2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Review - Big Isn’t Bad

I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t enjoy driving giant SUVs. I feel like a glutton doing so, many handle poorly, they can be hard to park in a garage or in public, and the price tag puts me off. Hyundai’s newly refreshed 2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy may look like it falls into that category, but in fact, it does not.

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy - The Ride
Like the prior Palisades I’ve driven, this one handles well, isn’t tippy in corners, and has good outward visibility. It’s not as sharp an instrument as some of Hyundai’s smaller crossovers and SUVs, but it won’t wallow along on a commute or road trip. It was best on the highway, where it easily soaks up miles in comfort.

Parking in public is not bad. The Palisade fits just barely into the the spaces with enough room to sneak out the doors if there is a car next to you. If you have a garage you plan to use to park your Palisade, we'd suggest asking the dealer if you can test drive it home to see if it fits. If not, the three-row Hyundai Santa Fe is your ticket. 

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy - The Price
Although the 2026 Hyundai Palisade starts much lower in price, with Hyundai advertising under $40K, our price was much closer to $60k. Using the online build tool, we found that today’s price for this large and luxurious vehicle is $58,160, including the $1,600 Freight charge. Add about $500 to that in dealer Doc Fees to get your out-the-door price.

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy - The Powertrain
We tested a top-trim Calligraphy with the 3.5-liter V6, capable of 287 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s smooth and comfortable, powerful when you need it to be. There is a hybrid option for the vehicle, but you lose the spare tire, so it would not be on my list of considerations. With gas today at historic low prices when adjusted for inflation, the big engine comes with little penalty. Budget about $2,200 for gas annually, according to the EPA’s latest data. If gas is high in price where you live (California), the Hybrid can save you about 33% on that bill.

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy - Infotainment and Interior
A wide screen covers much of the dashboard in the new Palisade. It’s tastefully done. The wireless Android Auto worked seamlessly. All of the seats are comfortable, and larger people can use the rear seats if you need them.

The on and off button is in a weird place on the stalk that you use for PRD, but we got used to it. We really loved the sort of physical buttons under the infotainment screen. 

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy - Conclusion
Hyundai continues to impress us with great vehicles year after year. If you are a person, like me, who feels a bit out of place in giant SUVs, but you need that third row and can't stand the idea of a minivan, head on over to Hyundai and see if the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy scratches the itch. We suspect it will be a pleasant surprise if you have tried some of the other very large SUVs and were not sure they worked for you. 

Tell us in the comments below if this is a vehicle you like the look of. 

26 Hyundai Palisade interior image by John Goreham. Top of page image courtesy of Hyundai US media. 

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.