If you love a good crossover vehicle and believe that bigger is better, you were probably excited to see the introduction of the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade for 2020. Both join the 3rd row mid-size SUV market with the likes of the Ford Explorer, Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander. It makes sense these vehicles were released the same year; after all, they are sister brands.

It might have been their popularity that wasn’t as expected, though. Dealers can’t keep these new SUVs on their lots, and consumers are eating up Kia and Hyundai’s latest vehicles in droves. So much so that consumers are often paying over sticker price to drive off the lot with one. Maybe that’s why they just got a little more expensive.

The rising demand

Anytime the demand for something increases, something else has to give. It may be that the price increases, as is the case here, or that consumers fight over the item, as with the hottest Christmas toys. Sometimes, the quality of the product goes down to keep up with demand. One thing’s for sure: the demand for these two vehicles continues to rise. And now, so have their sticker prices. 

Starting January 7th, the Palisade’s starting price jumped to $32,895, a $250 increase. All the trim levels follow this increase, and the top of the line, fully-equipped Limited goes for $47,745. At first, it seemed that this jump made the Palisade more expensive than the competing Telluride, but it turns out that Kia upped their prices, too. They jumped $275, now starting at $33,060 and making it $165 more than the Palisade. 

While price hikes aren’t that rare, consumers who are already sweating to get their hands on one of these new SUVs may not appreciate the change. Of course, if they’re already willing to pay more, it may not matter at all. Strong demand keeps the price close to MSRP, so it will likely continue to stay there, with no sign of any real incentives being offered anytime soon.

Sister brands share the love

Being sister brands, both under the Korean brand Hyundai, they both compete and enjoy the spotlight together. Both are reliable brands and often get high marks when it comes to reviews. With the release of each brand’s first 3-row SUV, it makes sense that they’d borrow some of the same traits.

They share a wheelbase, have the same powertrain, and enjoy the same towing capacity. The Palisade is a few dollars cheaper, but that doesn’t mean it’s better. They each offer great perks, but even with all the similarities, there are a lot of differences that set them apart.

Palisade vs. Telluride

Depending on what you like your SUV to look like will factor in on which SUV you want. The Palisade offers bigger, bolder exterior styling with angular lights and an oversized grille while the Telluride is a bit less flashy and more rugged. More standard features are found on the Palisade’s three trim options.

One of the unique features that stand out on the Palisade is the power-folding third row. It also has self-leveling suspension on its top model, the Limited. The Telluride has more trim options and the ability to customize and add-on packages, but this can often lead to more cost to get the same features, as there are no options for the base LX model aside from paint choices.

When it comes to technology and safety, both do well. Automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control come on both. The base Palisade offers automatic high-beams, while the Telluride has the much-sought-after blind-spot monitoring. The Palisade offers better driver display options and has rear quiet-mode across the board, which only comes on the EX trim and above on Telluride.

The Telluride wins out when it comes to space, with 3.0 cubic feet of extra cargo space and a bit extra headroom. It also gets better gas mileage by one mpg. You’ll pay more for the added benefit of all-wheel drive, though, about $300 more. The upper-level trims of the Telluride deliver, though, sometimes better than luxury SUVs.

Snag the hottest SUVs on the market

If you’re an SUV lover and love a more spacious ride, 2020 may be your year. With both a new Hyundai and a new Kia on the market, your options just increased. Based on the reviews and the demand, they’re both a hot item, and deciding which to get may prove hard. The question is, will you jump on board now or wait a few years?