Performance

Mechanically, the SE and the SEL Premium are the same vehicle. Both run a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 287 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with a shift-by-wire selector and steering-wheel paddle shifters. Front-wheel drive is standard on each, and HTRAC all-wheel drive is available on either trim.

Fuel economy matches as well. Front-wheel-drive models carry EPA estimates of 19 city, 25 highway and 21 combined, while HTRAC all-wheel-drive models are rated at 18 city, 24 highway and 20 combined. Both trims use a 19-gallon tank, ride on 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 235/65R18 tires, and sit on 7.4 inches of ground clearance.

Towing is a wash between the two. Properly equipped, each trim is rated for up to 5,000 pounds with trailer brakes and 1,650 pounds without them. The trailering package is standard on both, bringing trailer pre-wiring, a heavy-duty transmission cooler and Trailer Sway Control. On both trims a tow hitch is an add-on rather than the factory-installed hitch that comes on the XRT PRO, Limited and Calligraphy. Choosing all-wheel drive on either trim brings Terrain Mode Select with Mud, Snow and Sand settings, alongside Downhill Brake Control.

The takeaway is simple: if driving performance is your deciding factor, it is not a factor here. Everything the SEL Premium does better, it does inside the cabin.

Design and Comfort

This is where the two trims separate most clearly. From the outside they are near twins, sharing the same 199.2-inch body, LED projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, door handle welcome lights and body-color exterior trim. Step inside and the gap opens up.

2026 Palisade SE

The SE is the eight-passenger workhorse of the lineup. It comes with cloth seating surfaces, a six-way manually adjustable driver seat and a second-row 60/40 split fold-flat bench with recline and adjustable head restraints. Second-row captain's chairs are not offered at this level. Heated seats, a sunroof, roof rails, rear side-window sunshades and the hands-free smart liftgate are all reserved for higher trims.

The SE does hold one quiet advantage worth pointing out. Going without the sunroof gives it 41.5 inches of front headroom and 40.7 inches in the second row, compared with 40.1 and 40.0 inches in the SEL Premium. If you regularly carry taller passengers, or you simply need all eight seats as standard equipment, the SE earns a serious look.

2026 Palisade SEL Premium

The SEL Premium is built around passenger comfort. H-Tex leatherette replaces cloth, and second-row captain's chairs are standard for seven-passenger seating, with an eight-passenger bench available as an alternative. Comfort equipment includes:

Plenty carries over to both trims regardless of which you pick. Three-zone automatic climate control is standard on the SE and the SEL Premium alike, along with second-row climate controls, second- and third-row vents, a sliding second row with electric cargo-area releases, a 60/40 split-folding third row with ingress and egress handles, and acoustic-laminated windshield and front door glass. Cargo volume is identical too, at 19.1 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.3 cubic feet behind the second row and 86.7 cubic feet behind the front seats. Legroom figures are the same across all three rows.

• Heated and ventilated front seats, plus heated and ventilated second-row seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Eight-way power driver seat with four-way power lumbar and an Integrated Memory System for the seat and mirrors
• Eight-way power front passenger seat
• Power sunroof
• Ambient interior lighting across the door trim and center console
• Roof rails and a hands-free smart liftgate with adjustable height setting
• Rear side-window sunshades
• Power-folding, auto-dimming exterior mirrors and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink

Technology & Safety

Hyundai loads the Palisade generously from the bottom of the trim ladder up, so the SE arrives with a deeper standard feature list than its entry-level position might suggest. Both trims include a 12.3-inch touchscreen with onboard navigation standard, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, SiriusXM, HD Radio, Alexa Built-In, Bluelink+ connected services, over-the-air software updates, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Hyundai Pay, the Passenger Talk in-car intercom, Rear Seat Quiet Mode and six high-power USB-C ports spread across all three rows.

Where the technology does diverge, the SEL Premium adds:

One detail to be clear about: neither of these trims includes the 14-speaker Bose premium audio system. That upgrade starts on the Limited and XRT PRO, so the SE and the SEL Premium both use the standard audio setup.

On the safety side, Hyundai SmartSense is standard on every 2026 Palisade, and the shared list between these two trims is long:

Airbag coverage is identical as well, including a driver knee airbag, a front-center airbag and second-row side airbags.

The SEL Premium then adds the visibility and parking technology that many drivers of a vehicle this size come looking for:

• A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in place of the SE’s 4.2-inch color multi-information display, pairing with the touchscreen in a dual-screen layout
• Wireless device charging for Qi-supported phones
• Hyundai Digital Key 2 Premium, which lets a compatible smartphone act as the key

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction turning and driver oncoming logic
• Blind-Spot Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist
• Highway Driving Assist
• Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Curve Control
• Driver Attention Warning and Forward Attention Warning
• Safe Exit Assist
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Parking Distance Warning, forward and reverse
• High Beam Assist and a Rear View Monitor with parking guidance

• Surround View Monitor for a top-down view when maneuvering in tight spaces
• Blind-Spot View Monitor, which puts a live camera feed of the blind spot in the instrument cluster
• Parking Distance Warning expanded to include side detection
• Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist for reverse
• Advanced Rear Occupant Alert in place of the SE’s standard Rear Occupant Alert

There is no wrong answer between these two, only a different buyer behind each one.

The SE makes the most sense if you need eight seats as standard, if your Palisade is going to earn its keep hauling kids and gear rather than impressing anyone, and if you would rather put the difference toward all-wheel drive. You still get the full SmartSense safety suite, the big touchscreen with navigation, three-zone climate and the same V6 and towing capability as the trim above it. It is a lot of SUV without much compromise on the things that matter every day.

The SEL Premium makes the most sense if you spend real time in the car, if your climate swings hot and cold, or if parking a 199-inch SUV is part of your daily routine. Heated and ventilated seating in the first two rows, a heated steering wheel, driver memory, the sunroof and the surround-view and blind-spot cameras are the kind of features you notice on every drive, not just on the test drive. For most families cross-shopping the lineup, this is the trim that tends to feel right.

The best way to settle it is to sit in both. Visit Washington Hyundai in Washington, PA to compare the 2026 Palisade SE and SEL Premium side by side and schedule your test drive.