2021 Nissan Rogue vs 2020 Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai absolutely knocked the Palisade's styling out of the park. This vehicle could wear a Cadillac logo, and shoppers wouldn't blink an eye. In fact, the Palisade stood out more than Caddy’s new XT6 3-row luxury SUV. Its bold, in-your-face styling was characterized by a massive grille and rakishly thin headlights. The upper headlight assembly was only part of the headlight puzzle. What appeared to be larger fog lights made up the rest of the headlights. With them on, there was a character line of LEDs that extended from the upper headlights down through the mid-level assembly.

Hyundai was known for doing interesting things with chrome and vehicles' character lines, and this trend continued with the Palisade. It had a large chrome strip that ran from the base of the A-pillar up over both side door windows, and interestingly, finished right after the rear door. This visually broke up what might otherwise be a very long design, but it did leave the Palisade looking a little busy. However, it was undeniably handsome and eye-catching.

Inside, the Palisade continued that upscale feel with elegance and simplicity. At first glance, one might mistake the dash for one from a luxury brand. It featured a fully digital instrument panel, a large touchscreen that flowed seamlessly across the dash, and a center console bristling with controls that rose up along the centerline. The personalized ambient lighting system caught the eye at night and most times of the day.

The Palisade came in three trims: SE, SEL, and Limited. The SE was well-equipped with acoustic-laminated glass, cloth upholstery, a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, power-folding second-row seats, and multiple USB ports. The SEL added second-row captain's chairs, satin chrome door handles and grille, integrated roof rails, and a proximity key with push-button start. It also boasted an 8-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Limited trim featured 20-inch alloys, LED headlights, a dual sunroof, premium leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, and advanced tech features like the Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue wore handsome new styling with a more technical appearance. Dark gray plastic cladding covered its lower perimeter, and bold, simulated skid plates and lower door protection conveyed a rugged vibe—perhaps too audaciously on the SUV's back bumper.

Clean LED lighting elements, a prominent V-Motion grille, and proper proportioning lent the new Rogue a modern aesthetic, with all trim levels featuring aluminum wheels sized up to 19 inches in diameter. The optional two-tone paint with a black roof treatment gave the SUV a custom look.

The Rogue was available in four trims: S, SV, SL, and the new-for-2021 Rogue Platinum. The base S trim featured a standard suite of safety features and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The most popular SV trim added more comfort and convenience features, the SL trim brought a touch of luxury, and the Platinum trim decked the SUV out with semi-aniline quilted leather and other upscale amenities.

Our test vehicle was a Rogue SL with an Almond color leather interior and a standard panoramic glass sunroof. Abundant soft-touch surfaces, appealing simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars all lent a sense of quality to the cabin. The Platinum trim offered quilted semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting for a truly luxurious look and feel.

One unique aspect of the Rogue's interior was the appearance of the numbers on the climate control panel, reminiscent of an old-school digital clock from the 1980s. Additionally, the SUV still offered a CD player, but it was not technologically outdated, as it included wireless Apple CarPlay.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade came equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 that delivered 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Power was sent to the front wheels or available all-wheel drive through an 8-speed automatic transmission, operated via a push-button shifter. This proprietary shifter design was manageable and certainly better than those from some other automakers.

The automatic transmission managed power well, and the V6 engine provided solid acceleration. The drive mode dial allowed drivers to select from Sport, Comfort, Eco, Snow, and Smart modes. In Comfort mode, the V6 and the transmission took a half-second to respond, but ultimately provided strong acceleration. Sport mode made the gas pedal twitchier and enhanced cornering capabilities, especially with the Limited trim's self-leveling rear suspension.

Fuel economy for the Palisade FWD was 19 mpg city, 26 highway, and 22 combined. With AWD, it was 19/24/21. In a week of combined driving, the Palisade returned a fuel economy of 20.3 miles per gallon.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue was powered by a direct-injected 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. This engine was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that did a decent job leveraging the available torque. To mimic a traditional automatic, the CVT was programmed with ratios, and Nissan even provided paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Despite the adequate power for typical daily use, the Rogue's engine felt sapped of energy when fully loaded or driven into higher elevations. Nissan hinted at the possibility of introducing a more powerful turbocharged engine in the future.

