2026 Hyundai Palisade vs. 2025 Mazda CX-90: How They Compare

Car and Driver

7 days ago

Hyundai announced a fully redesigned Palisade three-row crossover for 2026, and with it comes the model's first available hybrid powertrain. The new Palisade is also much more stylish than before, bringing to mind another handsome midsize utility: the Mazda CX-90. It, too, is available with a gas-electric powertrain, though Mazda's is a plug-in hybrid. Style- and eco-conscious buyers are likely to cross-shop these two family hauling options, so we've gathered the important specs to make that task easier.
Michael Simari
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Car and Driver
Mazda CX-90 PHEV.
Powertrains
The Palisade will once again offer a naturally aspirated V-6 engine in 2026—it's been downsized slightly to 3.5 liters and puts out 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic is mated to this gas-only powertrain. Hyundai's headlining propulsion system, however, is a hybrid based around a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine and an electrified six-speed automatic transmission. Together, they produce 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. Hyundai offers a choice of standard front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive with both powertrains.
Mazda offers three powertrain strengths in the CX-90, one of which is a plug-in hybrid. The 3.3 Turbo uses a turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six engine producing 280 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. A higher-performance version of that engine, dubbed 3.3 Turbo S, makes 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. Both use an eight-speed automatic. Meanwhile, Mazda's CX-90 PHEV offering combines a turbo four-cylinder with an electrified eight-speed auto to generate system totals of 323 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. Unlike the Palisade, all versions of the CX-90 come with standard all-wheel drive.
Hyundai
Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy.
Fuel Economy
Unfortunately, Hyundai hasn't yet shared fuel-economy ratings for the new Palisade. It has said that the hybrid is expected to return 30+ mpg on the highway. The current V-6 Palisade has ratings of 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive or 19/24 mpg city/highway with all-wheel drive, and we expect the 2026 V-6 to do as well or perhaps slightly better.
With its base powertrain, the CX-90 is rated for 24 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, while the 340-horse version is close behind at 23/28 mpg city/highway. The CX-90 PHEV manages a combined rating of 56 MPGe when the electric motor is contributing; with just the gas engine contributing, the PHEV matches the nonhybrid models' 25 mpg combined ratings. Its 17.8-kWh battery gives it 25 miles of all-electric driving on a full charge. In our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, the Turbo S managed a 29-mpg result, while the plug-in hit 57 MPGe and ran for 26 miles on electricity in the same test.
Interior and Cargo
Both of these people haulers come standard with seating for eight and are available in a seven-passenger configuration that swaps in captain's chairs for the second-row bench. The Mazda goes a step further with an available six-seat layout that reduces third-row capacity from three to two. The Hyundai has more legroom in all three rows—44.2 inches in front, 43.0 in row two (41.4 on the hybrid model), and 32.1 inches in the way back, compared to 41.7/39.4/30.4 in the Mazda.
Another point goes to Hyundai in the cargo-capacity category. The 2026 Palisade has 19.1 cubic feet of space behind its third row, 46.3 cubes behind the second, and a maximum of 86.7 with both rear rows folded. When equipped with the two-passenger third row, the CX-90 has cargo capacities of 15.9 cubic feet behind the third row, 40.1 behind the second, and 75.2 with those seats stowed, while models with the three-passenger third-row bench are slightly tighter, at 14.9/40.0/74.2 cubic feet.
(Mazda also offers a two-row, five-passenger version of the CX-90 called the CX-70. The two are nearly identical aside from their seating configurations, and the CX-70 has slightly more cargo space with no folded seat in the way.)
The Mazda's basic infotainment setup uses a 10.3-inch center screen and includes wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Higher trims swap in a 12.3-inch touchscreen and wireless smartphone mirroring. Beyond that, Mazda adds a 12.3-inch digital gauge screen. At Hyundai, all 2026 Palisades feature a 12.3-inch center touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. Hyundai also includes an in-vehicle intercom to facilitate communication between the front and third rows, and there's a rear-seat quiet mode that mutes audio with the aim of letting sleeping kids lie.
Towing
The Palisade and the CX-90 have tow ratings that will allow them to pull recreational trailers like a small camper or a pair of jet skis with no issue. Gas-only versions of the Mazda can manage up to 5000 pounds, while the PHEV is limited to 3500 pounds. The Hyundai, with its gas V-6, also maxes out at 5000 pounds, while the hybrid model can pull up to 4000 pounds.
Price
Hyundai hasn't shared pricing for the 2026 Palisade, but we expect the entry point to be a bit higher than the front-wheel-drive 2025's $38K starting price. The 2025 CX-90, which comes with standard all-wheel drive, asks $39,300 for the base powertrain, $54,405 for the high-output version, and a minimum of $51,400 for the plug-in-hybrid.
David Gluckman
Contributing Editor
Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he's driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he's back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David's not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs. Read full bio