A SIZEABLE WHOLE

SUPERB EXTRA-LARGE SUV TAKES THE CURTAIN CALL

- ASH WESTERMAN

REPORT SIX

HYUNDAI PALISADE HIGHLANDER

Price as tested $75,000 This month 324km @ 10.0L/100km

Total 2798km @ 10.5L/100km

MY BUDDY Jay has been my best mate since we met in high school, so as with any long-term relationship, the occasional homicidal urge does have to be suppressed by both parties.

Like the other day when he was casting a critical eye over the Palisade. Jay likes cars, but he’s not an obsessive, and large SUVs don’t really blip his radar. “So how much?” he asked. “Seventy-five large,” I told him. He let out a low whistle.

I had to explain there’s a hefty premium of around $10,000 for the Palisade’s extra size and eight-seater accommodation over the seven-seaters below it, like in-house sibling the Santa Fe Highlander, or Kia’s Sorento GT diesel. I also mentioned that the three-tier Palisade range now kicks off at $55,000, but Jay wasn’t really listening. “Still sounds like a very fat wedge for something that you don’t actually enjoy driving,” he sniped.

I didn’t slap him with my thong, even if he was hopelessly wrong.