2026 Hyundai Palisade vs. Mazda CX-90, Toyota Grand Highlander: How They Compare

The just-unveiled new Palisade is available as a hybrid for the first time. How do its specs and features stack up against hybrids from Mazda and Toyota?By Joe LorioPublished: Apr 16, 2025Save Article

Car and Driver

• Hyundai has just revealed the second-gen Palisade SUV, which adds a hybrid option.
• Its rivals are the hybrid versions of the Mazda CX-90 and the Toyota Grand Highlander.
• We compare specs on these three-row mid-size SUVs to see how they stack up.

The second-generation Hyundai Palisade has just had its debut, and the big news is the addition of a hybrid powertrain for the first time. (A nonhybrid V-6 version will also be offered.) The new hybrid Palisade won’t reach dealerships until this fall—and we haven’t driven it yet. But until then, it’s worth taking a look at how the Palisade Hybrid stacks up against the hybrid versions of the Mazda CX-90 and Toyota Grand Highlander, which are our top picks among hybrid mid-size SUVs. Like the new Palisade, the CX-90 and the Grand Highlander also offer nonhybrid powertrains, but we’re focusing here on the gas-electric variants.

VIEW PHOTOSHyundai

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy.

Exterior Size and Passenger Capacity

The 2026 Palisade is larger than the current model, growing more than two inches in length and wheelbase. At 116.9 inches, the Hyundai’s wheelbase falls between the Toyota (116.1 inches) and the Mazda (122.8 inches) in length. Despite its growth spurt, the Hyundai remains the shortest in length at 199.2 inches, versus the Mazda’s 200.8 inches and the Toyota’s 201.4.

All three SUVs have standard seating for eight and the option of a seven-passenger configuration with second-row captain’s chairs.

Powertrain Configuration and Output

The 2026 Palisade’s hybrid powertrain is brand new with this model. It’s based on a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, and two electric motors. All-wheel drive is standard. Total output is 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque.

VIEW PHOTOSToyota

2025 Toyota Grand Highlander.

Toyota offers two different hybrid powertrains in the Grand Highlander Hybrid. The base version uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. It makes 245 horsepower, uses a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), and can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. The more potent version is the Hybrid Max. It starts with a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine, which combines with an electric motor to make 362 horsepower. The Hybrid Max gets a six-speed automatic instead of a CVT and comes standard with all-wheel drive.

VIEW PHOTOSMichael Simari|Car and Driver

2025 Mazda CX-90.

Mazda teams a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, an eight-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive. The CX-90 Hybrid is different than the Hyundai and Toyota setups, however, in that it’s a plug-in hybrid. It has a larger battery (18 kWh) and can drive up to 25 miles purely as an EV (per the EPA). Total output for the Mazda system is 323 horsepower.

Towing Capacity

Hyundai claims a 4000-pound towing capacity for the hybrid Palisade. Toyota rates the Grand Highlander at 3500 pounds towing with the base setup and 5000 pounds with the Hybrid Max. Mazda’s stated towing capacity for the CX-90 hybrid is 3500 pounds.

Fuel Economy

Official fuel-economy estimates for the 2026 Palisade are not yet available, with Hyundai only saying that it expects 30 mpg or better on the highway. The CX-90 Hybrid carries an EPA combined estimate of 25 mpg. The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max is also rated at 25 mpg overall. The less potent regular Grand Highlander Hybrid has higher EPA estimates, however: 34 mpg with all-wheel drive and 36 mpg for the front-wheel-drive version.

Pricing

How much will the 2026 Palisade Hybrid cost? That’s still an open question. The 2025 Palisade ranges from $38,675 to $55,975. Tariffs could jack up those prices significantly for the ’26 model (the Palisade is made in Korea), or Hyundai could elect to shrink its profit margins to lessen their impact. Will the hybrid model be more expensive than the regular version? Again, we don’t know, but looking at the current Santa Fe, which offers hybrid and nonhybrid powertrains, we see a very reasonable upcharge of $1000 for the gas-electric model.

At Mazda, the CX-90 Hybrid starts at $51,400 for the Preferred trim level, climbing to $56,355 for the Premium Sport and $59,405 for the Premium Plus.

There’s a much wider range of pricing for the Grand Highlander, because there are two powertrain choices as well as five trim levels. The LE starts at $45,660 with the XLE at $46,830. The Limited jumps to $53,160, and its darkened Nightshade counterpart is $54,060. The Limited Hybrid Max is $56,140, and the Platinum Hybrid Max sits at the very top, for $60,225.