Here’s Why Hyundai Should Never Build a Palisade Pickup

Big Presence, Divisive Face

Hyundai has doubled down on bold design lately, and the latest Palisade is the clearest example yet. The new model stands tall, stretches wide, and makes no apologies for its size. Up front, the grille takes over the entire face – some call it a cheese grater – and it sparks strong opinions.

One thing is certain: the Palisade owns the road. It stands out in traffic and looks every bit the flagship SUV. But what if its presence is translated into a pickup truck?

A digital artist, Chafreak, dabbled with the idea and imagined a Palisade with the back end swapped for a classic open bed. It is fun to look at, but it also makes it clear that not every big SUV is meant to be a truck.

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That Face Isn’t Working

From the front, the rendering could pass for the real Palisade. All the key design details are there, from the oversized grille to the squared-off shape, at least up to the C-pillar. The stance looks right, but things start to fall apart once the SUV turns into a pickup.

The bull bar and steel bumper in the rendering do not help the Palisade’s aggressive front. Instead of making it tougher, they just pile on more busy details. The grille, which already splits opinion, becomes even more in-your-face with the truck add-ons.

The back end is where the concept nearly works. Vertical taillights would actually suit a Palisade-based truck, and that style is now common on new pickups. From some angles, the rear half looks right. It is the front that keeps the whole thing from making sense.

Why This Will Never Happen

The rendering is fun, but a Palisade pickup is not in Hyundai’s plans. The company already tried a unibody truck with the Santa Cruz, and it’s clearly not something that Americans want.

Instead, Hyundai has confirmed it’s going all-in on proper body-on-frame pickups. One is being developed specifically for Australia, aimed squarely at the Hilux and Ranger crowd, and built on Hyundai’s own technology. Another, destined for North America, will also be a true truck, potentially with hybrid or EREV power.

Add those to the Kia Tasman, and the Hyundai Group – covering Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia – will soon span nearly every pickup niche. What it won’t (and shouldn’t) do is turn its flagship SUVs into trucks – or at least one with its massive grille. And with its premiumness in full display, Genesis isn’t getting one either.

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