The Rogue's off-road capabilities were enhanced with available AWD, up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance, and new Snow and Off-Road driving modes. Fuel economy for the Rogue SL with FWD was officially rated at 27.5 mpg on a mixed driving loop.

The Rogue benefitted from a strut front, multi-link rear suspension, and brake-induced Intelligent Trace Control and Active Ride Control systems. These, along with new Vehicle Motion Control, resulted in a smooth and athletic ride.

The new Rogue's steering was dramatically improved from its predecessor, with the electric assist moved to the steering rack and a quickened ratio, providing better steering feel.

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade excelled in versatility and family-friendly functionality. It offered 45.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row down and 86.4 cubic feet with all rear seats folded, surpassing competitors like the Highlander and the Pilot. Our Limited test model had power-folding third-row seats, which, although slow to rise and drop, added convenience.

The Palisade's third-row seating was manageable even for longer trips, fitting into a category that catered to both adults and children. Second-row captain's chairs provided comfort and ample storage space, making it an ideal spot for passengers.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue sought to replicate a neutral spine position with its Zero Gravity seat designs, which varied in effectiveness but generally improved comfort in the new model. The seats ranged from cloth in the S trim with manual adjustment to higher-grade leather in the Platinum trim with eight-way power adjustment.

Nissan incorporated Quick Comfort heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats in higher trims. The Rogue's triple-zone automatic climate control allowed rear-seat occupants to control their temperature, with standard rear air conditioning vents.

Rear-seat headroom and legroom were more generous than in the previous Rogue, and the rear doors opened to nearly 90 degrees. The Rogue could accommodate up to three child safety seats, thanks to its new LATCH anchors, and included a rear-seat reminder system.

Nissan implemented several noise-reduction measures, including aerodynamic improvements, acoustic front glass, and a thicker dashboard insulator.

The Rogue's cargo capacity was competitive, with 31.6 cubic feet in the S and SV trims and up to 36.5 cubic feet with the SL and Platinum models, which featured the Divide-N-Hide cargo management system. When the rear seats were folded, the maximum cargo capacity was 74.1 cubic feet, making it one of the largest in the compact crossover segment.

Hyundai supplied the Palisade with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The SE trim featured three front-row USB ports, two second-row USB ports, and Bluetooth connectivity. The infotainment system was intuitive and user-friendly, with tactile buttons and dials.

The SEL trim offered an optional $1,250 Driver Guidance package, which upgraded the screen to a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, satellite radio, and the Driver Talk in-car intercom system. The Limited trim included the Harman Kardon premium audio system with 12 speakers and Clari-Fi music restoration technology, along with a surround-view monitor and a head-up display.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto as standard in the S trim. The SV and SL trims added NissanConnect Services, a WiFi hotspot, and integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. NissanConnect Services included remote engine start, automatic collision notification, vehicle speed, boundary alerts, and a car finder function.

Higher trims like the SL Premium Package and Rogue Platinum featured a larger 9-inch touchscreen display, door-to-door navigation with real-time traffic, wireless Apple CarPlay, upgraded voice recognition, and a Bose premium audio system. Platinum trim also added wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2020 Hyundai Palisade a Top Safety Pick+, its highest award. Standard safety features included a reversing camera, child-seat anchors, and a full array of front- and side-impact airbags. The Palisade also featured forward-collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, a driver-attention warning, and parking sensors.

The Palisade's fully digital instrument panel provided information to the driver, including parking sensor warnings. The unique blind-spot camera system activated the corresponding parking camera when signaling, projecting a live image on the instrument panel.

Nissan prioritized safety in the 2021 Rogue, equipping it with a comprehensive collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) under the Nissan Safety Shield 360 umbrella. These included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and a blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert.

The Rogue featured ten airbags, a driver monitoring system, and a rear-seat reminder system. Platinum trim added an airbag that deployed between the driver and front passenger for added injury prevention.

Starting with the Rogue SV, the SUV included an improved ProPilot Assist driving aid with lane-centering assistance. The SL Premium Package and Rogue Platinum featured an upgraded ProPilot Assist with Navi-link technology, which used navigation data to adjust speed for curves and freeway junctions.

While crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review, Nissan's increased use of high-strength steel and engineering aimed to deflect crash energy boded well for the Rogue's crash safety.