The 2020 Kia Telluride shouldn’t be this good. I mean, it is a typical three row, two box crossover with a naturally aspirated V6, front or all wheel drive, and a normal torque converter automatic. The preceding is basically the recipe for any crossover vehicle in this segment, which includes the Toyota Highlander, VW Atlas, Subaru Ascent, and Honda Pilot. No fancy turbo engine or electrified powertrain either…in fact you only get one engine option. Yet this Telluride has what just about every other car in this segment lacks. That is distinctiveness.
How could a SUV with the most basic recipe of parts be distinctive? Let me begin.
TLDR
Pros: Smooth engine, responsive and smooth transmission, distinctive exterior and interior design, roomy and comfortable interior, plentiful driver technology, comfortable ride, hushed cabin, strong value proposition
Cons: So-so handling, engine could use more oomph, no off-road trim level, oddly missing a digital dash, fuel economy could be improved
Overall: An SUV that hits all the right marks in all the right places.
Pricing and Specs
The Kia Telluride starts around $32,000 for the LX trim. For that you get a whole host of standard safety tech, Sofino faux leather seat trim, and the option of All Wheel Drive (AWD). I highly suggest you get an AWD model because fuel economy is minimally impacted (20/26 for FWD, 19/24 for AWD) and AWD will definitely help with resale…a bit more on this later.
Because the Telluride only has one engine option, going up in trims nets you different wheels, headlights, interior technologies, and so forth. So basically, going from LX to S to EX to SX is essentially a matter of how many options you want. The top level SX trim starts at about $42,500 and options can push you up to 50 grand. Which in the grand scheme of things…is still undercutting competitors.
Exterior
The Telluride’s exterior may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I really like it. It’s tastefully styled and not overdone like some if its Japanese competitors. It does give me some Range Rover vibes with its “TELLURIDE” badging adorning its hood and trunk, but that is not a bad thing in my mind. The styling is distinctive with its white (or orange on the SX trim) running lights, and its hockey stick rear taillights. The front foglights are effective and an interesting design cue…I still haven’t decided whether I like them or not. Regardless, you are definitely not going to mistake this car for anything else on the road.
Black wheels only adorn SX trims like the one I tested, and I do wish a brighter wheel made its way up the trims. Lower trims get various, and to me more handsome, wheel designs. Some people like all black wheels, but I am not one of them. Not to mention that it makes taking pictures harder since the black wheels just make the car look like its hovering lol.
Another strange item is the tow hitch. First, there is a difference between the tow hitch and the tow package. The tow package comes with the tow hitch and rear air suspension, for only a couple hundred bucks more…totally worth it in my opinion. In addition, there is a difference in the connectors depending on which model year you have. 2020 models come with a useless 4pin connector, while 2021 models finally come with the right connector, a round 7 pin commonly found on most trailers. If you plan on towing, a 2021 model with the tow package is the way to go. However, still make sure to use a weight distributing hitch and trailer brake controller if towing near its max 5,000 pound rating.
Interior
The interior of the Kia Telluride is a wonderful place to be. Large windows provide excellent visibility all around, seats are comfortable, and I do love its wonderfully rustic interior with the open pore wood look that is now spreading across the Kia lineup. It’s very fitting for the car’s overall image. As with most Kia’s, I appreciate the button controls. One interesting thing is that for trims that utilize the 8 inch touchscreen (LX, S, etc.), the buttons are next to the screen instead of down in the center stack by the hazard switch. As a result, you get a plastic piece that looks kind of cheesy.
Second and third row comfort is excellent and you have a fairly usable trunk even with the third row up. I also appreciate the strap release and pull system for the third row. While electric third rows are cool, it adds complexity and they are just incredibly, painfully slow.
