When the original Kia Telluride launched in 2020, it was a rare thing in the automotive world: a lead-off home run. It was immediately one of the best-in-class three-row SUVs, one of Kia’s best sellers, and remained so until the all-new 2027 Telluride replaced it.
The first Telluride was big, but the new one is a couple of inches longer and a couple of inches wider. Prices start at $40,735 for a base two-wheel-drive model, and the cheapest all-wheel-drive model is $43,635. It continues to be built in Georgia. We tested a top-of-the-line X-Pro SX Prestige that has a $58,335 base price. There is also a hybrid Telluride this time around, but we’ll get to that another day.
One of the most significant differences between this and the old Telluride is the engine. Instead of a V6, Kia swaps in a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, which makes it more potent than the old motor. All the Tellurides get that, but the rugged X-Pro Prestige gets much more.
It has 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, real recovery hooks, a specially tuned longer-travel suspension, 9.1 inches of ground clearance, extra underbody protection, an electronic limited-slip differential and standard all-wheel drive. It also has a 360-degree camera, synthetic leather and suede upholstery and a very bright light for the cargo area behind the third row of seats that’s apparent even during the day. Extra storage space can be found under the cargo area floor and a spare tire rides along under the vehicle.
The X-Pro Prestige has captain’s chairs in the second row, and they have plenty of room. There is a storage drawer at the back of the center console and rear climate controls on the ceiling. The chairs also slide and recline, and you might want to slide them if you want to get into the third row. It is adult-capable, but only if you have a friend in the second row who is willing to share some legroom.
The driver gets a wide-screen digital display that houses both the gauge cluster and the touchscreen infotainment system interface, the latter of which has physical controls beneath it for the climate system.
The X-Pro Prestige has a range of terrain modes for Snow, Mud and Sand, plus standard drive modes that include a Sport mode, which squeezes the front seat bolsters snugly to hold you in place. The bolsters are also adjustable independently and the seats are very comfortable and supportive.
Kia also offers an X-Pro SX that is about $3,000 cheaper. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles the X-Pro Prestige has, but it is still pretty well-equipped. Among the X-Pro Prestige’s upgrades are dual glass roofs. The rear one has a power shade, but does not open, while the front one has a manual shade and does open … with power.
This four-cylinder is more than enough for the vehicle. It has a little less horsepower than the old V6 and a lot more torque. Fuel economy isn’t fantastic at 19 mpg combined, but typical for a big, boxy vehicle with a lot of ground clearance that rifdes on all-terrain tires. The other all-wheel-drive Tellurides get 20 mpg combined, which is par for the class. What might make you jealous is the hybrid Telluride that gets 31 mpg combined and is rated at 329 hp and 339 lb-ft, but it isn’t offered with an X-Pro trim.
The X-Pro is great on rough dirt and gravel roads and the on-road ride is very good. Its Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires are quiet on pavement, which is not often the case with all-terrain rubber. Kia built a lot of refinement into the Telluride, including sound-absorbing glass, and it clearly paid-off.
As the top model, the X-Pro Prestige comes loaded with electronic driver aids. It has automatic emergency braking in all directions, crash avoidance if there is something in your blind spot and Kia’s Highway Driving Assist 2 lane-centering adaptive cruise control. The last of those monitors the surrounding traffic on a head-up display and keeps the Telluride dead center in the lane, as long as you touch the steering wheel to let it know you are there. It only needs a light touch.
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There’s also a 360-degree camera with a low-speed off-road setting with a virtual invisible hood view, which is a good thing because the Telluride has a very tall, flat hood. From the driver’s seat, the view is similar to a full-size pickup’s.
As was the case with the previous Telluride X-Pro, its biggest competition is the Honda Pilot TrailSport, which follows the same formula, but now it also has the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro to contend with. The Palisade just happens to be built on the same platform as the Telluride, but in South Korea instead of Georgia, and it still has a V6. There isn’t all that much between them besides that, but I think the Telluride looks and feels more like something you’d drive into the wilderness.
