This Mass-Market Car Won The JD Power Award For Driver Assist Technology

In JD Power's 2026 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study, the company took a closer look at the smart technology in new vehicles — the technology that "makes everyday driving easier without demanding the driver's attention", like a big infotainment screen. When it comes to smart technology innovation, Hyundai has ranked the highest for mass-market car brands seven years in a row — and the tied runner-ups, GMC and Kia, are not very close. Its three-row mid-size SUV, the Palisade, received JD Power's mass-market Advanced Technology Award in the Driver Assist category specifically for its blind-spot camera. 

Most vehicles have blind-spot monitoring these days, but the Palisade displays a live camera feed of your blind spots right in the vehicle's digital instrument cluster every time you use a turn signal. The Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) has a camera feed for both the left and right turn signals. Once the turn signal is shut off, the images will disappear from the display.

Depending on the trim, the Hyundai Palisade also comes with the automaker's SmartSense, its safety-focused technology suite. This includes Highway Driving Assist, which keeps you at a safe distance and speed from other vehicles on the highway. Lane Keeping Assist can guide you along your chosen lane. It also has Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2, which applies the brakes after warning you of a potential collision with another car or pedestrian. Similarly, Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist will warn you of possible dangers while merging lanes, and Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist ensures that everything is clear while you back into a parking spot.

When it comes to technology, JD Power's 2026 U.S. TXI Study revealed that drivers prefer smart technology features to passenger screens and more complex features, like hands-free driving. When it comes to the passenger screen, 35% of surveyed drivers have never used it, with most saying it's one of the more problematic features in vehicles with an abundance of screens and technology. There's a reason automakers are starting to back away from screen-focused cabins.

Level 2 driving assistance programs, which still require drivers to pay attention to the road, are preferred to Level 2+ systems, which let you take your hands off the wheel. According to Doron Hikry, JD Power's Director of Customer Success, this could be due to drivers being less comfortable with more automation (which can also be seen with self-driving robotaxis). 

Instead, the study found that drivers prefer smart tech that stays in the background, providing more comfort and fewer problems. One of the highest-ranked smart tech features was smart ignition, which turns the car on and off without a key in the ignition. "The technology customers value most is often the technology they barely notice because it simply works," said Hikry.