The 2023 Hyundai Palisade is a surprisingly affordable three-row SUV. Affordable may be a relative term in this case, but Hyundai’s most significant vehicle caters to a wide range of needs for those requiring seating for seven. Let’s explore the price and features of the base SE trim compared to the top Calligraphy trim of the latest Palisade model. 

The Hyundai Palisade SE has the essentials for a family SUV

Irrespective of trim, all 2023 Hyundai Palisade models have the same 3.8-liter V6, producing 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque—healthy power numbers for the nearly 4,500 lb SUV. Despite being relatively heavy, the Palisade gets 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. If you opt for HTRAC AWD, a $1,900 option, the highway figure is reduced to 25 mpg. 

According to Hyundai, the SE is the lowest trim and starts at a reasonable $35,550. What do you get for that number? All Hyundais are equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay as standard.

However, the interior keeps things pretty basic, with cloth seats and no fancy features. The SE is not for you if you want heated or ventilated seats. Still, the Hyundai Palisade SE has some excellent safety and convenience features not usually found in the base trim. For $35,000, you get adaptive cruise control, an acoustic laminated windshield, rear parking distance warning, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, and tons more great safety features.

Hyundai also includes highway driving assist, a driver assistance feature that can help you steer to decrease driver fatigue on long trips. The SE trim also provides tons of USB ports in the first and second rows and manual climate control for the rear passengers. Though the base trim lacks most luxury features, it’s equipped well enough to justify its price and be competitive in the world of three-row family SUVs. 

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy has all the bells and whistles

The 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy starts at $49,500. For that additional $14,000, it comes very well-equipped compared to the SE. The SE has the essentials, and the Calligraphy sprinkles in tons of luxury, making for quite the fancy family SUV model.

The most noticeable upgrade is with the materials. Gone are the cloth and hard plastic. You’ll find Nappa leather seats, quilted door panels, and even a microfiber headliner in their place. Perhaps the second most noticeable upgrade is the gauge cluster. The Calligraphy trim includes the upgraded 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Its excellent screen contains one of the industry’s best features: the blind-spot view monitor.

Instead of an old-school blind-spot monitoring system, Hyundai fits a camera in each side mirror that projects an image of the road in the gauge cluster screen. Essentially, Hyundai has found a way to make turning your head obsolete. In addition to oodles of safety tech, including a surround-view camera and highway drive assist, which will change lanes for you, the Calligraphy trim also includes some excellent convenience features.

Rain-sensing wipers, heated and ventilated seats in the first and second rows, wireless charging, heads-up display, digital rearview mirror, tons of USB ports in every row, and a heated steering wheel. If that wasn’t enough, the top trim also gets a 12-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, acoustic-laminated glass on all windows, hydrophobic glass on the front windows, and a dual-panel sunroof. For under $50,000, the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy is packed to the brim with features.

Additional packages and add-ons for the Palisade

If the Calligraphy trim doesn’t quite have enough for you, Hyundai has you covered. If you need more space, you can get your 2023 Hyundai Palisade fitted with roof rails for $315. A cargo net, tray, and blocks are also available as a $225 package or as individual items.

Wheel locks, a first aid kit, and mudguards are also available. The most popular package will likely be the “Winter” package for $340. Included are all-season floor mats and mud guards. The all-season floor mats go a long way toward keeping your car clean if you live in a snowy climate. Ultimately, the Palisade has many configurations and packages for a reasonable price—you just have to find the one that suits you best.