Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition Review: One Badass 3-Row SUV
Recently, the skies over my driveway transitioned from the bright light of day to a neon-lit high street at night. The cause? The arrival of the 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition, a special version of the top-tier Calligraphy trim which takes luxury into the moonlight.
What does an injection of darkness bring to the full-size SUV? An experience unlike any other, as you’ll soon see.
This story is 100% human researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. No AI was used.
Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition is Bright as the Moon, Dark as the Night
As if the 2024 Hyundai Palisade wasn’t already at the top of its game at the Calligraphy trim level, for 2024 (and 2025), you can max-out the luxury by opting for the Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition (just called “Calligraphy Night” for 2025). Available in only two colors – Hyper White or Abyss Black Pearl – the Night Edition, priced from $51,000, goes all in on bringing the sophisticated night vibes to your driveway with blacked-out trim on everything. From the 20-inch “Black Liquid” wheels and black chrome grille to dark aluminum upper console trim and an exclusively all-black interior with quilted door panels and piano black wood trim, it feels crisp and chic.
Microfiber isn’t Just for Towels
After drying off your Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition at the car wash with microfiber towels to protect the finish, you and up to six lucky passengers can place yourselves upon the black microfiber suede interior with white piping, exclusive to the Night Edition; the regular Calligraphy makes do with premium Nappa leather seats.The microfiber suede continues with the headliner, which only adds to the ultra-luxurious environment in this big SUV.
No Need to be a CEO to Feel Like a Captain of Industry
Like most of the higher trim levels of the 2024 Palisade, the Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition features a pair of captain’s chairs for the second row passengers, plus privacy curtains to keep the paparazzi from peering in to see who’s in those luxurious seats. And they truly are luxurious, for not only are they draped in that aforementioned black microfiber suede, the captain’s chairs are – like the front seats – heated and ventilated for all-season comfort. The seats also slide forward for access to the third row, and fold down when more cargo room is needed.
Your Children and Pets Will Love Riding in the Back
The third row may not be the right seat for adults, but your children and pets will feel quite cozy in the back, and not just because the seats are microfiber suede. The 60/40-split bench comes with heating for when things become really chilly under the darkest days of autumn and winter. When not in use, the third row can fold down with a push of a button in the rear cargo area, while another set of buttons can bring them back up for all of the big family adventures.
Praise the Moon and Stars (and, Perhaps, the Sun, Too)
The Palisade in most trim levels, including the Calligraphy Night Edition, does away with the basic sunroof for the front occupants. Instead, a dual-panel sunroof lets in all of the serious moonlight up front and above the rear occupants. The front occupants receive a manual panel to slide back and forth, as well as control over the power sliding panel for the rear passengers with a button mounted on the ceiling above the dashboard.
Making Room for the Boss of the Corporation
I’ve experienced power front seats that move upon opening the front door. Usually, that’s in favor of pulling the seat forward before I have a chance to step inside, prompting me to push one of the adjustment buttons to stop it from continuing on, then moving it back before I close the door to move the seat forward again. Not with the 2024 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition, though. The driver’s seat can be set to move back to let you slide in upon opening the door, then moves back into position once the door is closed. It’s nice when a vehicle does something nice for you like that.
Next-Level Comfort for the Open Road
That same driver’s seat also happens to be Hyundai’s Ergo-Motion Driver’s Seat. With a push of the button marked by a ventilated seat symbol on the lower left side of said seat, the driver gains access to various settings for lumbar, pelvic and whole body massaging. That will certainly make every long trip feel like sitting in one of those massage chairs you find in the main promenade of the mall.
Go Palisade and Let it do the Parking
One of the coolest features the Palisade has is the ability to park itself. It does take some doing to make it happen, though. First, turn on the 360-degree parking camera, then step out and away from the SUV (up to 13 feet away, to be exact). Then, use the key fob to move the Palisade back and forth into the parking space by pushing one of the two buttons marked with the SUV going forward or back. I tried to make this work in my driveway, but I believe the SUV needs to know it’s actually in a driveway (or a marked spot in general) instead of a spot slowly being reclaimed by nature.
Conquer Any Obstacle with All-Wheel Drive
The Palisade Calligraphy Night Edition comes exclusively with all-wheel drive; the regular Calligraphy can be had with standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. With five drive modes for everything from punching it onto the interstate to sipping as little fuel as possible, plus AWD locking for low-speed snow and rock crawling, this full-size SUV is silk hiding steel where it counts.
Fill Your Ears With the Finest Sounds Possible
Whether it’s SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, a favorite smooth jazz FM station, or your curated streaming playlist, it’ll all sound amazing with the 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with surround sound and Harman’s Clari-Fi music restoration technology. This tech analyzes waveforms in real time to bring out the real sounds and notes of a given composition or song, instead of the usual compression digital recordings present. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy your music.
Smooth Operator
All of that luxury wouldn’t matter, though, if it couldn’t only hustle onto the highway, but also keep everyone comfortable once there. Those 20-inch black alloy wheels ride upon tires with sizable sidewalls, which take bumps better than thinner, more high-performance-oriented rubber. And with all-wheel drive, all 291 horses from the 3.8-liter V6 are better able to grip every inch of the road, no matter where the journey leads. The MacPherson struts with coil springs up front and rear independent multi-link suspension are the final pieces of the puzzle, delivering a smooth ride from front to back.
The Night Belongs to You
Hyundai’s Palisade is great on its own, but the Calligraphy Night Edition turns up the luxury in ways only experienced by Genesis owners. The Hyper White/black trim combo gives the full-size SUV a presence perfect for the valet zone of the fanciest restaurants and hotels in the heart of downtown. Inside, the luxurious interior features and the latest tech offer all occupants a VIP lounge dream once kept behind the red velvet ropes of the hottest clubs. The price of admission to this night spot is worth it, too, at $55,600 as-tested. And if you missed the 2024 version, the 2025 edition continues to bring the opulence of nighttime visions of the 2024 Calligraphy Night Edition.
