All-New 2020 Kia Telluride: What You Need to Know

The All-New Kia Telluride Joins the Midsize SUV Parade

Ten years ago, Americans couldn’t get rid of their large SUVs fast enough. In 2008, the auto industry was in crisis and gas prices were climbing. But now, even as we’re on the brink of widespread electrification of our vehicles, Americans have a new appetite for SUVs that are large enough to haul the whole family. Nearly 1 million “large crossovers” were sold in 2018, so companies that have been known for smaller cars and SUVs are adding the biggest vehicles they’ve ever built to their lineups.

That includes the 2020 Kia Telluride. It’s a midsize SUV, but it has three rows of seating for seven or eight passengers and a boxy shape like the big SUVs of decades past. It was introduced as a concept at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, and Kia brought the showroom-ready version back to Detroit in January 2019.

The design may be a throwback, but the safety and infotainment technology inside the Telluride is definitely modern. Read on to find out more about this all-new model from Kia.

Price

The price of the 2020 Telluride has not been announced yet, but we do know that models will be built in Georgia and should start appearing at dealerships as early as spring 2019. The 2019 Kia Sorento, another midsize SUV that’s a tad smaller than the Telluride, has a price range between $26,000 and $46,000. The Telluride is likely to be more expensive. Not only is it larger, it has a lot of advanced safety technology as standard equipment. We’ll devote a slide to all of that tech in a minute.

Interior Design

The Kia Telluride was designed for the American market in California, which explains its highway-ready larger proportions.

This is indeed the largest vehicle the Korean company has ever built. Its design is meant to be square and boxy like old-school SUVs. It has an upright windshield rather than the steeply sloping glass that lends itself to modern aerodynamics. The exterior shape leaves plenty of room for a wide, horizontal feel to the interior.

The Telluride also has grab handles inside to “suggest journeys off the beaten path,” according to Kia. All-wheel drive is optional, but there isn’t a hardcore off-road trim available, those handles are just a suggestion so far. We’ll discuss what the Telluride’s out-of-the-box capabilities are.

Interior Features

The Telluride features an 8-inch display with Bluetooth, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and voice recognition. The top SX trim comes with a 10.25-inch touch screen, wireless charging, and a Harman/Kardon sound system. Kia also offers multi-Bluetooth connectivity so two phones can be connected at one time.

The UVO telematics system allows you to plan a trip on your phone then send the trip details to the navigation system. The ability to preheat the vehicle is also available.

Front Seats

Depending on trim level, the Telluride has either leatherette or leather seat trim, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard for all the trims. Heated and ventilated front row seats are available, as is Nappa leather and a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support.

Families using this three-row SUV as a minivan replacement will appreciate the available Quiet Mode. This turns off the audio for all but the front seats, so rear passengers who have finally fallen asleep can’t hear it.

Rear Seats

Kia has given a lot of thought to its rear seats. For starters, the boxy shape creates room for passengers, even in the third row. There aren’t any sloping rooflines to impede headroom or shoulder space. The Telluride can fit seven or eight passengers, depending on trim. The LX and EX both have a bench seat in the second row, while the S and SX have second-row captain’s chairs.

There are interior hooks for jackets and bags so they don’t get stepped on, ceiling-mounted rear climate control, and reclining third-row seats. Four USB ports are standard, but you can choose to have six total – two per row. You can also add a microphone up front so the driver can to talk to rear passengers through the speakers without turning around and yelling. Or, at least, less yelling.

Kia’s standard rear occupant alert detects movement of kids or pets in the rear seats after you’ve stopped. It starts with a gentle in-dash reminder and escalates as you exit the vehicle and lock the doors. The vehicle will even send a message to your phone to remind you that someone has been left behind.

Cargo Space

The Telluride’s cargo space is pretty good for a midsize SUV. There’s 21 cubic feet behind the third row, which is a bit less than the highly rated 2019 Buick Enclave. With the third row folded, the Telluride has  46 cubic feet, which is about the same as the 2019 Subaru Ascent. With all the rear seats folded, there’s 87 cubic feet of space, which is 14 cubic feet more than its sibling the 2019 Kia Sorento.