A couple things though, is make sure to opt for a lighter interior as black interiors will make the Telluride look very dark inside, and a digital dash needs to happen. Kia’s application of the digital dashes is intriguing to me. Currently, only the K900 and Sorento have digital dashes, yet the top dog Telluride doesn’t? And the K5 doesn’t get a digital dash, yet you can get one in a Palisade and the Elantra. Like… WHY DOES THE ELANTRA GET A DIGITAL DASH BUT NOT A 45 GRAND TELLURIDE?!? SPLAIN THAT!
Driving the Telluride
Driving the Telluride is where everything ties together. It’s like hitting a home run…you need a combination of the right pitch, rock solid swing, hitting the ball in the sweet spot of the bat, swinging at the exact right time and so on.
And likewise, the Tellurides airy cabin, its wonderful seats, and plentiful tech make this car easy to drive. That is in addition to its on road manners. The 3.8 liter V6 engine provides about 290 horsepower, 260 lb-ft of torque and is buttery smooth, revvy, and provides enough oomph to be satisfactory. The transmission is imperceptible in daily use, yet is highly responsive when you need some get up and go. The ride quality is a little firm for the first couple inches of travel, but really softens up and soaks up Los Angeles’s bumpy freeways and the off road undulations. And the cabin is Range Rover quiet, with minimal wind and road noise. No paddle shifters and that is perfectly fine with me. I appreciate when both cars and suv’s embrace their goal. For the Telluride, the goal is comfort so paddle shifters are unnecessary.
Sounds pleasant right? But don’t discount its plushness for a car that handles like a 70’s Caddy. While handling is not its strong suit…if you’re looking for a sportier SUV look at the 2021 Sorento I reviewed, or Mazda’s CX9…it is perfectly adequate. Steering is numb but weights up nicely, body control is good in the corners, and the chassis balance is stable and secure. That is the best way to describe driving the Telluride: stable and secure.
I do wish that the Telluride offered more powertrains though. Perhaps the new 2021 Sorento’s hybrid power will make it to the Telluride or a more powerful V6 with improved torque and fuel economy. I averaged 21 mpg’s and while that number isn’t bad in its class, it isn’t stand out either.
Off Road In The Telluride
Kia has been labelling its SUV’s as “Tough and Ready” showing dusty off road scenes and adventures. While the 2021 Sorento proved pretty capable, the Telluride showed it can handle the rough stuff, in some ways better than the Sorento. It’s more plush ride meant you can carry more pace off road more comfortably, larger sidewalls on the tires helped improve ride and driver confidence since rubber bands are more prone to punctures, and its traction control worked well.
With Kia’s, choosing your mode is definitely important. In comfort mode and smart mode, I found the traction control was unable to quickly mitigate tire spin, while snow mode quickly cut wheel spin by pulsating the brakes. Which mode is best for you depends on your situation, but low speed crawling situations suited snow mode. More wheel spin would be better for deep mud or deep snow where wheel speed is important.
The Telluride’s suspension flexes pretty well, but more engine torque or a shorter first gear would greatly benefit its off road performance. More importantly though, Kia needs to offer an X-Line trim with off road tires, skid plates, and increased ground clearance. I sound like a broken record over here, but seriously. LETS. MAKE. IT. HAPPEN. KIA!
Conclusion
So why is the Kia Telluride distinctive? Because it has “appeal” in the words of Jason Cammisa. Beginning with its exterior design and its unique orange running lights, and hockey stick like tail lights its exterior design is undeniably distinctive. Its rustic and modern cabin, that is wonderfully appointed and appropriately spacious is a great place to put in the miles. Its ride is smooth, cabin is serene, handling secure. I love the fact that it doesn’t try to be sporty with unnecessarily harsh suspension or “sporty noises”. And off road performance is solid.
The Telluride is absolutely greater than the sum of its parts suggest. It shouldn’t be this good. Looking at this car from a spec sheet doesn’t do it justice. While not perfect, the Telluride is perfectly executed and will perfectly suit this class of buyers needs and then some. That’s if you can get your hands on one. Demand is so high, Kia can’t keep up. On the flip side, resale is excellent! Overall, a 9/10 in my books.
