FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2021 Hyundai Palisade 8 Seater

How big is the boot of the new 2021 Hyundai Palisade? How good is storage in the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?

This eight-seater Hyundai Palisade has the same size boot as the seven-seater Hyundai Palisade I tested previously, so let's find out what fits!

When using only the second-row of rear seats, the Hyundai Palisade will hold 21 shopping bags, which is one more than the Nissan Pathfinder, two more than the Toyota Kluger and four more than the Mazda CX-9 but three less than a Hyundai Staria and five less than the Kia Carnival that holds 26 shopping bags!

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

A twin side-by-side stroller fits in the boot of the Palisade with thirteen shopping bags around it.

A tandem stroller fits in the boot of the Hyundai Palisade, with fifteen shopping bags beside it.

A single stroller fits in the boot of the Palisade with fifteen shopping bags beside it.

This compact stroller fits in the boot of the Hyundai Palisade with seventeen shopping bags around it.

The boot floor of the 2021 Hyundai Palisade is flat and carpeted, which makes it great for dog to travel in, or boot suppers and for emergency nappy changes!

When using all three rows of seats, the eight-seater Hyundai Palisade will hold eight shopping bags, which is comparable to the Nissan Pathfinder and the Toyota Kluger that both hold eight shopping bags too. The Mazda CX-9 will hold six shopping bags and the Kia Carnival will hold ten shopping bags. The Staria will hold double the bags of the Palisade with all three rows of seats in use!

A twin side-by-side stroller will fit in the boot of the Palisade when using all eight seats, which is really good as inevitably if you need an eight-seater car you need a pram that carries two kids and you can fit a few shopping bags beside it too!

A tandem pram fits in the boot with two shopping bags beside it.

This single pram fits in the boot with three shopping bags beside it.

This compact stroller fits in the boot of the Hyundai Palisade when using all three rows of seats with seven shopping bags around it.

The boot floor is nice and flat, which is good for emergency nappy changes and a small dog will fit when using all three rows of seats in the Palisade!

The retractable roller blind is stored underneath the boot floor in a large plastic storage space. We found this good for storing wet or fragile items to separate them from the rest of the boot as it can be easily wiped clean.

There is a thoughtful bungee rope and hook to hold the boot floor open while you are using this space.

Storage in the cabin of the eight-seater Hyundai Palisade is really good throughout. In the third row there are double cupholders on both sides that are the right size for a reusable coffee cup and water bottle. As well as USB sockets on either side too.

In the second row, there are FANTASTIC double cup holders in the doors. These were great with our family as the kids can reach their own water bottles or cups while you are driving along and when you go on road trips you can double park! There are also long storage wells in the door handles and small door bins too.

There are map pockets on the back of both front seats. They will hold a book or an iPad and there are nets on the front for a phone.

There are USB sockets in the side of the front seats for second-row passengers to charge devices while travelling along and a 12V socket in the back of the central console.

In the front of the eight-seater Hyundai Palisade Highlander, there are some more great in-cabin storage solutions. My favourite is the under central console handbag or shoe storage area, AMAZING! There is also a USB and 12V socket down there too.

In the central console, there are two cup holders that rotate out from the side of the storage area, so you can retract them if you are not using them. They will hold a disposable or reusable coffee cup. Beside them is a wireless phone charging pad with a USB socket. This central storage area has a retractable lid so you can cover it over when you leave the car.

The central console box is a nice big size, it has charging sockets inside and a sunglasses tray in the top of it. There is not a glasses case in the ceiling but there is a conversation mirror and lit vanity mirrors in both front visors.

The glove box is a practical size in the new Hyundai Palisade and will hold an iPad and wallet with the manual.

The door bins in the front are big enough for an iPad and refillable water bottle and there are storage wells in the door handles too.

How noisy is the new 2021 Hyundai Palisade? How good is the media system in the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?

The eight-seater 2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander I tested had the V6 petrol engine and like the diesel seven-seat version I drove it was quiet inside while driving because you are well cushioned from the road and engine noise like you are in a luxury car such as the Audi Q7 or BMW X7.

The media system in the Hyundai Palisade is modern and easy to use and navigate.

All models of the new Palisade have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There are some great features for families within the media system. During our week of family testing we enjoyed ‘sounds of nature', a variety of pre-recorded white noise at your fingertips. The selection includes calm ocean waves, rainy day, warm fireplace, lively forest, snowy walk and open-air cafe. This helped us get our youngest to sleep every journey! She LOVED the calm ocean waves and having it ready to go in the stereo for every journey made it simple and convenient. (In fact, it is so good that I have actually recorded it to my phone to play in other test vehicles that don't have it!!)

Passenger talk is a good function for families, it amplifies your voice to the third-row passengers. This is quite useful so you don't have to shout to be heard and we found it fun for in-car family Karaoke!

The Palisade also has a Quiet mode function which allows you to move the sound to the front speakers and limit the volume so it doesn't disturb rear passengers, which we found great for when the kids asleep in the back so music didn't disturb them and I could still listen to it in the front.

In the top-spec Highlander model I tested there are a lot of extras, like the 360-degree camera that you can turn on easily with a button in the central console.

You can even turn on the rear camera while you are driving as the kids love to watch it but also for visibility for the driver too. The Palisade is a large SUV and when it is loaded up with child seats the rearview camera really helps you see out of the back.

