Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink 2024 Review

By Nadine Armstrong, carsales.com.au

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade boasts equipment updates and a new flagship to headline the Korean brand’s large SUV line up, the oddly titled Calligraphy Black Ink. Available with two powertrain options, seven or eight seats and three trim levels, the updated Hyundai Palisade range starts at $66,800 plus ORCs.

With sharp new looks and extensive equipment as standard, the Palisade gives people-moving duties a premium makeover. We put the new range-topping Palisade through its paces over an extended holiday period, finding that it was indeed fit for the (extended) family load.

How much does the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink cost?

The six-variant 2024 Hyundai Palisade range kicks off from $66,800 plus ORCs for the 3.8-litre petrol-powered two-wheel drive Palisade Elite and tops out with the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel all-wheel drive Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink tested here, priced from $80,900 plus ORCs.

At this price point there are plenty of competitors, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee L (from $82,750 plus ORCs) and Mazda CX-90 (from $74,550 plus ORCs) – even a full-electric option in the form of the Kia EV9 (from $97,000 plus ORCs).

What equipment comes with the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink?

It’s worth noting up front that the 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink carries a $1000 premium over the Calligraphy model grade and is differentiated by a blackened grille and bumpers, gloss black 20-inch alloys, dark tinted skid plates, lower door garnishes, tail-lights and badges and gloss black roof rails.

Inside, it has black suede-appointed seats and headlining. Count me in – it looks great.

There are creature comforts aplenty, including a 12-way heated and ventilated electric-adjust driver’s seat with two-position memory; front passengers have eight-way adjust with the same trappings.

Second-row outboard seats are also heated and ventilated, with a slide-and-recline function and fold-down armrests.

Leather accents feature on the two-tone steering wheel, dash and console trim and complement the suede throughout.

A dual sunroof with tilt-and-slide function for the front section and retractable shade is standard, as are window shades.

The Calligraphy Black Ink is available in two paint colours only – Creamy White is standard, with Abyss Black $695 well-spent if you ask me.

The Palisade is covered by Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km. Three pre-paid service plans are available for three ($1467), four ($1956) or five ($2445) years.

How safe is the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink?

As you’d expect, the top-spec 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink features a raft of driver assist and safety technology.

This includes blind spot warning and collision avoidance, blind spot camera, driver attention warning and lead vehicle departure alert, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, intersection turning assist, lane keep assist and departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, safe exit assist, adaptive cruise control, surround-view monitor and smart parking assist.

There are seven airbags with the curtains extending across all three rows and the Palisade was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating that applies to all vehicles built from 2022. Previous versions fell short with a four-star rating.

What technology does the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink feature?

As the flagship, the 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink brings much of the Korean car-maker’s latest technology together, but the entire Palisade range is well-equipped regardless of trim level.

Our tester includes remote keyless entry with push-button start, remote engine start, valet mode, live traffic updates and voice memo functions, along with three personalised user profiles, satellite navigation with find-my-car and vehicle status, two USB-C charge outlets and a wireless phone charging pad.

Infotainment is well stacked with AM/FM/DAB radio, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth and Hyundai’s inbuilt Sounds of Nature ambience settings.

The digital cockpit and head-up display keep important and useful (ie. speed, safety alerts and navigation) information front and centre.

I also frequently used the Palisade’s passenger talk function, which allows the driver’s voice to be piped to the rear passengers via the speakers.

What powers the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink?

There are two powertrains on offer in the 2024 Hyundai Palisade – a 3.8-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engine and the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel on test.

Both are matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the turbo-diesel sending its power to all four wheels via Hyundai’s active on-demand HTRAC AWD system. The petrol Palisade is two-wheel drive only.

The turbo-diesel Palisade delivers 147kW from 3800rpm and 440Nm from 1750-2750rpm.

It comes standard with a trailer pre-wiring package, has a braked towing capacity of 2200kg and can handle another 100kg on the roof rack.

How fuel efficient is the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink?

It can be thirsty work hauling a 2070kg kerb weight – plus potentially seven occupants and excess luggage – but the diesel-powered 2024 Hyundai Palisade copes well.

The official claim is 7.3L/100km combined, 9.2L/100km for city-based/urban driving and 6.2L/100km for extra urban/freeway hauls, and this driver can vouch for each of those claims.

Over a four-week period we saw as low as 5.8L/100km and topped out around 12L/100km.

What is the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink like to drive?

In a word, easy. Despite its proportions and proclivity to raucous under-age occupants, there’s an ease and serenity to driving the 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink that pervades its every move.

It turns out, when the kids are comfortable, they’re also relatively quiet and happy. But I digress…

It’s true, there’s no getting away from the Palisade’s imposing footprint on the road, but it rarely feels its size when it comes to manoeuvring.

With a great driving position, large windows all around and a commanding view, you quickly feel comfortable and confident behind the wheel.

The power from standstill is immediate, with good throttle response. It cycles smoothly through the gears and it’s quick to drop down a gear, or two, when needed.

The ventilated disc brakes front and rear do a good job of pulling up the Palisade to a standstill with relative ease and the steering is nicely weighted and offers good feedback, but that 11.8m turning circle will put your three-point turn skills to the test.

On the go, overall comfort is excellent for all occupants. The Palisade is also quiet and well insulated, delivering a level of refinement sometimes reserved for prestige vehicles.

What is the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink like inside?

Everything has been thrown at the 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink – and it’s paid off.

The interior is plush, practical and gives a premium feel that you might not expect from the Korean manufacturer. Hyundai is closing the gap on premium brands.

Sumptuous black suede-appointed seats and roof lining envelop the driver, while the large touchscreen keeps everything at your fingertips. Both equipment and ergonomics are excellent.

The Palisade’s space and practicality, however, are the major headlines.

Saddled up with 12-year-olds, tired and surly tweens, 20-somethings and my 85-year-old mother-in-law, the Palisade proved its broad appeal, versatility and then some. It was comfortable for all occupants, easy to get in and out with large door openings and grab handles.

Good amenity for all three rows of seating, including charge points, cup holders and air vents, catered to all occupants.

With a piping-hot English Breakfast tea safely stowed, a fully charged slew of iPhones at hand and cabin temperature obliging us with three different temperature zones, we were ready for road trips great and small.

An additional climate zone for third-row passengers would have been handy. While the children were always going to find something to complain about, climate control seems a reasonable gripe.

The front of the cabin offers plenty of room for oddment storage, large and small; every possible inch has been dedicated to clever storage solutions, including cups, bottles, small handbags, phones and the like. Thank you, Hyundai chief detritus solutions officer.

A hands-free power tailgate provides access to the versatile load space offering from 311 with all seats in place to 704L with the third row folded flat.

Making use of the lidded in-floor storage in the boot, even with seven seats in play, the Palisade had more than enough space for six weekender-sized bags without encroaching on cabin space.

The Palisade’s rear cabin also played host to a real Christmas tree, a bike and of course many and varied household items on a much-needed tip run.

The 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink delivered the surprise-and-delight factor that this writer needed for an extended family vacation.

\The Palisade’s arguably good looks turned heads, the seven-seat configuration was ample space for my Griswold’s-esque holiday, and the drive experience was effortless and economical.

The Black Ink gets a big green tick from this driver who, against all odds and needs, would happily own this vehicle.

2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink CRDi AWD at a glance:

Editor’s Rating: 8.7/10

Price:  $80,900 (plus on-road costs)	Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Available:  Now	Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
Engine:  2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel	CO2: 193g/km (ADR Combined)
Output: 147kW/440Nm	Safety Rating:  Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

 

Disclaimer: Images supplied by Hyundai Australia.

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