The 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro made its debut in Australia this week, with showroom entry confirmed for next year.
A pre-production version was shown to media in Sydney to give us all a taste of what to expect from the rugged, off-road-ready SUV. It’ll come in to bolster the new Palisade which launches in November.
Unlike the XRT accessories packs which are available for the Santa Fe, the Palisade XRT Pro will be a dedicated variant, built from the factory. You can think of it as like XRT being N Line, and XRT Pro being like a full N model.
Features include chunky all-terrain tyres mounted on bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels (smaller than standard), lifted suspension by 2.0 inches, revised springs and dampers, and an electronic limited-slip differential at the back.
Engine specifications are yet to be confirmed for Australia, but overseas the XRT Pro is offered with the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder. In Australia, the regular new Palisade comes with a 2.5L turbo hybrid producing a combined 245kW and 400Nm.
The stand-alone 2.5L turbo is expected to be offered in Australia a bit later down the track, like how the new Santa Fe was first launched with a 1.6T hybrid and then offered with the 2.5T. It produces 206kW and 422Nm in the Santa Fe.
The XRT Pro should be an interesting variant for the market, especially in Australia as off-roading seems to be a big trend at the moment. Most of the traditional car brands are offering some kind of rugged off-road pack, like the Ford Everest Tremor and Nissan Patrol Warrior.
More details are set to roll out in the coming months and it will be in Australian showrooms in the first half of 2026. Stay tuned for our review of the regular new Palisade, coming November 6.
