I drove Hyundai's $52,000 Palisade, and now I understand why people rave about the family SUV

I was genuinely impressed by the premium look and feel of the Palisade. The big Hyundai also offers a great complement of tech and safety features.

The Palisade is available in six different flavors, with the base front-wheel-drive SE trim starting at $36,650. The lineup tops out with the all-wheel-drive Calligraphy Night edition at $53,850.

My fully loaded Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD test car starts at $52,100. With fees, the Ulsan, South Korea-built SUV's as-tested price is $53,650.

The updated grille work brings the flagship Palisade in line with Hyundai's new corporate aesthetic that debuted with the compact Tucson SUV's parametric jewel pattern grille.

The XRT and Calligraphy Night trims have their chrome grilles blacked out.

The LED daytime running lights are located on the outside the round headlights.

When not activated, the turn signals above them blend in as part of the chrome grille.

The primary updates to the rear end include a redesigned bumper and relocated reverse lights.

The Palisade's maximum towing weight remains unchanged at 5,000 pounds when a hitch is installed.

At 196.7 inches longer, the Palisade is about two inches longer than the Toyota Highlander and four inches shorter than the Honda Pilot.

The Palisade boasts 7.9 inches of minimal ground clearance, which is on par with the Toyota Highlander but falls behind the Subaru Ascent's 8.7 inches.

The 3.8-liter V6, shared with the Kia Telluride, produces 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The Palisade boasts Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy figures of 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg in combined driving.

The quiet, smooth-revving V6 delivers competitive fuel economy for the segment, matching the Subaru Ascent's turbocharged four-cylinder and the Honda Pilot's 3.5-liter V6.

To help save fuel, the Palisade is equipped with the universally loathed automatic stop-start system. A button on the center console temporarily defeats the system, but it will reset after the vehicle is turned off. Fortunately, Hyundai's system is one of the less abrupt and intrusive systems I've encountered.

Hyundai Palisade is naturally a front-wheel-drive crossover SUV.

HTRAC is available as a $2,000 option on all trim levels except the top-of-the-line Calligraphy Night Edition, which gets it as a standard feature.

HTRAC operates in front-wheel-drive when cruising around but can send up to 50% of the engine's power to the back wheel when needed. At low speeds, the driver can activate an AWD Lock function that forces the system to send at least 20% of the power to the back wheels. This is useful for driving in poor road conditions or when driving off-road.

The five modes are Snow, Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart.

I did not notice any appreciable performance and fuel economy difference when using the different give modes.

The 4,500-pound SUV handled winding mountain roads with relative ease. Steering was quick and more direct than expected for a vehicle in this segment.

The naturally aspirated V6, which makes most of its power higher up in the rev band, doesn't quite have the low-end grunt of a turbo or the instant torque of an electric-assisted hybrid. However, this minor shortcoming is only truly noticeable under hard acceleration.

According to Motor Trend, the AWD Palisade Calligraphy can sprint from 0 to 60 in a respectable 6.9 seconds.

But aggressive acceleration is not really what the Palisade is geared to do.

Smoothness is the name of the game here.

Hence, in most daily driving situations, the Palisade delivers effortless power and more than sufficient acceleration.

Honestly, in a segment that's increasingly moving toward turbocharged four-cylinders or hybrids, it's refreshing to experience a good old-fashioned V6.

The quiet, isolating cabin contributes to the Palisade's refined, smooth driving experience. Hyundai did a great job with cabin ergonomics with a sensible mix of touch controls and physical switchgear. There's also a variety of useful storage scattered throughout the cabin.

The leathers, plastics, and soft-touch materials used in the cabin are exceptional, especially for a mass-market vehicle. The multi-color ambient lightning adds a little extra panache to the cabin, especially at night.

The Palisade Calligraphy also comes standard with noise-reducing acoustic side glass.

The smaller front sunroof opens, but the larger rear glass roof does not.

The configurable digital instrument cluster changes based on the drive mode the car is in or can be manually adjusted to suit the driver's taste.

The system uses side mirror-mounted cameras to give the driver a live view of the vehicle's blind spot when the turn signal is activated.

