage heating elements for the driver’s and front-passenger seat. Moving up the trim ladder added features like four-way lumbar adjustment, seat ventilation, integrated driver’s seat memory settings, and on the Ultimate Calligraphy trim, beautiful Nappa leather upholstery. The interior design was a delight, filled with organic and natural shapes, and everything felt meticulously crafted. The Palisade’s storage solutions were thoughtfully considered and engineered, offering a richer feeling of craftsmanship compared to other non-luxury crossovers.

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its subtle midcycle refresh, maintained its handsome and strong visual statement. The new headlights, grille, and lower front fascia were hard to spot, but the current-generation Grand Cherokee remained appealing. The thin grille and headlights perched atop a jutting brow gave it a substantial, wide-track look. Traditional Jeep trapezoidal wheel arches and straight body lines enhanced its classic Jeep proportions. The shark-nose angle of the front end and the canted rear ensured the Grand Cherokee didn’t just look like a box. Competitors often dressed up softer shapes with big grilles and cladding, but the Grand Cherokee didn’t need that to assert its identity.

Inside, the Grand Cherokee's interior looked a bit plain as the smaller Jeep Cherokee had copied parts of its layout. However, it still justified its “grand” billing with smarter materials and more equipment, albeit only at the upper reaches of the lineup. The Laredo and Laredo X models were expected to have cloth upholstery, while the Altitude, Limited, and 85th Anniversary had leatherette, and the Limited Reserve and Summit had genuine leather upholstery. Single-pane and dual-pane sunroofs were available on certain trims, and they were cheaper than on the 2025 models. The Grand Cherokee continued to offer a two-row model with five seats and a three-row Grand Cherokee L model. Up front, it offered similar headroom to other midsize SUVs, while legroom tied the Honda Pilot but trailed other competitors. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard in Canada in 2026, with ventilation and massagers available on higher trims.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid redefined the notion of hybrid performance in a three-row crossover. It featured a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors and a 1.65-kWh battery. The turbo-four engine alone produced 258 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, surpassing the Grand Highlander’s base hybrid engine. Combined with the electric motors, the Palisade delivered a total of 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, ensuring it never lagged, whether in town or on the highway. The advanced eight-speed automatic transmission and propulsion systems contributed to its impressive performance. The Palisade Hybrid utilized Hyundai’s next-generation hybrid system, eliminating the old platform’s starter motor and auxiliary belts, instead relying on a more capable electric motor connected directly to the engine. This motor supported a second unit primarily responsible for vehicle propulsion. The result was an optimized powertrain that produced more power while consuming less fuel. The Palisade’s cabin was remarkably quiet, with noise-absorbing carpet and acoustic glass keeping road and tire noise at bay. The steering feel was sharper than expected for a three-row crossover, with virtually no play off-centre and nice weight and balance when turning.

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee introduced the Hurricane 4 Turbo engine, a significant addition to its lineup. This engine, distinct from the 2.0-litre turbo-four in the Wrangler, featured advanced technologies like a variable-geometry turbo and pre-chamber ignition, producing 324 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque on regular gasoline. This was 54 hp and 37 lb-ft more than the Wrangler. The Hurricane engine was expected to be standard in all Grand Cherokee trims except the base Laredo and Laredo X, which continued with the Pentastar 3.6-litre V6, producing 293 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with eight-speed automatic transmissions and standard four-wheel drive in Canada. The Hurricane 4 delivered peak power across a broad range of rpm, ensuring quick acceleration and confidence-inspiring performance. The Grand Cherokee maintained a 2,810-kilogram towing capacity, matching the Pentastar V6. The driving experience remained largely unchanged, with easy cornering for its size but a truck-like feel due to lazy steering and suspension. The standard steel suspension was well-tuned for comfort, absorbing bumps and road imperfections effectively. Jeep’s off-road capability varied by trim, with the base Laredo expected to have the Quadra-Trac I 4WD system, while higher trims offered more advanced systems.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid offered 2,455 litres of total cargo capacity, trailing the Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Grand Highlander, and Honda Pilot but surpassing the Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, and Mazda CX-90. The battery’s position under the front passenger seat slightly reduced second-row legroom, but it still exceeded most competitors. The third row, however, trailed the Grand Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Ford Explorer in legroom, measuring a maximum of 815 millimetres. The Palisade Hybrid’s third-row headroom was 957 mm, shorter than the Pilot and Explorer but more than a centimetre higher than the Grand Highlander’s. The cabin was comfortable, with dual-zone climate control, second-row HVAC controls, and seven USB-C power outlets. The Palisade Hybrid came standard with a second-row bench seat and seating for eight, with captain’s chairs available on higher trims. The interior was filled with cubbies for smaller items, including a rubberized cargo space in the centre console and a small shelf ahead of the front passenger seat.

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered a two-row model with five seats and a three-row Grand Cherokee L model. The two-row models had 1,067 litres of cargo space behind the second row and 2,004 litres with the rear seats folded, less than a two-row Honda Passport. The Grand Cherokee L’s cargo space was 487 litres with all seats in place, 1,328 litres with the third row folded, and 2,395 litres with all back seats folded, trailing most three-row competitors except the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Grand Cherokee’s interior lacked the Hyundai’s dual wireless device chargers but offered plenty of storage, including a deep centre console bin. The rotary shifter and drive mode selector were visually interesting but not especially practical.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid was well-equipped with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen and a matching digital instrument cluster. While not dominating the dash, the touchscreen was a bit far from the passenger’s seat. It supported HD and Sirius XM satellite radio, wireless Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. The standard Driver Talk intercom system facilitated communication between the first and third rows. All trims except the base model added a 14-speaker Bose stereo, and a 15-watt wireless charging pad was standard, though it tended to overheat phones. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim featured a built-in dashcam, recording front and rear views to a 64GB SD card, upgradeable to 512GB. The 2026 Palisade Hybrid introduced “Stay Mode,” allowing the climate control and infotainment system to run while the gas engine was off, provided the hybrid battery had more than 35% charge.

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen on higher trims, while lower models continued with a 10.2-inch touchscreen. All trims had a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Audio systems ranged from an unbranded six-speaker system to a 19-speaker McIntosh system on the Summit, which also had a 10.2-inch front-passenger touchscreen. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system remained user-friendly, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Off-Road Pages display was a great feature for an off-road SUV, but the main touchscreen’s home menu was cluttered, and the digital instrument cluster was disorganized. The Grand Cherokee offered a surround-view camera system with night vision and a low-angle off-road camera, along with a digital rearview mirror and the Fam Cam for monitoring back-seat passengers.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid came standard with a suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic assist, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. The blind-view monitor, typically reserved for the most expensive trims, was standard on the XRT Pro and up, including both hybrid trims. The rear doors featured a safe-exit alert indicator. During testing, the Palisade’s ADAS tech performed flawlessly. The 2025 Palisade received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, but the 2026 model had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS.

The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee was expected to retain standard driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and lane departure warning. Blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors were also standard. Active Drive Assist, a hands-free highway driving system, was available, with improved behaviour for 2026. The 2025 Grand Cherokee received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and was an IIHS 2024 Top Safety Pick, but the IIHS had updated its criteria since then. The 2026 model had confirmed top “Good” scores in certain crash tests and a “Marginal” score for seat belt reminders.