Hyundai Shows Off New Palisade Flagship SUV At LA Auto Show

Hyundai Motor finally took the wraps off its newest flagship sports utility vehicle, called Palisade, weeks after it announced the vehicle’s name and confirmed that it is going to be the replacement of the Veracruz.

Hyundai introduced the Palisade at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show this past Wednesday. The South Korean automaker announced during the event that the 2020 Hyundai Palisade is set to come to U.S. showrooms in the summer of 2019.

The U.S. is the most important market for South Korean carmakers, so Hyundai is eager to release the Palisade in the country as well as in other markets in 2019 to stimulate sales, according to Korea Herald.

Hyundai said the Palisade will have two engine variants: a 2.2-liter diesel engine and a 3.8-liter gasoline engine. It will also be available in both two-wheel and all-wheel drive. The car is shipping with an eight-speed automatic transmission, spacious eight-passenger seating, a lot of safety features, and ample cargo space for all sorts of baggage.

“This new Hyundai SUV is the ultimate family vehicle for practical, comfortable daily use and memory-making road trips whenever the appeal of the open road should beckon,” Hyundai Motor America vice president Mike O’Brien said in a statement.

As previously reported by IBTimes, Hyundai’s new flagship SUV got its name from the Pacific Palisades, an opulent and beautiful neighborhood located in southern California. It is also going to replace the Veracruz, which has been out of production since 2015.

The Palisade is Hyundai’s entry to the midsize, three-row family-SUV segment that is currently dominated by the Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot in the U.S.

The midsize SUV market is the third-largest segment in the U.S. It comes after compact SUVs and full-size pickup trucks. Based on the latest figures, midsize SUVs account for 14.1 percent of all vehicles sold in the country, as per Business Insider.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade is going on sale in South Korea next month, way ahead of its summer 2019 release in the American market. The automaker hasn’t revealed official pricing for its new SUV yet. However, the base, two-wheel-drive model is expected to have a starting price of around $30,000 in the U.S.