Is the 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy a Credible Luxury SUV?

When it debuted for the 2020 model year, the Hyundai Palisade three-row mid-size SUV was a hit with the media and car-buying public alike. Our editors were impressed, too; the Palisade earned the top spot in our 2020 3-Row SUV Challenge and nabbed our Best of 2020 award for all-new or redesigned vehicles.

Related: Up Close With the 2023 Hyundai Palisade

Taking the place of the three-row Santa Fe/Santa Fe XL in Hyundai’s SUV lineup, the Palisade is usefully larger than its predecessor and gave Hyundai a direct competitor to “large mid-size” seven- and eight-seat SUVs such as the Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot and Volkswagen Atlas. It also has a corporate-cousin rival in the Kia Telluride, an under-the-skin twin to the Palisade that also launched for 2020.

The Palisade’s top-line Limited trim level was quite classy for a mainstream-brand vehicle, and Hyundai upped the ante for the 2021 model year with the addition of an even ritzier flagship model named the Calligraphy. Now that the entire Palisade lineup has been smartly refreshed for 2023 and the Calligraphy has received further enhancements, we’re compelled to ask: Is the Palisade Calligraphy a credible competitor to luxury-brand three-row SUVs?

A Plethora of Premium Features

First, let’s look at the high-end Palisade trims’ generous list of standard features, which rival those in many luxury-brand vehicles. The penultimate Limited trim level includes leather upholstery, heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, power-folding heated third-row seats, a digital gauge cluster, a head-up display, a dual-pane sunroof, Hyundai’s Driver Talk in-cabin intercom system and a 630-watt Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system.

The Calligraphy includes all of the above and adds exclusive exterior trim touches — namely tweaked front and rear styling, a special grille insert and 20-inch alloy wheels — along with puddle lamps, premium Nappa leather upholstery, quilted leather door panels and a synthetic-suede headliner. The Limited and Calligraphy also come standard with a comprehensive list of active-safety equipment, including uncommon features such as an ultrasonic rear occupant alert, safe exit assist and a blind spot monitor that displays in the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel.

More Upgrades for 2023

In addition to an exterior styling facelift, all 2023 Palisades get a new steering wheel, a 12.3-inch touchscreen display (replacing the previous 8- or 10.25-inch screens), USB-C ports instead of USB-A for faster device charging, and Wi-Fi hot spot capability (a first for Hyundai). All-wheel-drive models get a new Tow Mode that adjusts the transmission response while towing to hold gears longer and reduce shifting frequency. All but the SE trim get a wireless charging pad upgraded to 15 watts from the previous 5 (again, for faster charging) and the latest iteration of Hyundai’s Digital Key, which supports iPhone, Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy devices, to unlock and operate the SUV.

Both Limited and Calligraphy variants get acoustic-laminated rear door glass and heated third-row seats, a rare feature even among luxury SUVs. Calligraphy-exclusive upgrades include an “Ergo Motion” driver’s seat with specific massage functions designed to relieve fatigue, 64-color programmable interior lighting, a rearview camera mirror, a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel and wing-out head restraints for the second-row seats. About the only disappointment in the Palisade’s roster of changes for 2023 is its Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration: Both are still wired-only. Most rivals, especially among luxury brands, offer wireless smartphone connectivity.

So, how do all these features cohere in the ‘23 Palisade Calligraphy? Very nicely. Our test vehicle wore handsome Moonlight Cloud blue paint with a lavish interior finished in light beige leather that looked and felt suitably upscale. The overall ambiance is more than respectably luxurious; I especially appreciated the light-colored wood-look accents, the fine texturing on the satin-finish portion of the center console and cleverly integrated “hidden” climate control vents on the dashboard (another subtle upgrade for 2023).

The massaging driver’s seat offers specific pelvic, lumbar and whole-body settings, and you can set the intensity level and duration of the massage. There’s also a posture-assisting feature that automatically adjusts the pelvis and back portion of the seat after an hour’s time. My school-age sons, both of whom frequently complain that rear-seat passengers get treated like second-class citizens in terms of comfort and convenience features, were thrilled with the heated and ventilated second-row seats. Thankfully, neither kid seemed to miss having a rear-seat entertainment system, but the fact that the Palisade doesn’t offer this relatively common option is especially curious since the rival Telluride can be so equipped.