The Palisade Highlander also has indicator camera views that comes up in the screen in front of the driver. This is great for seeing down the side of this large SUV while turning or changing lanes.

The Hyundai Palisade is not a noisy car full of beeps (thankfully for families). One of the only ones is a rear seat reminder when you get out of the car, which beeps at you to remind you to look in the back.

There is also a clear seatbelt removal visual beside the media screen for both rear rows of seats.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The reversing camera in the Hyundai Palisade Highlander is excellent, it fills the whole screen and has a bird's eye view as well. There are many different views you can select on the left of the screen…

…and you can easily mute the parking sensors with a button in the central console

Instead of a traditional gear lever, the Hyundai Palisade has push-button gears that are easily accessed on the central console.

The Palisade Highlander also has heated and cooled seats in the front and back and a heated steering wheel, which you can control from the central console.

The indicators are not too loud in the Hyundai Palisade and the doors and windows can be locked from the driver's door control panel. In the Highlander model, there is a child lock button that locks them both at the same time. I found the doors were not too loud to open and close.

You can also turn off lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning with buttons down by the driver's right knee.

How many child seats fit in the eight-seater 2021 Hyundai Palisade?

The Hyundai Palisade is available as a seven or eight-seater. In the seven-seater, you can fit three child seats. To see that review follow the link here.

The eight-seater Hyundai Palisade has a bench seat in the second row, which is split 60:40, with the 40% section on the driver's side.

There are ISOFix points in the two outer second-row seats, they're not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages in the back of all three second-row seats in the eight-seater 2021 Hyundai Palisade. They are within labelled plastic guides and easy to connect to.

Three Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the second row. I installed the Infasecure Achieve More in the central seat and the Infasecure Attain More in both the outer positions.

If you use ISOFix instead of the seatbelt to fasten in the outer child seat then you can access through to the third-row with forward-facing child seats installed. It's also possible with rear-facing seats installed if you move the front seat forward.

In the third-row seats, there is one set of ISOFix points on the passenger side, they are within plastic guides and easy to connect to.

On the third-row seatbacks, there are two clearly labelled top tether anchorages within plastic guides and easily accessible through the boot. There is also a bag hook, good for a school bag in the boot!

I found one child seat fits well in the third-row seats using the top tether anchorage, giving you the flexibility of positioning it either in the centre or on the passenger side of the car. With a child seat in the central position, we found a passenger could sit on either side comfortably. I also found I could put an Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat in the third-row too because it does not need a top tether strap.

Legroom is excellent throughout the eight-seater Palisade. There is plenty of kick room and headroom in the third-row seats and we found a 180cm passenger in the third-row, a rear-facing child seat in the second-row we could it a 184cm driver in front.

With a forward-facing child seat in the second row, a 184cm+ driver can sit in the driver's seat.

Posting bub into their child seats in the second-row from inside and outside the Palisade is nice and easy. Being a big SUV, the ceiling is nice and high, there is plenty of interior space and the doors open really wide.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

I found there is room to feed bub in the first, second or third row. The eight-seater Palisade is very spacious.

How comfortable is the eight-seater 2021 Hyundai Palisade? And How good is the eight-seater 2021 Hyundai Palisade to drive?

The front seats of the new 2021 Hyundai Palisade are nice and comfortable. In the top-spec Highlander model, they are now available in black as well as the original red or beige Nappa leather and in the base and Elite models the seats are black perforated leather.

For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the second-row seats are very comfortable.

As are the third-row seats. They have great head and legroom and it is easy to walk through to the third row. We found it is easier to sit a person either side of a child seat in the third-row rather than between two child seats.

The Highlander's third-row seats are perforated leather too which will be just as hard to clean as woven upholstery.

For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down. The cruise controls are on the right on the steering wheel and are easy to use and I found them to be very accurate on both motorways and at lower speeds on undulating roads which is great.

There are eight air-conditioning vents in the Hyundai Palisade. Four across the front dashboard; two below the media screen and one at either end of the dash…

… there are round air-conditioning vents in the ceiling of both the second and third rows.

There are air-con controls in the back of the central console box for the rear vents.

This can be over-ridden by the controls in the front media screen to lock the rear air-conditioning if there are kids fiddling with it in the back!

In the front, there are easy to reach air-conditioning controls in the central console.

There are handles above both rear doors which are well-positioned to hold a baby toy for rear-facing passengers…

…and window blinds built into the rear doors of the Highlander model.

There are lights in the ceiling of the second-row seats of the Palisade that are easily reachable while driving.

I have found our kids do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

Visibility in the eight-seater Palisade is really helped by the rear-view and indicator cameras in the Highlander model because with child seats in both the second and third-rows visibility can be quite obstructed in such a large SUV.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Palisade was simple to park as the visibility with the cameras is very good!

How safe is the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade has yet to be given an ANCAP safety rating. It does come with six airbags as standard including third-row curtain airbags.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade has a seatbelt removal warning for both rear rows of seats, that is clearly visible next to the media screen.

As standard, all models of the 2021 Hyundai Palisade come with adaptive cruise control (ACC),  blind spot monitor (BSM), driver attention warning (DAW), forward collision warning (FCW), high beam assist (HBA), lane keep assist (LKA), lane follow assist (LFA), rear collision avoidance (RCA), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), rear occupant alert (ROA), tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and trailer ability assist (TSA). The top-spec Palisade Highlander comes with safe exit assist also (SEA).