Spy photographers have captured the 2026 Hyundai Palisade testing for the very first time, giving us an early look at the upcoming three-row crossover. The new photos provide hints as to what the crossover’s styling may look like. The Hyundai Palisade is a major rival for the Chevy Traverse.
Looking over the latest sales figures for the Mainstream Large Three-Row Crossover segment, we see the Chevy Traverse slotting in at third with regard to units sold during the 2023 calendar year, with a total of 123,555 units sold. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Palisade slots in at seventh place with 89,509 units sold during the same timeframe. Note that production of the all-new third-generation 2024 Chevy Traverse is scheduled to kick off in February, per a GM Authority Exclusive.
Sales Numbers - Mainstream Large Three-Row Crossovers - 2023 - USA
| MODEL | YTD 23 / YTD 22 | YTD 23 | YTD 22 | YTD 23 SHARE | YTD 22 SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORD EXPLORER | -10.05% | 186,799 | 207,673 | 16% | 19% |
| TOYOTA HIGHLANDER | -23.91% | 169,543 | 222,805 | 14% | 20% |
| CHEVROLET TRAVERSE | +27.42% | 123,555 | 96,965 | 11% | 9% |
| KIA TELLURIDE | +10.89% | 110,765 | 99,891 | 9% | 9% |
| HONDA PILOT | +0.73% | 100,298 | 99,567 | 9% | 9% |
| VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS | +16.64% | 95,675 | 82,025 | 8% | 7% |
| HYUNDAI PALISADE | +8.25% | 89,509 | 82,688 | 8% | 7% |
| NISSAN PATHFINDER | +23.93% | 71,710 | 57,862 | 6% | 5% |
| DODGE DURANGO | +24.83% | 69,196 | 55,433 | 6% | 5% |
| SUBARU ASCENT | -4.96% | 60,543 | 63,704 | 5% | 6% |
| TOYOTA GRAND HIGHLANDER | * | 48,036 | 0 | 4% | 0% |
| MAZDA CX-90 | * | 30,821 | 0 | 3% | 0% |
| MAZDA CX-9 | -49.53% | 17,451 | 34,580 | 1% | 3% |
| TOTAL | +6.41% | 1,173,901 | 1,103,193 |
As for the upcoming 2026 Hyundai Palisade, this prototype was seen wearing some heavy camo that obscured the new design underneath, but there are still a few hints as to what’s in store. The exterior appears to draw similarities to the redesigned 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, and will likely incorporate clean lines and a geometric style. The headlights and taillights appear to be unique in terms of shape and layout, while the front air intake appears to be larger. The shoulder line looks to be redesigned as well, as do the wheels.
Rumors indicate that the 2026 Hyundai Palisade will ride on a new platform and incorporate a longer wheelbase. This prototype appears to provide evidence that those rumors are indeed correct, and thus, the new generation should open up the cabin to provide even more room for people and things. Under the hood, the new Palisade is expected to cradle a turbocharged 3.5L V6 gasoline engine as a replacement for the current 3.8L unit, as well as a 2.5L hybrid powerplant.
Rumors also indicate that Hyundai is using the internal codename LX3 for the development of the next-generation crossover, while production is expected to kick off in roughly a year’s time.
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Comments
Another ugly wagon.
Hyundai/Kia are doing well. I tend to prefer the Kia styling. They are offering a hybrid powertrain option and they also have full electrics so they are covering the full spectrum of powertrains. For this segment, looks like they are #2 combined with gm still holding #1 if you add up acadia/traverse/enclave numbers together.
H/K definitely #2. Maybe they should advertise on Charmin!
This is going to be a winner. The powertrain options are much better than the GM products, there will be a 2.5L Hybrid 4 cyl as the base engine and a turbo V6 available. When these cars get into the 50k-60K price range the lack of refinement of the 4 cyl becomes an issue.