The Budget Range Rover
What if you could buy a brand-new Range Rover for less than $60,000, fully-equipped with massaging seats, power recliners, and even a UV disinfecting box in the armrest? No, I’m not talking about Land Rover’s “entry-level” Range Rover Evoque, I’m referring to the 2027 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy.
Jared Levenson/Autoblog
When Hyundai first revealed the second-generation Palisade for the 2026 model year, instant comparisons were drawn between it and Land Rover’s iconic SUV; but not the current Range Rover. The Palisade is reminiscent of the fourth-generation L405 Range Rover, the one build from 2012 to 2021. In my personal opinion, this is arguably the prettiest one Land Rover ever made.
Is the Palisade as pretty as the genuine British item? Not quite. But remember, this SUV tops out at around $60,000, not $160,000.
A True Luxury Interior
You shouldn’t be shocked to hear the Palisade punches well above its price point in terms of interior quality and amenities. The first-generation Palisade was already among the most highly rated vehicles in the mid-size three-row crossover class before the redesign, and this second-generation model elevates the luxury. It’s not as plush as the Range Rover (for obvious reasons) but compare the Calligraphy to a top trim Honda or a Toyota, and you won’t believe how nice it feels.
Jared Levenson/Autoblog
There are soft materials everywhere, and textured surfaces that look visually appealing. Both the driver and passenger enjoy heated and ventilated seats, as do the rear occupants in their power-operated captain’s chairs. Not even a BMW X7 has ventilated second-row seats. Hyundai also packed in cool tech features like a built-in dash camera, UV disinfecting light box, and more.
The Seats Aren’t Fully Fixed
Lower Palisade trim levels have seats that can be dropped by pressing a button but need to be raised manually. The Calligraphy upgrades to power-folding second- and third-row seats that are supposed to go up and down with one button press, but a recall caused Hyundai to deactivate this feature. The seats did not detect a two-year-old child, and caused a fatality because of this defect.
Jared Levenson/Autoblog
As a temporary solution, the seats now require someone to hold the button until the motion has been completed. This way, there will always be someone listening if there is a person in one of the seats. Hyundai also removed the functionality to raise or lower the seats from the touchscreen whilst it looks for a more permanent solution.
Finally, A Hybrid
I drove the Palisade with its standard engine, a 3.5-liter V6 that’s actually smaller than the outgoing model’s 3.8-liter unit. Along with the drop in displacement, it also loses a but of output: 287 horsepower compared to the previous 291 and 260 lb-ft of torque down from 262 lb-ft.
Jared Levenson/Autoblog
These aren’t substantial losses, but the Palisade’s 8.94-second 0-60 mph time in my testing was pretty lackluster. In fact, the last 2024 Palisade Calligraphy I tested managed the same sprint in just 6.97 seconds.
Fortunately, Hyundai addressed the Palisade’s lack of oomph and its middling fuel economy with a two-birds-one-stone approach. The Palisade Hybrid joins the lineup in the second-generation, pairing a turbocharged four-cylinder with electric motors to deliver 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque. Not only will the hybrid hit 60 in the mid-six-second range, but it will also achieve up to 34 mpg combined.
Did Kia Make The Better Range Rover?
Hyundai hit a home run with the original Palisade, and it appears the second-generation follows it up with a grand slam (aside from the major seat issue). There’s only one thorn in Hyundai’s side, and just like last time, it comes from within the Hyundai Motor Group Family. Kia also built its own budget Range Rover clone with the second-generation Telluride.
2027 Kia Telluride
Kristen Brown/Autoblog
The 2027 Kia Telluride takes a similar approach as the Palisade, distilling the essence of a Land Rover at a mainstream price. In some ways, Kia’s three-row looks more like a Range Rover because the taillights mimic the current-generation L460 model, not a previous version.
The Telluride also has fewer negatives. Unlike the Palisade, the Telluride doesn’t have the power-folding seats, so it wasn’t hit with a recall. It also uses a turbocharged four-cylinder on both the gas and hybrid models, so it’s a bit quicker than Hyundai’s V6 thanks to its higher torque number. If you want a stellar SUV that looks like a Range Rover for a fraction of the price, you now have two amazing options.