A Bargain, Relatively Speaking

Since the Calligraphy is the flagship trim level, it comes essentially loaded — the only options are front- or all-wheel drive and accessories such as carpeted or all-weather floormats and a rear cargo net. And relatively speaking, its $50,495 sticker price (all prices include destination) is a bargain. AWD tacks on another $1,900, which raises the price to $52,395; that’s almost $16,000 more than the entry-level Palisade SE’s $36,545 starting price, but it still undercuts the starting prices of most every comparably positioned luxury-brand three-row SUV — and the base trims of those vehicles aren’t as fully equipped as the Palisade Calligraphy.

The 2023 Acura MDX ($50,745) doesn’t offer any major features that the Calligraphy doesn’t, but it does offer a more athletic driving experience and a sportier look to match. The MDX also offers a performance-oriented Type S version that has a 355-horsepower, turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and a sport-tuned adaptive air suspension, but that model starts at $69,045. Though the Palisade is remarkably tractable and easy to drive for its size, athleticism isn’t its forte; it has a single-mode suspension tuned for ride comfort more than cornering prowess. Likewise, the sole Palisade powertrain is a 291-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s not particularly exciting, but it delivers respectable acceleration that’s more or less on par with competitively priced rivals, be they mainstream or luxe.

Buick is technically a “near-luxury” brand, but it’s worth noting that the spacious Enclave starts at $46,195 — comfortably less than the Calligraphy. However, equipping an Enclave to the level of the Palisade means choosing the top-line Avenir trim level, which starts at $58,865. And even then, the Enclave offers no noteworthy features the Calligraphy doesn’t have.

The calculations are mostly the same with the Cadillac XT6 and Infiniti QX60, as the base versions of both are priced within spitting distance of the Calligraphy. The QX60 is more dramatically styled inside and out, and its cabin is more sumptuous in the higher-line trim levels, but it costs around $15,000 more when comparably equipped. Adaptive headlights are about the only notable option the QX60 offers that the Calligraphy doesn’t. The XT6 offers a few key features that aren’t available on the Calligraphy — most significantly, Cadillac’s excellent Super Cruise hands-free driving system, a somewhat-gimmicky infrared night-vision system and an automated parking system that automatically maneuvers the vehicle into a detected parking space without driver intervention. However, if you want all three, you’ll have to spend around $70,000. At that price point, we found the 2022 Cadillac XT6 to be a thoroughly uncompelling value. We’ll also note that while the Calligraphy doesn’t offer a traditional automated parking system, it does come with Hyundai’s Remote Smart Parking Assist feature, which enables the driver to maneuver the vehicle into a tight spot via the key fob or digital key while standing outside the vehicle.

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Further Up the Ladder

The starting prices of the Calligraphy’s other potential luxury-brand competitors — among them the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Genesis GV80, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Volvo XC90 — are all high enough above the Hyundai that we’ve left them out of this survey. Stepping up to one of those models will net a higher level of luxury trim inside and out, availability of additional high-tech features and a broader range of powertrain choices. The X5, Aviator and XC90 offer powerful plug-in hybrid versions, and the BMW X5 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE63 are serious high-performance models with 600 hp or more — if you can manage their six-figure starting prices.

Also, none of the premium-brand competitors we’ve mentioned above have better headroom or legroom in their third-row seats than the Palisade — in fact, some have significantly smaller third rows, and some versions of the X5, GV80 and GLE don’t offer a third row at all. If you want third-row space comparable to a Palisade in a BMW or Mercedes, you’ll have to choose an X7 or GLS, respectively — and both of those start around $80,000.

So, back to the original question: Is the 2023 Palisade Calligraphy a credible luxury SUV? The answer is a definite yes; the Calligraphy’s overall luxury ambiance and level of features are that close. Once you factor in its significantly lower price tag versus comparably equipped luxury SUVs, the only real upscale attribute the Palisade Calligraphy doesn’t offer is a luxury-brand badge on its grille.

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