The HUD can be configured to present various information, including speed, the status of the advanced cruise control, and the speed limit.

The driver's seat's Ergo-Motion function uses self-adjusting inflatable air pockets to support the driver's posture and combat fatigue on long drives. When the Palisade is in Sport Mode, the air pockets inflate to provide additional lumbar support.

The top trim comes standard with heated and ventilated front seats.

The Palisade comes standard with a built-in navigation system that can receive updated maps remotely and a wifi hot spot.

It also comes standard with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The cameras come together to provide the driver with a 360-degree view of the Palisade and its surroundings.

The actual camera is located near the top of the rear window.

The panoramic mirror gives the driver a clear view of the action in the back of the vehicle. The Palisade also has a Passenger Talk feature that amplifies the driver's voice through the speakers in the rear cabin.

I really liked this setup. It's a prime example of finding the perfect balance between virtual touch controls and physical buttons.

Hyundai's choice of a push-button shifter over a lever opens up the center console, giving the driver easier access to the drive mode selector and climate controls.

The compartment is home to the Palisade's trick foldable cup holders that tuck away when not used. This is also where you'll find a wireless charger and the USB-A plug for Apple CarPlay.

The storage nook is also home to USB-C and 12V plugs.

There's also storage, a 12V plug, and a USB-C plug under the armrest.

The 12-speaker Harmon Kardon system is standard on higher trims and available as an option on the SEL trim.

One of my favorite features is Quiet Mode, which limits the volume of the front speakers and mutes the speakers in the rear cabin, allowing its occupants to rest without disruption on a road trip.

The captain's chairs on the Calligraphy trim are equipped with folding "wing-out" headrests, similar to those found on airplane seats.

The Palisade's second-row offers an impressive 42.4 inches of legroom which is nearly four inches more than the Subaru Ascent and Toyota Highlander and about an inch and a half more than the Honda Pilot.

The Calligraphy's second-row seats are also heated and cooled.

There is also an AC power plug for laptops and a 12V plug.

I'm still undecided as to whether this placement of the plugs is an improvement over their traditional spot.

The third row boasts 31.4 inches of legroom. It's roughly the same as the Subaru Ascent but trails the Honda Pilot by about an inch. However, the Palisade beats out the Toyota Highlander by about 3.5 inches.

Fortunately for Palisade owners, the third-row seats have power recline and are heated. There are also two USB-C plugs back there.

The Palisade's liftgate triggers if you stand within 3 feet of the rear bumper for more than three seconds while possessing the key fob. This is a departure from rival systems that require the driver to swing their leg under the back bumper.

The feature is standard on all trim levels except the base SE.

The Palisade boasts 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. That's half a cubic foot smaller than the space in the Honda Pilot and three cubic feet smaller than the Kia Telluride. But two cubic feet larger than the Toyota Highlander.

The underfloor storage area is home to the Palisade's tool kit, wheel jack, and the access point for the spare tire located under the vehicle. It also offers a handy place to put items you want out of sight.

Unlike many of its competitors, the Palisade relies upon electric motors instead of manual latches or handles to get the job done.

That's roughly the same as the Kia Telluride, but three cubic feet less than the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

This figure is about half a cubic foot less than the Telluride and Pilot but two cubic feet more than the Toyota Highlander.

All Palisades come standard with blindspot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, rear occupant alert, rear park distance warning, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, driver attention warning, trailer sway control, and highway driving assist.

The Calligraphy trim gets forward park distance warning, parking collision avoidance assist, and upgraded forward collision avoidance assist.

I've long heard the praise consumers and the automotive media have heaped on the Palisade, but I hesitated to buy into the hype.

After all, it's incredibly rare for an automaker to get things this right on their first shot in a hyper-competitive segment where the margin between success and failure is razor-thin.

Boy was I wrong.

As a mass-market family SUV, the Palisade was impressive and massively punched above its weight.

Or in this case, its price tag.

For just over $50,000, Hyundai's Palisade Calligraphy delivered a degree of refinement, quality, and feature content that wouldn't feel out of place on one of its Genesis models.