Three Rows, Nine Inches, and One Big Decision

Hyundai builds two three-row SUVs that look like siblings on the showroom floor and behave like distant cousins on the road. One stretches nine inches longer and hides a V6 under the hood. The other parks easier and sips fuel like a compact car. Picking one comes down to how often that back row actually gets used.

• The 2026 Palisade measures 199.2 inches long and starts at $39,435, while the Santa Fe comes in at 190.2 inches and starts at $35,050.
• Palisade gas trims run a 287-hp 3.5-liter V6, and Santa Fe gas trims use a 277-hp 2.5-liter turbo four.
• An EPA-estimated 36 mpg combined for the front-drive Santa Fe Hybrid is the best figure in either lineup.

Size Is Where These Two Split Apart

Both wear a mid-size label, and both give you a third row. Park them side by side, and the gap shows fast. Palisade rides on a 116.9-inch wheelbase and runs 199.2 inches nose to tail. The smaller Santa Fe has a 110.8-inch wheelbase and is 190.2 inches long. Nine inches sounds like nothing until you’re stuffing a stroller in behind row three.

Cargo numbers follow the same script. The bigger SUV holds 19.1 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.3 cubic feet behind the second row, and 86.7 cubic feet with both back rows folded flat. Its smaller sibling answers with 14.6, 40.5, and 79.6 cubic feet in those same configurations. Third-row legroom leans in the same direction at 32.1 inches versus 30.0 inches.

Parking lots go the other way. Santa Fe turns in 37.9 feet curb to curb against 39.2 feet for the Palisade, and that boxy shape makes the back glass easy to place in a tight garage.

Two Gas Engines and Two Very Different Hybrids

Palisade gas trims run a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic. Every gas Santa Fe uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged four making 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft, also through an eight-speed. That’s 10 fewer horses but 51 more lb-ft of twist, peaking at 4,000 rpm instead of 5,000. On a loaded on-ramp, that torque shows up as effort you don’t have to make.

The hybrids flip the pecking order. Palisade Hybrid pairs a 2.5-liter turbo four with two electric motors for 329 combined horsepower and 339 lb-ft, making it the strongest three-row Hyundai sells. A 1.6-liter turbo four and a single motor deliver 231 combined horsepower and 271 lb-ft. torque. Neither one plugs in. Both recharge while you drive.

Fuel Economy and Trailer Math

Mileage is the widest gap on the page. Front-drive Santa Fe Hybrid posts EPA-estimated ratings of 37 city, 36 highway, and 36 combined. Add HTRAC all-wheel drive, and it settles at 35/34/34. In front-drive Blue form, Palisade Hybrid reads 33/35/34, and its all-wheel-drive hybrid trims land at 29/30/29.

Gas versions tell a quieter story. That turbo four returns 20/29/24 with front-wheel drive and 20/28/23 with AWD. Palisade’s V6 manages 19/25/21 in front-drive form and 18/24/20 with AWD. Trail-ready trims drink hardest, at 19/25/21 for Santa Fe XRT and 16/22/19 for Palisade XRT PRO.

Trailers reverse the standings. Palisade’s V6 pulls up to 5,000 pounds with trailer brakes, and Palisade Hybrid handles 4,000. Gas Santa Fe trims stop at 3,500 pounds, with the AWD-only XRT rated for 4,500. Hybrid Santa Fe tops out at 2,000 pounds, so a pair of jet skis is about the ceiling.

2026 Hyundai Palisade vs. Santa Fe Trim Comparison

Trim Level	Palisade MSRP	Palisade Powertrain / MPG Combined	Santa Fe MSRP	Santa Fe Powertrain / MPG Combined
SE	$39,435	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 21 mpg FWD, 20 mpg AWD	$35,050	2.5L Turbo, 277 hp / 24 mpg FWD, 23 mpg AWD
SEL	$41,940	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 21 mpg FWD, 20 mpg AWD	$37,590	2.5L Turbo, 277 hp / 24 mpg FWD, 23 mpg AWD
SEL Convenience	$43,370	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 21 mpg FWD, 20 mpg AWD	Not offered	Not offered
SEL Premium	$45,300	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 21 mpg FWD, 20 mpg AWD	Not offered	Not offered
XRT PRO / XRT, AWD only	$49,870	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 19 mpg AWD	$42,040	2.5L Turbo, 277 hp / 21 mpg AWD
Limited	$49,770	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 21 mpg FWD, 20 mpg AWD	$44,600	2.5L Turbo, 277 hp / 24 mpg FWD, 23 mpg AWD
Calligraphy	$54,560	3.5L V6, 287 hp / 21 mpg FWD, 20 mpg AWD	$47,600	2.5L Turbo, 277 hp / 24 mpg FWD, 23 mpg AWD
SE Hybrid	Not offered	Not offered	$36,400	1.6L Turbo Hybrid, 231 hp / 36 mpg FWD, 34 mpg AWD
SEL Hybrid	$44,160	2.5L Turbo Hybrid, 329 hp / 34 mpg FWD, 29 mpg AWD	$38,690	1.6L Turbo Hybrid, 231 hp / 36 mpg FWD, 34 mpg AWD
SEL Premium Hybrid	$47,520	2.5L Turbo Hybrid, 329 hp / 34 mpg FWD, 29 mpg AWD	Not offered	Not offered
Limited Hybrid	$51,990	2.5L Turbo Hybrid, 329 hp / 29 mpg AWD only	$45,700	1.6L Turbo Hybrid, 231 hp / 36 mpg FWD, 34 mpg AWD
Calligraphy Hybrid	$56,780	2.5L Turbo Hybrid, 329 hp / 29 mpg AWD only	$48,700	1.6L Turbo Hybrid, 231 hp / 36 mpg FWD, 34 mpg AWD

MSRP excludes freight, tax, title, and license fees. EPA estimates are for comparison only, and your actual mileage will vary.

The Third Row Usually Settles It

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade vs. Santa Fe debate almost always lands on the same question. Who rides in back, and how often? Adults or growing teenagers in row three every week? Palisade’s extra legroom, wider body, and 19.1 cubic feet behind the third row earn their keep, and the V6 tow rating is a bonus if there’s a boat in your future.

Kids back there on weekends, with the seats folded flat most of the time? The Santa Fe does that job for thousands less and gives you better mileage on every commute. A Palisade SE lists $4,385 above a Santa Fe SE, and the spread widens as you climb. Both come with Hyundai’s 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain coverage, and both hybrid systems carry 10-year, 100,000-mile battery protection.

Why Buy Your Next Three-Row Hyundai at Gates Hyundai

We stock both SUVs in Richmond, and we’d rather you climb into them than read about them. Bring the car seats you already own. Fold the third row. Load the stroller and see which liftgate opening works. Our team will walk you through trim differences at your pace, and we’re happy to send you home with one for a day so it can meet your driveway and errands. If you’re torn between a hybrid and a V6, we’ll pull both up front and let the drive answer it. Schedule a test drive online or swing by the showroom.

Tags: 2026 Hyundai Palisade trims, 2026 Hyundai Palisade vs. Santa Fe, 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe trims, Hyundai SUV Richmond, Hyundai three-row SUV, KY, Palisade Hybrid mpg, Palisade vs Santa Fe trim comparison, Santa Fe Hybrid mpg
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