Cue that foot-tappin’, head-nodding, sing-along 1986 hit by Huey Lewis and the News: “It’s hip to be square”. 

Take one look at Hyundai’s fresh-outta-the-box 2026 Palisade sport-ute and it’ll have you singing right along with Huey. Yup, it’s hip to be square. 

Picture the new Palisade without its flashy, brighty-white LED running lights, the turbine-like 21-inch rims and silvery-metal roof rails, and the design was surely inspired by the humble cinder block.

But in the same way I love the Palisade’s boxy kid brother, the Santa Fe, I’m loving this new three-row family-hauler. Hip to be square, indeed.

And squareness has its advantages. The more upright windshield, tall roof, and near-vertical rear roof pillars means terrific all-round visibility. It’s just a delight to see out of. 

That upright rear window? It also makes for the kind of interior space normally reserved for a PODS storage unit. If you’re asking, it’s a humongous 86.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. There are Manhattan apartments with less space.

Yes, that quintet of vertically-stacked LED running lights up does remind me of a battery charger power display. But I tell you, if you’re wandering around a parking lot looking for your Palisade, one click of the key fob and the flash of white neon is like seeing the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. 

But this new cubist Hyundai is much more than a love-it-or-meh exterior design. What’s under the hood is equally hip. It’s a hybrid, and a pretty impressive one at that.

It couples a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic transmission that somehow manages to integrate not one, but two electric motors. 

One adds oomph to the gas motor for zippier off-the-line acceleration and stronger mid-range thrust for passing. The other acts as a starter-generator and smoother-outer of auto stop-starts.

Talking of thrust, with the hybrid powertrain packing a combined 329 horseys and 339 torques, you can enjoy 0-to-60 mph sprints in just 6.6 seconds. For a 5,000-pound trucklette, that’s brisk.

And in these days of $3.50-plus gas prices, this hybridized Palisade can average an impressive 30-to-the-gallon on the highway, and even more impressive 29 mpg around town, making for a 29 mpg combined figure.  

Add that to the Palisade’s 18.2-gallon tank, and you should be able to cruise for close to 550 miles between fill-ups. That’s across Florida, and back, with gas to spare. 

Hybrid power is really the frosting on the Palisades’ vanilla pound cake. Here is a four-cylinder that drives like a V6, with eager acceleration, lots of lovely low-end punch and surprising smoothness and hushed refinement. 

While there’s nothing too sporty about the way it handles curves, the steering is plenty precise and nicely-weighted, with well-judged suspension keeping body roll in check, and 21-inch rubber offering plenty of grip. 

And that long-travel suspension makes for a wonderfully smooth, supple, bump-absorbing ride. 

I just spent a week with the high-falutin’ Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD flagship priced at a something-of-a-bargain $60,380. 

I say “bargain” because the Calligraphy spec slathers the Hyundai with such niceties as glove-soft Nappa leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front and second-row captain’s chairs, rear side-window sunshades, dual-pane sunroof, wireless phone charging, a 14-speaker Bose stereo and a multitude of safety gear. 

Inside, it feels as big as an Escalade, with three rows and a third row that accommodates actual humans. That tall roof and huge glass sunroof make the cabin feel light and airy, while I love the design of the dash with its floating center console and clever storage spaces. 

Don’t need a flashy Calligraphy Hybrid? 2026 Palisade pricing kicks off with the base SE front-driver with V6 power at $41,035. Want a rugged, fun offroad version for grand adventures? Take a look at the XRT Pro starting at $51,470.

And for peace of mind, it’s hard to beat the Palisade Hybrid’s 10-year battery and powertrain warranty, and five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Ol’ Huey had it right: It is hip to be square.