Hyundai decided to make the massive Palisade a bit more practical and introduced the High Roof version. The solution was brilliantly simple: if there isn’t enough space in a large crossover, you raise the roof. They increased the roof by 240 mm, bringing the vehicle’s overall height to 2005 mm. A couple more rows of seats, grab rails for standing passengers, and a «Moscow — Balashikha» placard under the windshield—and you can obtain a passenger transport license.

Hyundai clearly took care not to turn the Palisade into a glorified shed. The upper structure is neatly integrated into the body, and black window trim has been added. Additionally, it features 21-inch wheels with Pirelli tires, and the base model for the High Roof includes an electronically controlled suspension system that analyzes the road surface. This is not some minbus where the driver scans potholes with their eyes and reports the findings to passengers using a predictable string of phrases.

The main victory, of course, is internal. There’s noticeably more room overhead. But in the tradition of Hyundai, they decided to turn the tall Palisade into a VIP shuttle, which in Korean translates to gaudy showiness. And so, they added a starry sky effect light fixture to the ceiling. Well, what would it be without one! I bet there’s a spare disco ball and curtains with gold ruffles in the trunk. I need to finally sell Hyundai the license for the «Gazelle.» Koreans are clearly moving in the right direction, but for now, they are paying too much attention to massages, electronics, and beautiful ceilings. We would quickly explain: the tall body style is primarily needed so that someone wearing a winter hat can fit inside.