2024 Hyundai Palisade Review: Big Ambitions But Missing Something Obvious

Once upon a time, families who needed three-row transportation were sent to languish in minivan hell. Today, if you're willing to sacrifice some trunk space in return for extra seats, there are plenty of SUVs that'll handle seven or even eight passengers. Not to mention models running the gamut from cheap-and-cheerful through to positively luxurious.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade is one such SUV, though it distinguishes itself a little in trying to satisfy both sides of that practicality/luxe scale. At the top end, models like this 2024 Palisade Calligraphy promise comfort and gadgets you'd once have needed to splash out on a Mercedes (or, for that matter, a Genesis) for.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

True luxury, though, isn't just about equipment levels on a spec sheet, just like being genuinely family-friendly comes down to more than simply seat count. Hyundai, too, isn't the only mainstream automaker to have lavish aspirations. That sets the Palisade against some serious — and seriously appealing — competition.

2024 Palisade ownership kicks off at $36,650 (plus $1,335 destination) for the base SE trim. The Palisade SEL slots in next, from $39,400, while the Palisade XRT — which has a more off-road rugged appearance, if not an actual uptick in talent — starts at $41,800. The Palisade Limited is from $47,950, while the Calligraphy flagship lands from $50,350 (all plus destination).

There's a single powertrain across the board, a 3.8-liter V6 gas engine with 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Sadly — unlike with Hyundai's smaller SUVs, like the Tucson — there's no hybrid option here. The V6 is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Front-wheel drive is standard all trims bar the Calligraphy Night. That gets all-wheel drive as standard, whereas it's a $2,000 option on all other versions. No matter the number of driven wheels there's the same 5,000-pound tow rating, though only the AWD Palisade has a dedicated Tow mode.

Hyundai has some handsome, distinctive vehicles in its lineup — like the new Santa Fe – though in that company the Palisade feels a little derivative. At the front, the grille appears to have been inspired by a micro plane kitchen grater; the profile could be mistaken for that of any of General Motors' innumerable big SUVs. Thankfully "PALISADE" is emblazoned across the rear, because that angle isn't much more memorable either.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

The result isn't particularly ugly, it's just not very exciting. Not that — to be fair to Hyundai — every three-row SUV buyer is expecting or even wanting melodrama from their family ride. The 20-inch alloy wheels that are exclusive to the Calligraphy trim are handsome, and the Palisade's daytime running lights bold (even if they do look like a Cadillac's from a distance).

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Hyundai does offer a slightly less glistening version of its flagship trim, on the Palisade Calligraphy Night. For $3,500 extra, the wheels, grille, fascia trim, door handles, and other exterior components are given a blacked-out treatment, rather than the glossy chrome of the regular Calligraphy.

Inside, the SE trim gets cloth seats, with SEL and XRT swapping that for faux leather. The Limited has real hide, and the Calligraphy nicer, Nappa leather. Where the SE is an eight-seat configuration as standard, the other Palisade trims have seven seats; the SEL offers a no-cost eight seat configuration. Things in the SE are pretty sparse: heated front seats don't arrive until the SEL, nor power front passenger seat adjustment. An SEL Premium Package ($4,950) includes some of the niceties — like ventilated front and second row seats, a 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system, heated steering wheel, and 115V outlets — you'd otherwise look to the Limited trim ($47,950 plus destination) for.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

At Calligraphy level, meanwhile, things are positively plush. As well as the nicer leather there's Hyundai's Ergo-Motion driver's seat: it periodically kicks in, to reposition you in the hope of avoiding post-road-trip aches and pains. Quilted leather door panels and fancier second-row headrests are standard, plus heated third-row seats, and a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Limited trim and up gets a fully digital cluster display, 360-degree camera, blind-spot view monitor, and dual-panel sunroof all as standard, but only the Calligraphy has a digital rearview mirror and Remote Smart Parking Assist. Highway Driving Assist II (HDA II) is standard on Limited and Calligraphy; lower trims get the more basic HDA. All trims enjoy blind spot warnings, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist (with Limited and up adding evasive steering assist), and lane keep/following assist. Reverse parking sensors are standard on all trims; forward sensors are standard from Limited up.

The Palisade's dashboard is still a button-heavy place. Subtle tweaks have seen some of the climate control settings handed over to a small touchscreen (there are still knobs for temperature) but the dedicated infotainment shortcuts remain, along with sizable seat heating/ventilation keys and a dedicated button for summoning the Calligraphy's 360-degree camera (always appreciated in a big SUV).

Chris Davies/SlashGear

All trims get a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, with SiriusXM, navigation, and the ability to simultaneously connect to two Bluetooth devices. There's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but only wired; not wireless. If you've bought your smartphone in the past few years, when USB-C is the standard, Hyundai's insistence on USB-A for phone projection will rankle. The other four standard charge ports are USB-C, and higher trims get a further two in the third row.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

With all seats up, there's 18 cu-ft of trunk space. Drop the third row down, and that expands to 45.8 cu-ft; drop the second row, and you get 86.4 cu-ft. Hyundai's various bins and cubbies are practical and plentiful, too. The retractable cup-holders in the front center console are particularly clever.

On the road, the Palisade is comfortable and compliant, though drivers hoping for a spirited experience behind the wheel will need to look elsewhere. There's a Comfort mode and a Smart mode, though distinguishing the nuances between them is tricky. Then there's the Snow mode, for inclement weather, and a button to lock the Palisade in AWD, though only at lower speeds. Usually, the Hyundai figures out which wheels to power by itself.

Sport mode, meanwhile, encourages the transmission to hold lower gears for longer, but this isn't a light SUV — the AWD Calligraphy weighs as much as 4,500 pounds — and without adaptive dampers the comfort-focused suspension isn't inclined to hustle through corners. Nor, I suspect, would everyone else in the Palisade appreciate it.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

As for fuel economy, Hyundai expects all front-wheel drive versions of the SUV to get 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. The all-wheel drive version is rated for 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. My own, mixed driving saw the AWD Calligraphy clock in at over 23 mpg.

Pleasant as the 2024 Palisade Calligraphy is, Hyundai's top trim certainly isn't cheap. With all-wheel drive, destination, and a nice set of floor mats, this particular Steel Graphite example lands at $53,650. A Palisade SEL with all-wheel drive and the Premium Package, by contrast, is $47,745.

If the Calligraphy brought a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain, or even just an uptick in performance or economy, it'd be easier to justify. Meanwhile, rivals like the three-row 2024 Mazda CX-90 bring more power, better driving dynamics, and a more luxurious cabin, plus a 2024 CX-90 PHEV can be had from around $50k. The absence of Palisade Hybrid — despite Hyundai's commitment elsewhere to electrification — remains a head-scratcher.

As mainstream 3-row SUVs go, though, there's plenty to like about the 2024 Palisade. Solidly equipped, sufficiently refined, and spacious, it makes most sense when you play in Hyundai's midrange trims, where rivals struggle to compete on gadgets and active safety tech. While there's more excitement and imagination to be found in its smaller SUV siblings, there's certainly something to be said for the Palisade's straightforwardness.