In the pre-modern era, the Hyundai Palisade and Cadillac XT6 crossovers would hardly have met in a comparative test. But the shortage and dealer greed made two seemingly non-overlapping models of direct competitors.
Palisade is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, not a wooden fence, but you can’t get away from calling Hyundai a Palisade, it’s more familiar to the ear than a Palisade. The Korean is shorter than the Cadillac by seven centimeters but more spacious. I am sitting behind the driver’s seat adjusted to my 181 cm with almost twice as much space in my knees — 130 mm against 70. The feet are also more comfortable, although the gap between the head and the ceiling is less than in a Caddy-80 mm against 100. Hyundai has larger rear door openings, a more comfortable fit, and a more hospitable sofa: it is softer, better suited for three people, plus it has large ranges of longitudinal adjustment and the angle of inclination of the backrest.
The sofa moves further away, making access to the third row easier. The gallery is more spacious in all directions. I don’t touch the ceiling upholstery with my head, and if I move the second-row seat a little away from myself, then there will be a small amount of space for my legs. In a Cadillac, you can do the same, but you will have to move the middle row so much that it will be uncomfortable for an adult. There is less freedom for the head and for the feet, and the back is firmly fixed.
In the Cadillac interior, the emphasis is on the quality of the finish. The seats, front, and door panels are upholstered in soft leather. Natural wood, Alcantara on the ceiling, the smell of expensive things… However, Cadillac upsets with a backlash climate control panel and a jamming curtain of cup holders between the front seats. Hyundai is assembled better, the textures are more uniform, but the thought that you need to pay more than four million rubles for such a plastic interior makes it sad.
In traffic, both are not perfect, but the Cadillac is more thoroughbred. It has better sound insulation, which is especially noticeable on highways, and smooth running. The crossover from the States smoothes fine ripples of asphalt well, adaptive shock absorbers work noticeably softer for compression, and on the road with a lot of sloppy patches, the XT6 keeps well done, not cold. I’m talking about Palisade: when the road charges potholes with bursts, Hyundai begins to dance terribly with heavy wheels and give passengers a hail of pokes.
But the Korean SUV less often strains the vibrations of unsprung masses, despite the heavy 20-inch wheels, like a Cadillac. Of course, when they fall into a large hole, it’s not easy for the front garden, but it’s even more difficult for the Cadillac-the suspension reacts rigidly at the rebound phase, and a shock wave runs through the body. Even with small “speed bumps”, “x-ti-six” does not move out, but jumps off — and lands roughly.
It is not distinguished by refinement and manageability. Cadillac is strong: it responds to the steering wheel commands in a detached way and performs them vaguely, and turns in stages in high-speed turns — first the front part changes the course, and then the rear, like an articulated bus. And the XT6 slows down strangely. The effort on the pedal without free movement is so great that not all men are comfortable. And with each braking, the feeling that the brakes have “run out”does not leave. Although the resistance to overheating remains even when driving actively.
Therefore, you perceive the 200-horsepower turbo engine 2.0 as a blessing — it does not provoke stupidity and, as expected, turns sour on the highway. It does not shine with numbers: in the best attempt with one person and half a tank, it takes 9.8 seconds to accelerate to a hundred. However, in the city crowd, the moment at the bottom and the ingenuity of the nine-stage “automatic” is enough to dynamically start and cheerfully maneuver in the flow. I slightly opened the throttle — the box threw off the gear, pressed harder — jumped down a few steps. Fast and seamless.
Such an association would not interfere with the atmospheric “six” of the Palisade, but the local eight-band “automatic” is configured philosophically. A sharp start from a static position is accompanied by a hitch, transitions to lower stages occur with a delay. But the V6 needs to be kept in good shape — juicy traction is felt only by 4500-5000 rpm. That’s where Palisade pleases not only with a beautiful rumble but also with convincing dynamics. With the same introductory data as the Cadillac, a spurt up to 100 km/h takes 8.5 seconds.
Hyundai is more agile and on winding sections. He is more willing to stand on the arc, holds on to it better, and corrects himself more accurately. It rolls less, sways, and generally rides more collected. But there are also traditional problems for Korean cars: the steering is uninformative, clouded by viscous force, and the brakes give up after a couple of intense decelerations. Although the drive is clearly better configured than that of a Cadillac, and it is more convenient to break in normal situations.
Within the recommended retail price, Palisade is an excellent choice. A comfortable and spacious crossover with a full-fledged third row, a large practical trunk, a status V6 engine, good dynamics, and equipment. But when it comes to larger amounts, the demand becomes stricter. Where dealer margins lead, Hyundai suffers not only from the lack of rich interior trim. The far from cramped Cadillac offers both higher driving comfort and integrity of nature. A good-natured character and a relaxed mood are captivating even with a weak engine and too demanding brakes.
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