Kia launches the all-new 2027 Telluride three-row SUV this month, with larger dimensions outside and more room for luxury inside.We drove both the 274-hp turbo 2.5-liter four nonhybrid and the 329-hp turbo 2.5-liter hybrid. EPA-estimated fuel economy peaks at 35 mpg.Pricing start at $40,735, while a loaded Turbo Hybrid will hit $59,135.The 2027 Kia Telluride has big tire tracks to fill. The first Telluride came out in 2019, and waiting lists formed around dealerships everywhere. The gorgeous design led to success, not just for that model, but for the whole company. Who knew you could make a basic, two-box crossover utility vehicle look so appealing?The new 2027 Telluride is big on exterior design, too, but in a completely different, far more vertical way. You might see some similarities with the Land Rover Range Rover, even down to the beige-ish color choice you see here. Vast slabs of side surfaces flattened even down to the disappearing door handles, unadorned with any flourishes except those inexplicable notches on the wheel arches (no, they don’t serve any other purpose). That smooth, shaved exterior reduces aerodynamic drag by 10 percent. The headlamps are vertical celebrations of linearity that add to the perception of height. The taillights, too. Everyone who saw it or commented on it loved the look. Inside is luxury far above what you might expect even in a modern Kia. Kia product planning manager Sang Lee calls it “maximum comfort and convenience.”“The cabin is imagined as a dreamer’s sanctuary,” Lee said. X-Pro option goes along swimmingly.The three-row layout can accommodate seven or eight passengers, depending on whether you get the second-row captains chairs or a second-row bench. There are handgrips hidden in the door handles, available heated seats for all three rows, and in the front, oh man, there are those Relaxation seats that tilt and recline to angles your spinal column never thought it would get. Be sure and try them out at your dealer. The second-row seats tilt and slide, too, if not quite as much as the Relaxation setup. There’s storage and fast-charging ports for all seating positions and 22.3 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row, or as much as 89.3 cubic feet depending on how many seats you want to fold flat. The all-important infotainment features include a customizable widescreen display that stretches 30 inches across the dash if you include both the instrument panel and the touchscreen. You get both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Kia Connect if you order it. The kids will be happy to find they can watch Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. There are dual wireless chargers up front. And everyone can enjoy Meridian audio with 18 speakers, including a 10-inch subwoofer. With the stereo off, the interior is quieter, too, with triple door seals and thicker glass.2027 Kia TellurideUnderhood is your choice of two powertrains: a turbocharged 2.5-liter four making 274 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque or a turbocharged 2.5-liter hybrid with a 1.65-kWh lithium-ion battery and two electric motors making a combined 329 hp and 339 lb-ft. EPA-estimated fuel mileage peaks at 35 mpg for the Hybrid EX FWD. Both of those powertrain options represent a significant increase in what engineers commonly refer to as “oomph.” The standard turbocharged engine adds almost 50 lb-ft more torque, while the Turbo Hybrid delivers 77 lb-ft more over the previous-generation Telluride.An upgraded off-road-ready X-Pro package adds wider all-terrain tires, a new electronic limited-slip, several AWD modes, a new off-road vehicle status screen, and a new “ground view monitor” camera that shows the dirt under the front bumper to help you make the most of the SUV’s 9.1 inches of ground clearance.I drove both the hybrid and the X-Pro package versions and found them to be more than adequate on the highway and capable of doing all the usual parlor tricks off-road. Kia set up a course for the X-Pros that got individual wheels off the ground so the brake-disc-grabbing traction control could keep the Telluride moving with only two diagonally opposing wheels on the ground. I also got the onboard inclinometer up to 26 degrees of side tilt without any problem—that would terrify the spouse. It also managed 13 degrees of forward pitch down a steep hill. We even forded a stream several times, albeit a fairly shallow one. Through it all the X-Pro’s 255/70R-18 Toyo Open Country tires never faltered, and they weren’t loud on the pavement, either. X-Pro seats.Pricing for the new Telluride starts at $40,735 for a nonhybrid, while a loaded Turbo Hybrid will hit $59,135.Compare that with a Lexus LX for twice the price and a nominal increase in power and torque, or an Infiniti QX80. Kia would love to see the Land Rover Range Rover listed as a competitor, I bet, but the Rover offers way more power and torque and a V8 for its six-figure sticker.Suffice it to say, it can play the part close enough that you won’t mind. And you’ll be saving half the sticker price of the best-in-class SUVs your neighbors will compare it with.
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