And you thought the $90k Santa Fe Limited was extravagant. Hyundai New Zealand is taking its SUV offering to the next level with the "upper-large" Palisade, an imposing machine originally designed with the American market in mind (hence the name, referencing Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles) but also now developed in right-hand drive "primarily for for Australasia", says Hyundai.
The only other right-hand drive market for Palisade at the moment is Indonesia.
Palisade is being offered in in two specification levels for NZ, each with a choice of a 3.8l V6-petrol 2WD or 2.2 turbo-diesel AWD powertrain (the latter as fitted to the Santa Fe). Both have an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The petrol makes 217kW/355Nm, the diesel 147kW/440Nm.
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The Elite is an eight-seater, starting at $99,990 for the petrol 2WD model. The flagship Limited is restricted to seven seats for more space/luxury and starts at $107,990. In each case the diesel is the premium version, with a premium of $7000 (Limited V6 petrol $106,990, diesel $114,990).
Palisade is 290mm longer than a Santa fe - but still shorter than a Mazda CX-9. Or most double-cab utes for that matter.
Shift by wire transmission (buttons, no lever), three-zone climate control (which can operate the seat heating automatically if needed), "smart one touch" walk-in and folding for the second row seats and a driver-talk function that allows those up front to use the audio system to talk to the second and third rows are all standard.
There are seven USB ports in the car and 16 cup holders - two for each occpuant.
The Limited model adds Blind Spot View Monitor in the dashboard display, Surround View Monitor, LED interior lighting, a memory system for the driver's seat, ventilation for the front and second-row seats (heating is standard across the range) and brings the option of suede roof lining and a dual-pane sunroof.
Leather upholstery is standard across the range, but Limited buyers can also specify higher-quality Nappa leather in beige with "beech wood look" interior panels. There's a special "Nappa Edition" model for $119,990.
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