In all honesty, it delivers with convincing results. Everything from the Palisade’s design to its accoutrements to its performance all shout, “premium” in a way that it’ll convince you, badge snobbery aside, from getting a Subaru Evoltis or Mazda CX-90—its two chief rivals in the Philippines.

The exterior alone is already worth its admission price, showing everyone once again that Hyundai can execute an eye-catching design. While some critique it for its quasi-Range Rover look, it is majestic and imposing, nonetheless. Plus, go through the details, and it’s clear Hyundai made no short cuts. Lighting plays a big part, especially how it does an animated dance when being switched on or off, but you also have to consider the playfulness in making all the panels all merge and fit together.

Approach the Palisade, and the mirrors automatically unfurl and the lights switch on—beckoning the driver to step aboard. Open the doors, and they feel hefty. They also close with a solid, authoritative “thunk” too. Once aboard, the interior feels large and expansive. The cabin is inspired by high-end furniture, and for that it’s beautifully constructed and very individual. More importantly, it’s easy to understand whether you’re navigating the infotainment system or the multitude of physical switchgear. A bonus? Take a deep breath, and you’ll whiff in some of the aroma from the Nappa leather seats. This here is genuine luxury; there’s no faking it.

The Palisade is one of the few three-row SUVs with actual usable room across all three rows. The sole seating configuration available is a 7-seater in a 2+2+3 format with all seats offering power adjustment in one way or another. The front seats are the most luxurious thanks to a massager, built-in footrests, and a one-button relaxation mode. The second row Captain’s Seats, oddly enough, removes the massagers and footrests, but maintains power adjustment as well as heating and cooling functions. With no center island, access to the third-row can be done by squeezing between the seats, or via a single-button slide-and-recline function found on the seatbacks. The third-row is equally habitable thanks to a power adjustable sliding and reclining mechanism. Third-rowers aren’t forgotten, amenity-wise with their own air vents, cup holders, and 100-watt charging ports. If anything, the only complaint here would be the slightly knees-up seating position.

When it comes to cargo space, the backrests of the second and third row can be conveniently folded and raised from the tailgate. With the third-row up, it swallows 300 liters of stuff, growing up to 712 liters with the third-row folded down. Need to haul even more stuff? Fold the second-row, and it gives roughly 2,081 liters. There’s even a proper spare tire underneath and a tonneau cover up top to keep prying eyes away from anything valuable. As for other knick-knacks, the Palisade has plenty of storage to go around, although it’s surprising that for such a ginormous vehicle, the glovebox can’t even fit the owner’s manual.

For its price point, the Palisade comes fully-loaded with everything from one UV-C sterilization tray, two sunroofs, a three-zone climate control, and a 14-speaker Bose sound system. It also has the full Hyundai Smartsense kit, which, proof that Hyundai listens to customer feedback, has reduced ADAS intrusiveness. Finally, they’ve provided more ways to easily mute warning chimes or permanently switch them off.

The twist-action gear selector on the steering column is the home for the engine start button. Press that (or use the biometric fingerprint recognition if you wish), and the Palisade switches on with eerie silence. Combined, the setup here makes 334 horsepower and 422 Nm of torque—262 horsepower from the turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and 73 horsepower from the electric motor.

Intriguingly, the Palisade uses not one, but two electric motors sandwiched between the engine and the gearbox. Unlike the setup in the Santa Fe Hybrid for example, one motor is concerned primarily with battery regeneration, while the other is used to help propel the 2,258-kilogram curb weight. Hyundai’s decision to add the second motor makes for some rather interesting scenarios. For example, there are some instances where the engine charges the battery (as opposed to just using brake regen), while the electric motor provides tractive power with the engine clutched out.

It all sounds complicated, but what’s important is the power of silence. With its tons of sound deadening, acoustic glass, and thick carpeting put in, the Palisade passes off as a true luxury SUV. It moves along swiftly and noiselessly. Prod it more, and the immediate, hefty torque comes in making acceleration so seamless and effortless. At times, the combustion engine’s sewing machine note goes against the entire premium ethos, but it remains relegated to the background. The increased EV mode also results in impressive fuel consumption for a large, heavy SUV: 14.7 km/L in lighter and 11.23 km/L in heavier traffic. A 72-liter tank means it’s also able to go the distance.

Measuring in at around five meters in length and close to two meters in width, there’s little way to mask the Palisade’s heft. True enough, it’s quite a chore to drive and park in tight spaces, even if visibility is remarkably good all around and there are sensors and cameras in every direction.

As the pace goes up, the Palisade does start to shed some of its size becoming agile for its size. Cleverly, it uses the electric motors to cancel unwanted pitching. Steering isn’t the sharpest, but at least it’s accurate and relaxed—on point for its character. And while ride quality is impressive most of the time, occasionally it falls short. With no adaptive dampers to speak of, unwanted thumps do make their way through the 21-inch tires. Mind you, it’s not stiff or jittery, but it also doesn’t achieve the promise of having a magic carpet ride.

Hyundai has delivered one winner after another of late, and the Palisade joins that increasingly long list. It’s brilliant, to say the least. It’s plush, well-built, and quite frankly, easy to get lost in just how fantastically comfortable it is. It’s also intuitive, refined, with an interior that’s highly flexible too. Plus, it’s easy to drive, all things considered. At P 4-million, the price tag is a bit shocking at first, but it looks and feels like a vehicle that costs far more. As it stands, the Palisade is hard to match for its combination of engineering, space, convenience, efficiency, and impression of luxury.