Compare the2025 Kia EV9VS 2025 Hyundai Palisade

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Kia EV9 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Hyundai Palisade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The EV9 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Palisade doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia EV9 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Hyundai Palisade has not been tested.

Both the EV9 and the Palisade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Kia EV9 weighs 587 to 1669 pounds more than the Hyundai Palisade. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the EV9 is much safer than the Palisade:

	EV9	Palisade
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	POOR

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia EV9 is safer than the Palisade:

	EV9	Palisade
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	25	68
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	.55 in
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.18 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	513 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	66	70
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.35 in	.55 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.59 in	1.46 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	5 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	402 lbs.	491 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Kia EV9 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Palisade is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 1 place higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The EV9 Land/Wind’s standard electric motors produces 88 more horsepower (379 vs. 291) and 181 lbs.-ft. more torque (443 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6. The EV9 GT-Line’s standard electric motors produces 88 more horsepower (379 vs. 291) and 254 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 262) than the Palisade’s 3.8 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia EV9 is faster than the Hyundai Palisade:

	EV9 Land/Wind	EV9 GT-Line	Palisade
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	4.5 sec	6.9 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.5 sec	13 sec	17.6 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.2 sec	4.7 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	13.3 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101 MPH	101 MPH	93 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the EV9 GT-Line electric motors is faster than the Hyundai Palisade (base engine):

	EV9	Palisade
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	13.2 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102 MPH	89.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the EV9 gets better mileage than the Palisade:

			MPGe
EV9
	RWD	Light Long Range Electric Motor	100 city/78 hwy
		Light Electric Motor	99 city/77 hwy
	AWD	Land/Wind Electric Motors	91 city/75 hwy
		GT-Line Electric Motors	88 city/72 hwy
Palisade
			MPG
	FWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.8 DOHC V6	19 city/24 hwy

The EV9 can travel with zero emissions for 230 to 304 miles (dependent on model). The Palisade can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the EV9’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Palisade doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the EV9’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Palisade:

	EV9	Palisade
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	12 inches

The EV9’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Palisade are solid, not vented.

The EV9 stops much shorter than the Palisade:

	EV9	Palisade
70 to 0 MPH	178 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the EV9 has larger standard tires than the Palisade (255/60R19 vs. 245/60R18). The EV9 GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Palisade (285/45R21 vs. 245/60R18).

The EV9 GT-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Palisade’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV9 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Palisade. The EV9 GT-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Palisade.

Suspension and Handling

The EV9 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Palisade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The EV9’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Palisade doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV9’s wheelbase is 7.8 inches longer than on the Palisade (122 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

The EV9’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (47.9% to 52.1%) than the Palisade’s (56% to 44%). This gives the EV9 more stable handling and braking.

The EV9 GT-Line AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the Palisade SEL HTRAC pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The EV9 GT-Line AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Palisade Limited HTRAC (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

Chassis

The design of the Kia EV9 amounts to more than styling. The EV9 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Palisade (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the EV9 get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the EV9 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Palisade doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the EV9 GT-Line AWD is quieter than the Palisade Limited HTRAC:

	EV9	Palisade
At idle	31 dB	38 dB
Full-Throttle	69 dB	74 dB
70 MPH Cruising	67 dB	69 dB

Passenger Space

The EV9 has 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Palisade (158.8 vs. 155.3).

The EV9 has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 1.7 inches more third row headroom than the Palisade.

Cargo Capacity

The EV9’s cargo area provides more volume than the Palisade.

	EV9	Palisade
Behind Third Seat	20.2 cubic feet	18 cubic feet

The EV9’s cargo area is larger than the Palisade’s in almost every dimension:

	EV9	Palisade
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	22”/51.1”/84”	20.8”/49”/82.5”
Max Width	52.3”	53.7”
Min Width	41.7”	43.4”
Height	32.3”	30.5”

Ergonomics

The EV9’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Palisade’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the EV9’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Palisade can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The EV9’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Palisade SE/SEL/XRT’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Both the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Palisade offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The EV9 features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Palisade’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia EV9 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Night offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia EV9 and the Hyundai Palisade, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the EV9 first among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Palisade was rated third.

The EV9 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024. The Palisade has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV9 as the 2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Palisade has never been chosen.

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