Experienced by Kimatni D. Rawlins
You can get with this, or you can get with that. Whether you opt for the rugged, off-roading Telluride X-Pro or the sporty and graceful Telluride HEV (hybrid), Kia is presenting you with an advanced three-row SUV full of tech content, comfort, and uber-competitive pricing.
Telluride is Kia’s halo vehicle, so it comes as no surprise that they loaded it up with impressive talent like Indiana’s National Championship football team. Aptly named after a Colorado mining town in the Rocky Mountains, the second-generation 2027 Telluride is perfect for active lifestyles and travelers who frequently venture to epic destinations. Since the savvy SUV remains in high demand, the Korean automaker increased production from 60,000 to 120,000 units. The Telluride’s starting price commences at just $39,190 for the entry-level LX.
The remodeled Telluride enters the stage full of confidence and the capabilities to back it up, both on and off-road. Encompassing Kia’s Opposites United design approach, the smooth, sculpted, and muscular Telluride is 2.3” longer, bolder, and of course still box-shaped, which is the silhouette customers gravitated towards. Accordingly, the wheelbase has been elongated 3” and the height by another inch. It’s strong, clean, attractive, and formidable, incorporating chiseled surfaces and some complex areas. You can even say that the Telluride resembles a Range Rover, because it does!
With a fresh new design comes fresh new colors. Five added paint finishes for the Telluride family include Black Jade Green, Terrain Brown Matte, and Panthera Metal Matte. Flush door handles, borrowed from the EV6 and EV9, automatically deploy when the key is detected. In the front, the vertical LED headlamps align with the new black radiator grille. An interesting callout is the polarizing hammerhead notches atop the wheel wells, which serve no purpose. You will either love or despise them. Larger than its predecessor, the Telluride is 10% more aerodynamic.
“The Telluride redefined expectations for Kia when the first-generation debuted as a 2020 model,” said Eric Watson, VP of Sales, Kia America. “The all-new 2027 Telluride builds on that success. With more power, more room, bold new styling, and a standard turbocharged engine, we are thrilled to bring the all-new Telluride to our customers.”
According to the sales team, 40% of the pie will be sliced from the Telluride X-Pro and X-Line.
Both X models are accentuated with black contrasting roof rails, grille, wheel well surrounds, side skirts, mirrors, and rear bumper. The X-Line, offered with 21” rims, gives you the exaggerated X-Pro look but not its mechanical prowess. X-Pro is backed by 9.1” of ground clearance, an upgraded suspension to handle challenging topographies, thick-spoked rims paired with wider Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires, and front and rear tow hooks. But there is far more. Multi-terrain AWD mode, off-road vehicle display, a factory tow hitch, X-Pro seats, and a metal skid plate further elevate your Telluride.
Of the two powertrains offered for Telluride, the X-Pro is only equipped with the 2.5-liter turbocharged gas engine producing 274-horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid was not an option since the focus was on off-roading. Paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the X-Pro tows up to 5,000 pounds and achieves up to 418 miles of range (22 combined MPG). During testing in demanding territory, the X-Pro used its AWD and Terrain mode (snow, sand, and mud) to traverse streams, navigate around bends, descend hills, and climb steep mounds. Power is more than adequate. It’s a true mountain climber to say the least.
Impressively, the Telluride HEV and its 2.5-liter turbo hybrid powertrain will take you on a journey up to 637 miles per fill-up (35 combined mpg). Now, that is what you call a game-changer, especially during an economic crisis where gas prices continue to rise. Creating 329-horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, the powertrain consists of two electric motors: one is tied to the engine and the other is connected to the 6-speed automatic transmission. The Telluride HEV tows up to 4,500 pounds.
On the road I experienced some turbo lag, but that is to be expected. In a perfect world, I would love to see the hybrid engine fitted on the X-Pro. Outfitted with 20” alloy rims and all-season tires, the Ivory Silver HEV I sported also featured AWD and Terrain mode. Kia places this powertrain in the EX, SX, SX-Prestige, and X-Line trims.
The Telluride’s spacious interior is comfortable, roomy, and energizing. Kia reorganized it with “urban living” and “natural world” themes that are inviting and provocative. The cabin incorporates wood-like textures, genuine metal accents, sturdy grab handles, and two-tone finishes such as Deep Navy x Tuscan Umber or Blackberry x Sand Beige. Trust me, you have never seen a Kia look this premium. Some of the wood finishes are Light Engineered Wood, Dark Engineered Wood, and Hydrographic Wood. You can also flow with Kia’s Real Forged Carbon finish for a richer look.
Due to the overall increase in exterior proportions, the interior space has grown, which is ideal when packing in your athletic kids’ basketball team. Passengers in the 2nd row can lounge in style within the ventilated, heated, and reclining captain chairs. Of course, the Ergo Motion driver massage function is a must for long drives. The cabin’s center of attention is the curved Connected Car Navigation Cockpit and its dual 12.3” touchscreens with navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and streaming apps such as Disney+, Netflix, and YouTube. A few other notable attributes are power-adjustable steering, dual wireless phone charging pads, and the 14-speaker Meridian sound system.
Telluride safety and technology highlights include a collection of 19 standard Kia Drive Wise Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), an auto-closing Smart Power Liftgate, a head-up display, a Surround View Monitor, Digital Key Touch, and Kia Connect with remote start, remote climate control, remote door lock/unlock, standard WiFi hotspot, and over-the-air updates. Some of the specific ADAS are Kia Drive Wise, which consists of Forward Collision Avoidance, Smart Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Highway Driving Assist 2, and Blind-Spot Collision Warning.
Kia offers the Telluride in four distinct flavors: Turbo, Turbo-Hybrid, X-Line, and X-Pro. Already in showrooms, gasoline-powered 2027 Tellurides are available in LX, S, EX, SX, SX-Prestige, X-Line, or X-Pro trim. Whereas the Turbo Hybrid is available in EX, SX, SX-Prestige, and X-Line trim levels. MSRP ranges from $39,190 to $56,790 for the gas models and $46,490 to $57,590 for the HEVs. Prices exclude the $1,545 destination charges.
Manufactured in Georgia, Kia says the Telluride is designed, engineered, and tuned for the US market. So, of course, product planners blessed it with the flavor and style Americans are accustomed to.
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