Rent Hyundai Palisade 2022 in Dubai

A full airport run for a big group is where the Hyundai Palisade 2022 makes its case. Seven people and their bags, an hour on Sheikh Zayed Road to DXB, the AC fighting a July afternoon, and the smooth 3.5-litre V6 just gets on with it. We rent it across Dubai, and the argument is about hauling people in comfort: this is the practical three-row SUV where the back row fits real adults and the cabin stays quiet on a long cruise. The trade-off is honest. It's a big machine to thread through a Marina car park, and a V6 this size visits the pump more often than a four-cylinder crossover. This page works out who that maths suits.

The drive, and why the V6 matters on a long run

The Palisade's 3.5-litre V6 makes 249 hp through an eight-speed automatic, and 0 to 100 km/h comes up in 8.1 seconds with a fair load aboard. On the E11 that means overtaking a truck is a clean, planned move rather than a strain, even with seven people and luggage. The eight-speed shifts smoothly and the cabin settles into a hushed cruise, which is the entire point of a car like this on a long Dubai distance. All-wheel drive adds surefootedness in the rare summer downpour, though this is a family SUV and not a dune machine. For a paved Hatta weekend with the family aboard, it's well suited.

Specifications at a glance

The third row, and luggage with everyone aboard

This is the question that decides the rental. The Palisade is one of the few in this bracket where row three isn't a punishment. Two adults can sit back there for an airport drop or a Hatta run without complaint, which isn't true of most so-called seven-seaters that quietly assume the back bench is for children. The second row is wide, and the rear rows get their own vents, which matters more than people expect once you've felt a Dubai cabin in summer.

Luggage is the honest part. With all three rows up the boot takes the everyday load, around 500 litres: a few soft bags, a stroller, the daily shopping. That's a family day out, not seven people's airport cases. Fold the third row and it opens right up, the realistic setup for a five-person group with full luggage. So the rule of thumb is seven people and small bags, fine; seven people and seven suitcases, you're sizing the trip down to five.

Fuel, and what the space costs you

No point pretending a 3.5-litre V6 hauling a car this size is economical. Expect around 11 to 12 litres per 100 km in normal mixed Dubai driving, more in a slow crawl with the AC working hard. The 71-litre tank gives you roughly 600 km of range, so on a week of city running plus a couple of longer trips, plan on filling up about twice. If a low fuel bill is your top priority, this isn't your car. If you need the seats, this is what the space costs.

Heat and parking, the daily realities

Cabin cooling is strong. The Palisade takes a moment longer than a small hatch to drop from a 45-degree parked soak, but the air pushes hard through the front vents and the rear-row outlets keep the people in the back from baking. By the time you've cleared the car park, it's comfortable end to end.

Parking is the real daily friction. At nearly five metres long and almost two wide, the Palisade fills a standard bay and asks for care in tight Marina and mall multi-storeys. The reversing camera and sensors do the heavy lifting, but you'll think about your angles in a way you wouldn't in a compact SUV. The 203 mm of clearance clears speed bumps and mall ramps comfortably. None of it is hard after a day behind the wheel, but it's a genuine difference from renting something small.

The rules to keep in mind

A couple of operational notes. Salik tolls run on the renter's account, and any RTA fines during the rental pass to you, so hold to the posted limits on the E11. Child seats are required for under-fours, worth arranging up front when you're travelling with little ones.

The verdict

Rent the Palisade 2022 when the seat count is the point: a six or seven-strong group, a multi-generation family week, or an airport run where everyone and most of the bags ride in one vehicle. It's the adult-friendly three-row SUV in the practical bracket, and the quiet V6 makes long Dubai distances easy.

Skip it if you're a family of three or four, where a midsize SUV is cheaper to fuel and easier to park, or if you want a premium badge, where a luxury seven-seater is the better fit. For genuine space without the badge tax, the Palisade is the one I'd hand a big family.