After driving in the luxury of the Calligraphy trim, I was ready to get dirty in the Palisade’s new adventurous XRT PRO trim. I wondered if the XRT PRO trim was simply for looks, or if it can perform.

Luckily in the looks department, this 2026 model does an excellent job at accomplishing it with the optional Earthy Brass Matte color. The red recovery hooks on the front and back add a nice touch of bright color to the Palisade. With the XRT PRO trim, you’ll an 18” wheel with a design that’s exclusive to the trim. You also get an inch of increase clearance over the standard model, but somehow remains at the same height according to Hyundai’s specs.

Inside, the XRT PRO only comes in an all black finish that would have Darth Vader breathing heavily. The stitched pattern on the seats resemble mountains and have the XRT logo on the headrests. It’s unfortunate that you don’t get the power option on the third row, specially when I praised it as one of the best systems I’ve ever used. What you do get in return is a special off-road view in the gauge cluster and in the infotainment screen.

Under the hood, you’ll only get the option for the 3.5L V6 that delivers 287 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. That power gets sent to the 8-speed auto, and then delivered to the HTRAC All Wheel Drive system. To add to the drivetrain goodies, you get the trim exclusive electronic limited slip differential in the rear. I’ll start by saying that I wish we had the option of the hybrid on the XRT PRO trim since the same max torque amount comes in at 1,800 RPMs, instead of the V6’s 5,000 RPMs! Hyundai is apparently wanting to test how sales go with the V6 before they consider it in the hybrid. Although I’m not impressed with that decision, I am impressed at how good the automatic locking rear differential worked to get the power down and get the Palisade moving.

Overall, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT PRO was an exciting soft roader to drive for the week. With the unique styling, plentiful tech, and capable soft roading drivetrain, I’d highly recommend it for a large family adventure vehicle.