Powertrain

There’s only one engine available, a 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 with 262 pound-feet of torque on tap. There’s also only one transmission, an eight-speed automatic that was introduced to the Kia lineup in 2019. This engine is larger than the Sorento’s available V6 engine, with about the same horsepower and slightly more torque for a larger vehicle.

Ride and Handling

We don’t know much about the ride yet, but we do know that the Telluride has an available self-leveling suspension that automatically adjusts for the load its carrying. It also has four standard drive modes – Smart, Eco, Sport, and Comfort. If you choose to add all-wheel drive (which is available on any trim level) there’s also a snow mode that shifts the power 65-35 percent between front and back. There’s also an all-wheel drive lock mode that delivers equal power to all four wheels.

Safety Features

The Telluride comes with the Kia Drive Wise advanced driver assistance system. It packs in a lot of features, most of which are standard. Those features include blind spot collision avoidance and smart cruise control with stop and go. If the Telluride detects a vehicle in its blind spot while changing lanes, it applies the brakes to the opposite front wheel to help correct the situation. Safe exit assist is also standard and not your typical ADAS feature. If it detects a potential rear-end crash, the system will unlock the child safety locks on the rear doors.

In addition to these standard features, there’s available highway driving assist. This uses radar to follow lane markers and keep the Telluride’s front bumper a safe distance from the car ahead. It controls steering, acceleration, and braking, and it recognizes speed limits on interstate highways.

Utility

With its boxy shape and grab handles, the Telluride might seem ready for off-the-grid adventures. Light off-roading with the optional all-wheel drive is probably in its wheelhouse, but all-wheel drive lock is likely not intended for rock crawling and hardcore off-roading the way four-wheel drive with differential lock would be. However, it does have downhill brake control to help ease the SUV down steep inclines.

If your adventures require towing toys, like a trailer, small camper, or boat, the Telluride can tow 5,000 pounds. Trailer stability assist is standard.

Trims

The Telluride comes in four trims: LX, EX, S, and SX. The base stands out for having few of the nicer amenities; its front seats, for example, are not power adjustable. The EX and S have most of the features many shoppers are looking for, including heated front seats. The S is the only trim that allows you to choose between its standard bench seat or optional captain’s chairs; the EX has only a bench seat.

The SX trim has several standard features that aren’t available on lower trims, such as a 7-inch TFT display in the dash. In other trims, the TFT display is half the size. It’s also only available with the captain’s chairs in the second row. This trim also has several options not available in lower trims, such as Nappa leather, a head-up display, and heated and ventilated second-row seats.

Competition

The 2019 Buick Enclave is one of the highest ranked midsize SUVs. It has more cargo space than most of the competition, including the Telluride, with luxury-level materials inside. The infotainment features are similar, but the Enclave does not have the lengthy list of standard safety tech that the Telluride does. The Enclave starts at $40,000, which is a little higher than many of its rivals’ price tags.

Another highly ranked midsize SUV is the brand-new 2019 Subaru Ascent. Like the Telluride for Kia, this is the largest vehicle in Subaru’s lineup. It too seats seven or eight, and its cargo space is nearly identical. It uses a four-cylinder engine with the same horsepower as the Telluride’s V6 and features standard all-wheel drive. It starts at about $32,000, which is typical for the class.

The 2019 Volkswagen Atlas is also the biggest for its brand. It’s in its second model year now, and it sits in the middle of this increasingly crowded class. It has more overall cargo space than the Telluride, and it has a 12.3-inch digital display for the driver. It has a full suite of ADAS tech, but the standard systems in the Telluride, such as blind spot collision avoidance, go further. It starts around $31,000.

More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

Now that you know the details for the 2020 Kia Telluride, you can compare more of its features with the highest ranked midsize SUVs available. Whether you decide to buy the Telluride, or one of its competitors, use our Best Price Program to find a great deal near you.

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