Wanna ride shotgun with the GRM crew?
Welcome to this week’s test vehicle, a 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD.
The Calligraphy is the ranger-topper of the Palisade lineup, with our tester stickering in at $53,650.
Questions? Comments? Welcome to the thread.
If anyone asks me what to get if they need a three-row vehicle but don't want a minivan, I point them to the Telluride/Palisade. I don't think you can really go wrong with either.
My first impression after driving this for just a few minutes: Wait, I’m not in a Genesis or a Lexus but “just” a Hyundai?
The Palisade is that good. It feels way upmarket. It looks upmarket.
More to come. (Currently in a meeting.)
First impressions: It’s roomy but doesn’t feel big. It’s easy to park and navigate at slow speeds. Love the color of our tester.
For an SUV, fairly easy to get in and out of.
Comfortable seats. (Once you call up the Sport mode, the bolsters automatically tighten a bit)
Okay, a biggie coming up: The controls are very intuitive to use. Want more heat? You get a knob. Louder music? And you get a knob. The buttons and knobs just make sense. It seems so simple yet, sadly, it’s not as common as you’d think.
One concession to today’s trends, though: The shifter uses buttons. I’d prefer something more traditional–something you can work by feel–but you do get used to it.
The center screen is properly sized. It doesn’t look like someone just stuck an iPod in the middle of things. Call it more like a modern BMW and not at all like the e-Mustang.
So, driving it.
The 3.8L V6 offers plenty of power. The eight-speed automatic reads my mind–smooth shifting with logic that hasn’t left me waiting for the next gear change.
No wandering, no weirdness, nothing that makes me wonder how it got past the engineers.
The Palisade is way quiet on the highway. Again, sure this isn’t a Lexus or a Genesis?
I took a friend to breakfast in the Palisade. He usually daily drives a Genesis and has a few high-end cars.
He pulled the window sticker from the glove box.
$53,650 total!?
He couldn’t believe the price–meaning the value proposition here. What impressed him the most: the ride, the details, the level of equipment, the fit and finish and, a biggie, the warranty.
Let’s talk about the headliner for a bit because it’s beautiful. So soft, so much Alcantara-like fabric. Even the sun visors are wrapped in much creamy goodness. Again, sure this isn’t a Genesis or a Lexus?
These are my fingers having a good time:
Let’s take a minute to discuss the center console’s storage.
The machined aluminum release button feels high end.
Inside there are two cup holders that can magically fold away.
And further back, you get another storage bin complete with plugs–because you can never have too many.
And I just noticed that the middle seats have these side pockets of sorts.
Privacy screens and headliner air vents for the middle-row occupants, too.
The buttons to raise and lower the third row can be found in the way back. You don’t have to hold them down, either, as they offer one-touch action.
I find it amusing that they were trying to find another cool sounding place in Colorado to go with Telluride. Palisade is a small town of about 2500 people that's pretty enough, but not exactly a world-famous resort town. I guess all the other cool names were taken (Aspen, Durango) or would be weird for an SUV (the Hyundai Breckenridge? Crested Butte? Snowmass?).
Palisade is also the home to a certain Miata performance shop.
More to share: rear HVAC controls for the middle row, complete with heated and cooled seats.
Lots of connectivity and power, too.
USB plugs on the back of the front seats.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I’m guessing that Palisade sounds more exotic than Denver.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I'm disappointed they didn't use Silt.
Both Triumph and Dodge have claimed dibs on Daytona, so Suzuki had to use Volusia, the county name.
Keith Tanner said:In reply to David S. Wallens :
I'm disappointed they didn't use Silt.
Quick, get the OEs on the horn.
It's the Calligraphy model and it has a parchment colored interior?
You know what you need to do... I have extra sharpies if you need to borrow one.
I actually learned calligraphy in school. Wonder if I still have my pens.... (Don’t worry, Hyundai, I kid about looking for them.)
So, ours came with a special option that I can’t find listed anywhere:
And, yes, I cleaned it out:
Really, Calligraphy?
The upper model Volvo XC90 (which the Teluride/Palisade is mimicking) was the "Inscription"
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I just figured that they were talking about the Hudson River Palisades in northern New Jersey.
One more detail.
The “black” interior details, like the door panels?
They’re actually very dark blue.
And it works.
Woody (Forum Supportum) said:In reply to Keith Tanner :
I just figured that they were talking about the Hudson River Palisades in northern New Jersey.
It's specifically the singular, though, and NJ is plural. I'm aware of that because people always want to call our town Palisades, which it is not :)
It's about 2.5 hours from Palisade, CO to Telluride, CO.
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