What's the 2020 Hyundai Palisade's Price? Look to the Japanese for Your Answer

Hyundai blanketed the rollout of its new three-row Palisade with descriptive terms that positively oozed luxury and refinement. Hell, just the name of the thing should conjure up a swanky seaside image or two.

It’s clear the Korean automaker feels its eight-passenger crossover (successor to the Santa Fe XL, formerly just “Santa Fe”) stands on par with its foreign competitors, as its price reflects this newfound feeling of confidence.

There’s no choice of powertrains in this vehicle, so all 2020 Palisades will carry the same 3.8-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic when the model arrives at dealers. That arrival, by the way, is imminent. Once here, would-be owners will only need to concern themselves with content level and number of drive wheels.

Starting at $31,550 for a base front-wheel-drive SE, the Palisade demands a $1,045 destination fee. What other models appear with this starting price, you ask? Let’s see… The Honda Pilot LX FWD ($31,350, plus destination), the Toyota Highlander SE FWD ($31,680, plus destination), and the Nissan Pathfinder S FWD ($31,350, plus destination).

Hyundai must have employed the services of a shoehorn to squeeze itself into the middle of this closely-spaced pack. If you’re looking for a three-row unibody with a bargain basement starting price, look no further than Detroit. The Chevrolet Traverse L FWD carries a sticker of $29,930 before destination.

Even when you add all-wheel drive to the equation, the Palisade doesn’t budge from its crowded perch. An SE AWD will set you back $33,250, plus destination. Compare that to the pre-destination price of Honda’s cheapest AWD Pilot ($33,350), Toyota’s AWD Highlander LE ($35,190), and Nissan’s Pathfinder S AWD ($33,220). It seems Hyundai hopes that customers view its status as being above that of the Americans, just a hair above the value-packed Nissan brand, basically on par with Honda, and a quarter-step below everyone’s favorite purveyor of reliable runabouts.

With no fancy hybrid systems or uplevel engines in tow, a top-flight Palisade Limited AWD tips the financial scales at $46,400, plus destination.

As it prepares to enter a hotly contested (and potentially lucrative) battle, the Palisade hopes to win on the strength of its content, interior room, and design. Standard equipment includes automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and power folding second-row seats.

Let the games begin.

[Images: Hyundai]