2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Is The Ultimate Mid-Size Luxury SUV

The all-new 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Edition is the top-level trim. 2020 was a big year for Hyundai because of the introduction of the Palisade's largest SUV with three-row capability and super hot sales.

The leading competitor is Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and KIA Telluride.

Hyundai's trying to do something unique to make themselves stand out in the mid-sized three-row SUV market with the Calligraphy.

So, is the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy a game-changer as well as the absolute best 3-row midsize SUV? Read more here!

Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Body Design

When Hyundai came out with the Palisade, it was a big step for the carmaker to styling.

At the front, you'll like how Hyundai has taken the Santa Fe and Kona headlight style and brought it to Calligraphy.

You have full LED headlights and LED daytime running lamps. 

Also, you have a functional side air curtain and LED turn signals that come standard with all-wheel drive.

But you have a little bit of fake triangular vent. You wish Hyundai would have kept it smooth. 

However, what we like is the bright metallic silver that goes through the bottom, giving the SUV a nice, rugged look and differentiating what you have on the Palisade with all black.

You will also see the familiar grille shape Hyundai puts on all their vehicles. 

Nevertheless, Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy has a unique triangular shape.

So all little triangles are specific because Calligraphy is the only one that has this style. 

You have a front camera and excellent ground clearance. Plus, you get all-wheel-drive that will take you through snow, mud, dirt with confidence.

We think it's so intelligent how Hyundai takes the styling to flush the grill on the hood. You have two superior rises, and they curve perfectly towards the eight pillars and disappear. 

Around the bend, you're actually getting a totally new wheel design for 2021 on this model. So you'll get the machined aluminum and dark metallic gray finish, which is nice. 

You'll like how Hyundai put some edges in there really kind of separates it from the rest of the lineup. You have 20-inch wheels, 245 on width, and 50 series sidewall. 

Image credit: Hyundai

There's no flat black plastic since everything is painted. Also, there's such a lovely rainbow effect of metallic dust in paint that looks just so stunning, very classy, and luxurious.

When you go down the side, you're going to get full LED turn signals into mirror caps.  Color matching brushed aluminum trim just along the top and the bottom but individual sections.  

The brushed aluminum on the door handles is Hyundai Calligraphy specifics, including the lower sill with nice indentation. 

Also, the extension of the lower area of the side of the door looks great.

If you notice on the brushed aluminum work, it comes across the top, and it just brings it right down into the rear quarter window.  

We are glad Hyundai didn't finish it off. On the bottom, it kind of just comes to the rear of the passenger door, and it's gone.

Hyundai-equipped roof racks are nice. It's ready to rock and roll. You can put mountain bikes, kayaks, etc. You'll love the rear quarter window blends in nicely.  

At the tail, you have some Calligraphy specifics. You're going to have a nice low roof spoiler, and a whole LED brake light that's unique to the calligraphy.

You have a shark fin antenna up top, and Hyundai did taillights and reverse lights look great. 

Even the way that Hyundai did the trim here is fantastic.  Also, the h-track and Palisade badge are very simple and clean. 

Usually, we don't like the stick-on letters, but now it's working on the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. 

Unfortunately, you have some more fake vents. You wish Hyundai should just keep it smooth, but we do like the ridges in the lower section. 

The way Hyundai has a dual exhaust to the right looks good. But we wish Hyundai Calligraphy had four with two on each side. Nonetheless, the two exhausts also look great.

Engine

Under the hood, you do have hydraulic hood struts. You'll see 3.8L V6 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The h-track all-wheel-drive getting the power to the ground. 

Mpg is 19 in the city and 26 on the highway. You could tow 5,000 pounds quickly and safely with the Hyundai Calligraphy, and it makes life easier.

Just go Calligraphy, and you've got everything plus all-wheel drive, which we think is a brilliant choice.

Price

You're really gonna be shocked because MSRP still below $60,000. It's $49,990 fully loaded. Now, let's see what you get when you pick Hyundai Calligraphy.

Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Interior

The door panels soft-touch material across the top is excellent. You'll love nice textured silver trim and the perforated and quilted stitch backing napa leather. 

You have Nappa leather on the armrest and on the back of the door panel.  You do have a Harman Kardon sound system and a nice door pocket. 

As you go from the door panel to the dash, you'll see everything pushed forward to open up more space. The soft-touch, silver trim, and leather are excellent. 

You got a 10.25-inch infotainment system touchscreen. You have navigation, Apple Carplay, and Android Auto. All very easy to navigate.

