2020 Kia Telluride – flagship eight-seat SUV debuts

2020 Kia Telluride – flagship eight-seat SUV debuts

Three years after it got its name, the 2020 Kia Telluride finally makes its official debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, having first appeared as a bespoke off-road concept at the New York Fashion Week last September. Well, the full details are out – think of it as a sister model to the Hyundai Palisade, for both are humongous eight-seater SUVs.

The Telluride is the first Kia designed specifically for the US market and was purposely designed to big, bold and boxy – a nod to legendary SUVs of years past with the go-anywhere, do-anything attitude their square, burly-shouldered shapes suggested.

It’s not too gaudy for its size as well, featuring a long, broad bonnet, wide chromed Tiger Nose grille, and stacked projector headlights surrounded by LED DRLs that also double as turn signals. The front edge of the bonnet and tailgate both get the Telluride lettering to accentuate its width, while the prominent character lines stretch from the headlights and into the upswept, vertical LED tail lights.

2020 Kia Telluride – flagship eight-seat SUV debuts

Interestingly, the window line and chrome surrounds have a slight G05 BMW X5 feel to it, which in the Kia’s case isn’t a bad thing at all. Here, it rides on 20-inch five triple-spoke dark alloys, wrapped with Michelin Primacy Tour all-season tyres.

Inside, the flagship SUV is draped in high-quality materials. The wide centre console puts emphasis on spaciousness, such that it exudes a more “luxe living room” than “utility vehicle” type of feel. Kia claims adequate spaciousness for all passengers, including those in the third row.

To give the Telluride a proper upscale cabin, Kia chose to go with double-stitched, quilted and extra-padded Nappa leather upholstery for the seats, simulated brushed metal and matte-finished wood trimmings, optional heated and ventilated seats for the first and second row seats, ceiling-mounted second-row climate control and reclining third row seats.

2020 Kia Telluride – flagship eight-seat SUV debuts

Other available equipment includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionalities, rear view monitor, 630-watt 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with Quantum Logic Surround Sound and Clari-Fi, wireless smartphone charging tray, five USB charging ports (upgradable to six), and head-up display with turn-by-turn navigation.

Now, under the bonnet is a Lambda II 3.8 litre V6 GDI (Atkinson Cycle) engine that makes 291 hp at 6,000 rpm and 355 Nm of torque at 5,200 rpm. Those numbers, which are identical to the Palisade, are higher than its closest rivals, namely the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder and Ford Explorer.

Power is routed to all four wheels (FWD is standard) through an eight-speed automatic transmission, featuring four drive modes – Smart, Eco, Sport and Comfort. There is also Snow and AWD Lock for specific driving conditions, and the on-demand electro-hydraulic AWD system with multi-plate clutch plate constantly redistributes power to both axles. In Eco and Smart modes, power is completely routed to the front wheels, whereas Sport mode splits the power down to 65% front, 35% rear.

The standard towing rate for this SUV is rated at 5,000 pounds (2,267 kg), and it also features the optional self-levelling rear suspension. Here, the SUV’s ride height is automatically calibrated depending on vehicle load to optimise control and stability. The onboard Downhill Brake Control helps maintain a controlled descent when traversing steep slopes.

Lastly, safety. As the brand’s flagship SUV, the Telluride comes with an array of advanced technology and the “Kia Drive Wise” suite of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems. This includes Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist Rear, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Following Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Highway Driving Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, and seven airbags.

Like the Palisade, the Telluride also features Driver Talk, an in-car intercom system that allows the driver to communicate separately with passengers in the second or third row. The available Quiet Mode cuts audio output in second and third row, whereas Rear Occupant Alert employs ultrasonic sensors designed to detect child or pet movement in the second and third row after the car’s doors have been locked, thus alerting the driver through an app.

It’s also equipped with the UVO24 telematics system, featuring an embedded modem that communicates with Telluride drivers. This allows control to a number of vehicle operations, such as Remote start and door lock, climate control pre-conditioning, and “Send-to-Car” navigation points. So, what do you think?


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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • telur on Jan 17, 2019 at 9:38 am

    Kia Telur ride, what a name

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 7
  • Mr. Octopus on Jan 17, 2019 at 10:10 am

    The rear end looks like a familiar friend from Sweden…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • volvo & land rover inspired

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • AutoFrenz (the original) on Jan 17, 2019 at 10:34 am

    In northern states people will pronounce it as kia teloq…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Looks pretty good to me

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
  • passion on Jan 17, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    this aint comin here. egg jokes will be aplenty!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • discount xc90
    Me loike

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • KOREAN PLASTIC CLONE on Jan 17, 2019 at 12:33 pm

    Volvo XC90 ripped off!!

    Shameless Korean Copycat!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 28
    • Nicholas Lee on Jan 18, 2019 at 5:42 am

      So only Volvo can make 8 seater SUVs? When Korean carmaker does it only you complain, why don’t you utter a sound when German brand does it? You should be ashamed, not Kia.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 2
  • oh weally on Jan 17, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    KIA Boss: how to create telurride?
    Engineer 1: Ctrl+C X5
    Engineer 2: Ctrl+C XC90
    Chief Engineer: 1- Merge 2- Ctrl+V 3- Brush Edit!!!

    ALL: DONE!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 24
  • silver hawk on Jan 17, 2019 at 7:42 pm

    Town in Colorado

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Will this classy vehicle be in Malaysia for sale ? Price ?
    Kia design can really be a match for other top selling brands, Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover are getting smaller and tight, other brands are improving significantly

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • Is it coming to Malaysia? Expected price?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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