Verdict
The RM143,888 gap is vast: the Santa Fe costs RM225,000 against the Palisade’s RM368,888, and its RM120 annual road tax is far kinder than RM599. It also brings autonomous braking, steering lane correction, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera. The Palisade fights back with a 197 hp/440 Nm 2.2-litre diesel, AWD, eight speeds and seven seats, versus the Santa Fe’s 177 hp/265 Nm 1.6-litre hybrid-assisted petrol, FWD and six speeds. It is also 165 mm longer, but the Santa Fe’s 628-litre boot beats 509 litres.
Pick the Hyundai Palisade if you need AWD, 440 Nm of diesel torque, a full-size spare wheel and heated, ventilated front seats.
Pick the Hyundai Santa Fe if you want to save RM143,888 while gaining a larger 628-litre boot, active safety aids and an eight-year/160,000-km warranty.
Key differences
- Price and road tax: Palisade RM368,888 and RM599/year; Santa Fe RM225,000 and RM120/year.
- Powertrain: Palisade 2,199 cc diesel with 197 hp and 440 Nm; Santa Fe 1,598 cc petrol hybrid with 177 hp and 265 Nm, plus a 64 hp/264 Nm motor.
- Driveline and transmission: Palisade AWD with an eight-speed automatic; Santa Fe FWD with a six-speed automatic.
- Dimensions and boot: Palisade is 4,995 mm long with a 509-litre boot; Santa Fe is 4,830 mm long with a 628-litre boot.
- Warranty: Palisade gets two years/50,000 km; Santa Fe gets eight years/160,000 km.
- Parking and driver aids: Palisade has four front and four rear sensors with passive cruise control; Santa Fe has six front and six rear sensors, a 360-degree…
Palisade
- 197 hp and 440 Nm diesel with AWD
- Eight-speed automatic and 71-litre fuel tank
- Heated and ventilated front seats, plus a full-size 20-inch alloy spare
- Costs RM143,888 more and carries RM479 more annual road tax
- 509-litre boot is 119 litres smaller
- Lacks autonomous braking, collision warning, steering lane correction and adaptive cruise control
Santa Fe
- RM225,000 price and RM120 annual road tax
- 628-litre boot, 360-degree camera and contactless powered tailgate
- Eight-year/160,000-km warranty, autonomous braking and adaptive cruise control
- 265 Nm is 175 Nm down on the Palisade, and it is front-wheel drive rather than AWD
- No sunroof and no heated or ventilated front-seat functions listed
- Tyre repair kit instead of the Palisade’s full-size alloy spare
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM368,888 | RM225,000✓ |
| Body type | SUV | SUV |
| Segment | D-Segment | D-Segment |
| Assembly | CBU | CBU |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM599 | RM120✓ |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 16-valve DOHC with Variable Geometry Turbocharger and Direct Injection | 16-valve DOHC Direct Injection with Turbocharger, Variable Valve Timing with Hybrid Assistance |
| Capacity | 2,199 cc | 1,598 cc |
| Horsepower | 197 hp✓ | 177 hp |
| Torque | 440 Nm✓ | 265 Nm |
| Fuel | Diesel | Petrol Hybrid/REV |
| Bore | 85 mm | 75.6 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 16 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 64 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 264 Nm |
| Battery Capacity | — | 1.49 kWh |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | 8-speed Automatic with E-Shift | 6-speed Automatic |
| Gears | 8 | 6 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Hyundai | — |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 10.2 seconds | — |
| Rated Economy | 8.8 L/100 km | — |
| Top Speed | 190 km/h | — |
| Co2 | 170 g/km | — |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 4,995 mm | 4,830 mm |
| Width | 1,975 mm | 1,900 mm |
| Height | 1,750 mm | 1,720 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,900 mm | 2,815 mm |
| Weight | 2,030 kg | — |
| Fuel Tank | 71 litres | 67 litres |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Seats | 7 | 7 |
| Boot Space | 509 litres | 628 litres✓ |
| Front Tyre | 245/50R20 | 255/45R20 |
| Rear Tyre | 245/50R20 | 255/45R20 |
| Spare Tyre | Full Size 20" Alloy | N/A, Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | — | Kumho Ecsta PS71 |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Korea (CBU) | Korea (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | MacPherson Strut | MacPherson Struts |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link | Multi-link |
| Front Wheels | 20" Y-spoke Two-tone Alloy | 18" 5-arm Alloy Wheels |
| Rear Wheels | 20" Y-spoke Two-tone Alloy | 18" 5-arm Alloy Wheels |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain | Driver & Front Passenger, Front Side and Rear Curtain Airbags, Front Centre Airbag and Driver's Knee Airbag |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | — |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | — | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Powered for Rear Doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 7 Three-point | 7 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available for 2 Outer 2nd Row Seats | Available for 2nd & 3rd Row Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | — | Yes |
| Lane-keeping Assist | No | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | — | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | Door Opening Warning, Rear Seat Reminder, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System | — |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projector | LED Reflectors |
| Taillamps | Full LED | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 12-way Power Adjustable Driver's Seat with Memory, Heating and Ventilation, 8-way Power Adjustable Passenger Seat with Heating and Ventilation | Powered Front Seats with Driver's Side Memory |
| Rear Seats | 60:40 Split-folding, Sliding and Reclining 2nd Row with Heating and One-touch Fold, 60:40 Split-folding 3rd Row | 60:40 Split-folding Middle Row with One-touch Tumble, Manual Recline, 50:50 Split-folding Last Row |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Single-zone Automatic Climate Control with 3rd Row Air Vents | Rear AC Vents & Blower Controls |
| Sunroof | Front Tilt and Slide, Rear Fixed | — |
| Power Sockets | 2 Front, 1 Rear, 1 Boot, 3 Front USB, 2 2nd Row USB, 2 3rd Row USB | 1 Front, 1 Wireless Charger Front, 2 USB-C Front, 2 USB-C Second Row, 2 USB-C Third Row |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights | Map Lights & Ambient Lighting |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 2nd Row, 4 3rd Row | 2 Front, 4 Second Row, 2 Third Row |
| Sun Shade | Manual 2nd Row Sun Shades | Rear Window Shades |
| Audio | 8" Infotainment Touchscreen with Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 6 Speakers | 12.3" Touchscreen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 6-speaker Sound System |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Entry (Push Button Start) |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Passive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Powered | Contactless Opening, Powered Boot |
| Parking Sensor Front | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 4 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes | Yes, 360-degree Monitor |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | — | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | — | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | — |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Electroluminescent Analogue | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | Qi Wireless Charger, Hill Descent Control | — |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | 50,000 km | 160,000 km✓ |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 8 years✓ |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used Palisade & Santa Fe for sale
Palisade vs Santa Fe FAQ
Is the Hyundai Palisade or Hyundai Santa Fe better?
The Santa Fe is the sharper buy for most Malaysian families: it is RM143,888 cheaper, has a 628-litre boot and more active safety equipment. Choose the Palisade for its AWD system, 440 Nm diesel torque and better-equipped front seats.
What is the price difference?
The Hyundai Palisade costs RM368,888 and the Hyundai Santa Fe costs RM225,000, a difference of RM143,888. Annual road tax is also RM599 for the Palisade versus RM120 for the Santa Fe.
Which has the better safety and parking equipment?
The Santa Fe does. It gets autonomous braking, collision warning, steering lane correction, adaptive cruise control, six front and six rear parking sensors, plus a 360-degree camera. The Palisade has blind-spot information and four sensors at each end, but passive cruise control.