Hyundai Palisade

There is no European twin. In Hyundai's European range the largest SUV is the Santa Fe; the Palisade is not offered officially at all. So every Palisade here is an individual import, and any "European versus American version" comparison on this model is meaningless.

There is, however, another comparison that does matter. A large share of the Palisades in Bulgaria come directly from South Korea — those cars are left-hand drive, have none of the American radio software restrictions and are often cheaper. So our car's competition is not European but Korean.

The two specifications look identical and are not. The American car has different internal plastic guides and steel beams behind the bumpers, engineered for the American crash tests. The Korean one has a lighter internal structure. If you buy a Korean Palisade with cosmetic front damage, an American bumper will not sit correctly — and the reverse holds too.

The engine is one and it is why the car is sought. The 3.8 naturally aspirated Lambda V6 is almost everything we hold: simple, robust, no turbocharger, and it accepts an LPG conversion, which on a body this size settles the arithmetic here. Newer cars carry the 3.5, and the latest generation a 2.5.

The drivetrain is an option in both specifications. Front-drive Palisades genuinely exist and are not an exception. Check the individual lot before bidding, because on a seven-seat SUV of this class the difference in price and in winter behaviour is noticeable.