Edmunds Names 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Best of the Best

Edmunds awards the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid its Top Rated Best of the Best honor for 2026. Read why it stood out in real-world testing.

Hyundai has secured one of the strongest endorsements in the U.S. market for electrified family SUVs: the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid has been named the winner of Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best Award for 2026, the publication’s highest annual honor.

The award is not limited to a single segment. According to Edmunds, the Best of the Best title is chosen from the full roster of category winners, after extensive real-world evaluation of the vehicles that shape the model year. For 2026, Edmunds’ editorial team assessed more than 300 new vehicles through testing on public roads and at its private track, weighing performance, comfort, technology, efficiency, value, and everyday usability.

Edmunds Editor-in-Chief Alistair Weaver described the Palisade Hybrid as a standout not only for its practicality, but for how convincingly it delivers a premium experience at a mainstream price point. In his view, the model brings together a spacious and flexible cabin with quality that feels unusually high for the segment, while remaining genuinely enjoyable to drive. Edmunds testing data lists the Palisade Hybrid at 329 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Hyundai Motor America also emphasized the significance of the recognition, pointing to Edmunds’ day-to-day approach: vehicles are judged the way owners actually live with them, from daily commuting to family errands and long-distance trips. The company says the Palisade Hybrid reflects its priorities in disciplined packaging, premium execution, and functionality that shows up in real use.

The announcement also highlights a broader pattern for Hyundai’s electrified lineup. Alongside the Palisade Hybrid’s top honor, the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was named Edmunds Top Rated 2026 Electric SUV. Meanwhile, the 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and the all-new 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 earned Edmunds Top Rated Highly Recommended distinctions.

Weaver noted that the IONIQ 5 stands out as an all-around EV option, with a range of variants designed to suit different buyers, including the off-road-inspired XRT and the high-performance IONIQ 5 N. Edmunds also pointed to fast charging and usable range as key advantages. Hyundai states the 2026 IONIQ 5 can charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 20 minutes on a 350-kW 800V DC ultra-fast charger, while the EPA-estimated range reaches up to 318 miles depending on configuration.

In market terms, the outcome is hard to ignore. With Edmunds naming a three-row hybrid SUV as the most impressive new vehicle of the year, Hyundai’s success suggests that electrification in large family vehicles is increasingly being seen not as a compromise, but as a new benchmark — especially when efficiency, practicality, and real-world usability can be delivered together.