 

Hyundai even has a warning when you leave people in the back seats. It's effortless to see what's going on behind you.

You do have a friendly clear backup camera which trajectory and 360. you could easily just change your angles, and you got your dual climate control. 

Besides, you have heated seats and ventilated seats. You have a mode selector knob, which you could go into Comfort, Sport, Sharp, Eco, and Snow. 

Also, you can lock the center differential. But you wish Hyundai would have done something a little fancier. It's plastic. It would have been nice to have some type of metal ring. However, still lovely to have all that flexibility.

The napa leather and the stitch work are outstanding. Also, you got two cup holders, wireless charging, and a USB. The key fob has a remote start, panic button, and all that good stuff. 

A nice leather soft on the armrest looks excellent, and in the center storage, you got a party tray, a 12-volt, and a USB.  

If you touch the seats, you would think you were in a car that cost twice as much.

You got full power assist for the passenger and the driver. The microfiber suede material for the headliner really soft, but you only have a standard sunroof. 

So, if you're going big, then the panoramic would be the way to go, but at least you do have a sunroof.

Behind The Wheel

You got two memory seat settings very nicely set, and Hyundai did beautiful work to the speaker covers with the Harman Kardon sound system.

You can see all safety features or shut-off lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, traction control, etc. The steering wheel has the perfect thickness, and the horn button is tasteful. 

You'll like the way Hyundai has flat black buttons, so you're not getting fingerprints.

You do have paddles on the back of the steering wheel to go up and down t eight-speed automatic, and the dash looks like it's right out of a vehicle twice as much. 

You got a virtual cockpit over 12 inches, and you could go through a ton of information.

The virtual cockpit in Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy is excellent, and that one thing you don't get on the Telluride. 

We really like the way Hyundai took the straight edge all the way to the edge of the dashboard area and make it really clean.

Middle Row

Your passengers are gonna love you more for getting one of Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. You do get pretty security shades, and the seating arrangement is excellent. 

Also, what's suitable for the parents is the rugged plastic bag easy to clean, and there's no cargo net because you get a nice-sized pocket. 

Even you have a smaller pocket and USB. 

You have little command center, ventilated seats, and heated seats. You know, mid-row ventilated seats cost you $60,000 on a Ford Explorer, but you get it with the 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy.

You have AC controls, a power source, and 12 volts. In the center console, passengers are going to have the same fantastic microfiber material. 

You wish Hyundai would put them in the actual frame to bring some air to your body. Also, the armrest needs to be a little bit wider. It's not an entire zone, just a half's on, but you can recline. You get lots of space.

Third Row

One of the most extraordinary things about Palisade Calligraphy is even though it's Hyundai's first mid-size three-row, they got it right on their first.

Just push the button right to get in, and you got a good amount of space for your passengers. You do have a USB and electric recline. There wasn't a panoramic sunroof, but you do have a sunroof section for the back passengers.

Cargo Space

You have electric-assist fast-moving, and with the third row up, you get 18 cubic feet of space. On the Palisade Calligraphy, you have all power seat controls placed nicely. You have over 100 cubic feet of space when the 2nd and 3rd rows are folded.

Drive the 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy

You would think you're in a vehicle that costs a lot more than what Palisade Calligraphy does. You are getting a lot of cars for the money. 

The virtual cockpit is terrific, and you obviously have different camera views that you can pull up. 

But you wish Hyundai actually made the screen more prominent, like a 12-inch horizontal display.  Also, Hyundai has extra sound deadening on the Calligraphy to give you a quieter cabin.

We know you're not going to win any drag races, but it's not a slow dog either.

When you turn on the turn signal, the camera view is great to look down the palisade's side. The naturally aspirated power delivery is excellent, and gear shifts are smooth.

What's fascinating is that the tachometer actually swings in the opposite direction, counterclockwise rather than clockwise. So that's something a little unique and different but straightforward to switch from other modes. 

When you go through the different modes, the screen changes, giving it extra personality. 

When you're in sport mode, quicker throttle response faster shifts things like Comfort, Smart, or even Eco. 

It's nice to have such flexibility, and you're getting a different steering feel, which is lovely to have as well, depending on what type of driving you're doing.

Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy should have a frameless auto-dimming mirror because the older style just looks dated.

But mid-row and third-row are gonna be comfortable. Hyundai got plenty of room to plug in passenger devices, and the throttle really lovely. You get up to speed just fast enough, and the mirrors set up have excellent visibility.

Hopefully, this 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy review gave you an excellent overall view of this ultimate mid-size luxury family SUV.