How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2026 Hyundai Palisade?

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• The 2026 Hyundai Palisade performed well in our Car Seat Check with all-A grades.
• The three-row SUV seats up to seven, and we tested the top Calligraphy trim with second-row captain’s chairs.
• The Palisade had ample room for two car seats, but it does not fit three car seats because of this model’s second-row captain’s chairs.
• Shoppers should also be aware of a serious 2026 Palisade recall following the death of a child in the power-folding seat. A fix is now available.

Take a look at how the Latch system and each car seat scored below in our Car Seat Check of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade.

Related: Search Car Seat Checks

Latch: Grade A

The two sets of lower anchors are exposed for easy connection. Two top tether anchors sit midway down the seatbacks; they’re clearly labeled and also easy to use.

Infant Seat: Grade A

This seat was easy to install, and our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had ample legroom.

Rear-Facing Convertible: Grade A

Again, installing this seat was easy, and the front passenger was comfortable in front of it. We used the Level 2 recline angle for the rear-facing convertible.

Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade B

Installation was easy. We raised the head restraint to situate the convertible flush against the seatback, but it didn’t go up high enough and pushed the car seat off the seatback. We installed this car seat with the seat belt for caregivers interested in that method. We routed the top tether strap over the head restraint, per the owner’s manual, and had no trouble connecting to the top tether anchor on the seatback.

Booster Seat: Grade B

We again raised the head restraint for the highback booster, but it again wasn’t enough and pushed the back of the booster off of the seatback. The buckles are on tall, stable stalks, so they should be easy for kids to use independently.

Third-Row Entry: Grade B

Accessing the third row is easy via the Calligraphy variant’s power tilt-and-slide second-row function. It does take quite a while, however. Passengers can also use the pass-through between the seats to access the third row.

Third-Row Latch: Grade A

The two sets of lower anchors are partially exposed for easy access; three top tether anchors sit midway down the seatbacks are also clearly marked and easy to use.

Third-Row Forward-Facing Convertible: Grade B

Connecting to Latch was easy. However, the fixed head restraint pushed the convertible off the seatback; it should sit flush against it. Again, per the owner’s manual, we routed the top tether strap over the head restraint. The middle seat’s head restraint is removable, but it’s too narrow of a space for a car seat, and the buckle comes down from the ceiling blocking the driver’s view.

Third-Row Booster Seat: Grade C

The fixed head restraint interfered with the booster’s fit, as well, pushing it off the seatback. The third row has floppy buckles, which might be hard for kids to grasp and use independently. In addition, the legroom is tight, so taller children will feel cramped; legroom should be shared with the second row if possible.

About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks

Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat, a Graco Extend2Fit 2-in-1 convertible and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.

We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.

Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.

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