Lexus NX vs Hyundai Palisade

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Hyundai Palisade Discontinued model
Lexus NX in South Africa

Lexus NX

NX 350 F SPORT Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 1,276,500 ex-showroom
⚡ 205 kW 🔧 430 Nm ⛽ 12.3 km/l
VS
Hyundai Palisade in South Africa

Hyundai Palisade

2.2D Elite AWD 8AT 7-Seater Diesel Discontinued model
ZAR 1,204,500 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 142 kW 🔧 440 Nm ⛽ 8.2 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Lexus NX vs Hyundai Palisade: the short answer

NX and Palisade are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context NX: current from ZAR 1,074,200 · Palisade: last listed from ZAR 1,204,500

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification NX Palisade
Maximum Power NX205 kW @ 6000 rpm Palisade142 kW
Maximum Torque NX430 Nm Palisade440 Nm
Engine Size NX2400 cc Palisade2199 cc
Combined Fuel Economy NX12.3 km/l Palisade8.2 km/l
Ground Clearance NX195 mm Palisade203 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Evidence for Hyundai Palisade 2.2D Elite AWD 8AT 7-Seater

Source type: South Africa

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

NX

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency

Palisade

Strengths
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

NX

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Palisade

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec NX Palisade
Model Introduced Year 2023 Not confirmed
Generation Second-generation Lexus NX mid-size luxury SUV Not confirmed
Facelift History Current South African range includes petrol, self-charging hybrid and plug-in-hybrid derivatives Model-year updates can affect trim, wheels, screens, safety equipment and colours. Use the latest South African price list when checking a specific vehicle.
Facelift Launched Since Current South African range includes petrol, self-charging hybrid and plug-in-hybrid derivatives Not confirmed
Facelift Version Ending Current South African specification checked 2026-07-17 Not confirmed
Body Style SUV Seven-seat SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status published Not confirmed
Segment Luxury SUV Not confirmed
Tare Mass Kg 1760-1860 kg 1952 kg
Vehicle Type SUV Not confirmed
Spec NX Palisade
Length 4660 mm Not confirmed
Width 1865 mm Not confirmed
Height 1670 mm Not confirmed
Wheelbase 2690 mm Not confirmed
Ground Clearance (Default) 195 mm 203 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 55 l 71 l
Boot/Cargo Space 520 l Not confirmed
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2370 kg Not confirmed
Towing Capacity 1000 kg 2200 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 7 seats
Doors 5 doors Not confirmed
Minimum Turning Radius 5.8 m Not confirmed
Kerb Weight - 1952 kg

In depth: how these cars differ

This NX and Palisade comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: NX 86 vs Palisade 74.

Efficiency index: NX 49 vs Palisade 40.

Safety-equipment index: NX 93 vs Palisade 90.

Practicality index: NX 65 vs Palisade 79.

Ownership-cover index: NX not separately scored vs Palisade not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

NX leads by 2 points

NX and Palisade are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 75 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 70% source coverage
75
#1 Evidence leader

NX

70% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 93 Check Efficiency 49
Performance 86
Efficiency 49
Safety 93
Practicality 65
Leads by 2 points
73
#2

Palisade

51% source coverage 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 90 Check Efficiency 40
Performance 74
Efficiency 40
Safety 90
Practicality 79
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance NX +12 Efficiency NX +9 Safety NX +3 Practicality Palisade +14

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

NX

Performance 86/100
Efficiency 49/100
Safety 93/100
Practicality 65/100

Palisade

Performance 74/100
Efficiency 40/100
Safety 90/100
Practicality 79/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Lexus NX leads the specification evidence index with 75 pts vs 73 pts for Palisade

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, NX leads. However, Palisade may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

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NX vs Palisade questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.