Driven. Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy
- Apr 28
- 5 min read
Updated: May 6
"Pretty fancy for a Hyundai isn’t it?"
Poignant words from a punter early in my time with the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. The sentiment was not lost on me – because I thought the exact same thing numerous times over the course of a few weeks.
I still recall the arrival of the “bubble back” Excel of the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
At a bargain $13,990 "drive away no more to pay", it offered a fresh and funky design at an unbeatable price. Consequently, it gained immense popularity amongst everyone from the budget conscious, though to the mural-painting chrome-wheel aficionados of the day.
But that was 25 years ago, and much water has flowed under the metaphorical bridge. Hyundai is no longer the fledgling newcomer flogging budget cars, and this hulking 5-meter long luxury SUV is testament to that fact.
Aside from its size, the exterior visuals are tastefully subtle. The big Palisade bucks a seemingly insatiable desire by manufacturers to include as many different angles as possible. It's a vain attempt to stand out, but the irony is the graceful Palisade is the sore thumb against the crumpled-paper like monotony around it.
The boxy but soft lines start up front, where one is greeted by a commanding slotted grill that extends out to hidden LED headlights and stacked opaque-white DRL’s. They go through a sequence when locking or unlocking – one for the ASMR fans.
21-inch machined-alloy wheels fill the guards perfectly, offering a classy and almost snowflake-like design. They contrast perfectly against the Abyss Black adorning our example.
They are wrapped in 265/45 Pirelli Scorpion rubber that afford ample grip, and a much higher level of comfort and noise suppression than expected given the profile. A powered rear tailgate flanked by equally handsome vertical taillights round things out.
As impressive as the exterior is, it’s inside where 30 years of experience become evident. The subtle Brown-Pure-Tone optional colour is a nice way to add uniqueness to the interior, without risking grubby youngsters ruining things.
Climbing into the leather-covered “relaxation seat” for the first time reveals a clean and spacious cockpit. The “sunken” dash seems a little odd at first – but it affords excellent visibility which made manoeuvering the big SUV very easy indeed.
A 12.3-inch curved screen extends from the central infotainment display, to the driver information binnacle, and is supplemented by a monstrous 12-inch head up display.
The seats offer a range of electric adjustments including heating and ventilation, a deployable leg rest and back relaxation mode. The latter is a clever function that utilises the existing adjustable lumbar functionality to stretch the backs of the front row passengers on extended trips.
Charging is via 3 USB-C ports in the floating centre console, which are supplemented by a wireless charger beside a pair of cup holders. Here you will also find a fingerprint authenticator, designed to help identify the driver and set the cabin up appropriately.
It’s a strangely sparse space given the gear-selector location on the steering column, below the indicator stalk. It’s similar to Kia offerings and I never quite got used to it, but it's hard to argue against the good use of otherwise wasted space.
A large centre console bin also doubles as a UV-C cleaner, which claims to decontaminate items such as phones during a 10-minute cycle. Cabin storage is a highlight, with space under the floating centre console, centre console box, deep door bins and the glovebox.
A large rear door offers easy access to the captain’s chairs in the second row, a special treat for the youngsters in our family. Featuring heating, ventilation and armrests, these seats were literal replicas of the front row. The added benefit was access to the third row, but in our case it was often utilised as storage for the various nic-nacs that come with pre-teenage ladies. A touch of a button will manoeuvre them forward to allow access.
The second row gets a separate air-conditioning zone and USB-C ports on the inside edges of the front seats. A sliding drawer under the centre console is also available, along with window shades. Lowering of the latter, in concert with the twin-pane sunroof and white suede-like material across the roof, make for an airy and pleasant cabin.
The third row also benefits from heating in the seats, charging ports and cup holders at each end. It’s pretty spacious back there too – with the centre row slid forward, two adults could be housed in relative comfort.
With them up however, the boot space is limited to a couple of medium-sized suitcases – not the worst I’ve seen in a 3-row configuration. But the touch of a couple of buttons will lower them, extending the space out to 712 litres. Folding the second row sees this extend out to 2081 litres.
Our time with the Palisade Calligraphy included of a range of driving across urban and highway, including a road trip to the Snowy Mountains. It’s not to say it was deficient in an urban capacity, because it absolutely wasn’t. However it was out on the open road that the Palisade Calligraphy truly shone.
With all occupants comfortably housed and all our gear on board, it made light work of the 700-odd kilometre round trip.
Propulsion is courtesy of a 2.5L 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that’s combined with a 54Kw electric motor in the gearbox. It’s relatively unintrusive unless you really get into it, quietly alternating between electric and petrol power through a 6-speed convertor automatic gearbox. It’s an interesting engineering choice, given the market’s movement to an increased gear count with shorter ratios.
The combination is also quite frugal at 12.6 Km/L. Read that again, because I was alerted to the fact that the efficiency measurement on the dash is different to what one would expect. I cannot fathom the reason behind it, but ultimately when converted in lands at 7.9l/100km. That's a respectable number given the size and amenity on offer.
The suspension does a sound job of keeping everything stable and planted too, despite the 2294kg kerb weight. Some fidgeting in the rear suspension was a small issue that quickly disappeared with a passenger or two on board.
Driver inputs were all very light which made it a breeze to pilot. This was aided by excellent visibility afforded by the large glasshouse and brilliant camera and sensing systems.
All the requisite safety features are included, but were annoyingly intrusive. Lane Keep Assist was a little excitable, continually notifying and correcting regardless of the sensitivity set. Then there was the driver monitoring system which beeped and notified incessantly.
Ultimately the Palisade was the perfect companion for the Easter break. It offered supremely easy driving, comfortable dynamics and an equally spacious and luxurious cabin. The biggest issue was deciding who got the choose the next track to be played on the 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
And yes, it was very fancy for a Hyundai. At the end of my time with it, the $99,778 driveaway sticker price went from a big red question mark, to a positive value proposition.
If you’re on the fence, do yourself a favour and take one for drive.
Like: Tasteful exterior design, feature packed and comfortable interior, fuel efficiency
Dislike: Soulless to drive, safety systems are frustrating, door handles fiddly to unlock
Car Guy Rating - 8.0
The Palisade was a pleasant surprise. It’s great to look at, with a long feature list and stacks of amenity that we put to great use during the Easter Holidays. It’s incredibly easy to drive too, despite its gargantuan size. Light steering and controls are assets to everyday drivers but ultimately lacked feel. This led to a feeling of soullessness from a personal perspective, which is where it lost a lot of points. However given the intent and the market it's playing in, it deserves to do damned well. Would not buy.
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