Australia will soon have another large off-road SUV option with the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro arriving in the first half of 2026.
Hyundai has a new off-road flagship with the 2026 Palisade XRT Pro – a more capable version of the brand's flagship car-derived SUV – revealed overnight at the New York motor show and confirmed for Australia.
Though Hyundai's second-generation Palisade is due in local showrooms before the end of the year with a hybrid-only line-up, the XRT Pro is not slated to arrive until the first half of 2026.
It is the first Hyundai to wear the XRT Pro badge, after a series of regular XRT off-road editions, including a Santa Fe option pack for Australia.
To give the XRT Pro “significantly upgraded off-road capabilities”, the new Palisade flagship features a unique rear electronic limited-slip differential, larger 255/60 all-terrain tyres wrapped around 18-inch wheels, and revised front and rear bumpers.
This gives the Palisade XRT Pro a 25mm boost in ground clearance to 213mm, despite no mention of suspension changes in the company's media release.
The new exterior design also improves approach, departure, and breakover angles, now 20.5, 22.4, and 18.3 degrees respectively.
The surround-view monitor now has forward ground vision, and the XRT Pro can display pitch, roll, elevation, and compass information in real time.
The XRT Pro also sports exposed recovery hooks, a factory-installed tow hitch, and three new drive modes for mud, sand, and snow environments.
Also standing the XRT Pro apart from the rest of the Palisade range is variant-specific badging and darkened exterior accents, while other features include heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 14-speaker Bose sound system, interior ambient lighting, and a sunroof.
Powering the Palisade XRT Pro, at least in the US, is a 3.5-litre petrol V6 that outputs 214kW/353Nm.
Sending drive to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, the XRT Pro is aiming for a 2250kg braked towing capacity in the US market, with a final figure to be confirmed.
Hyundai Australia is yet to announce the engine planned for the local version of the Palisade XRT Pro.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
