The 2020 Kia Telluride comes in four trim levels (LX, S, EX and SX), all of which are available in either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. The FWD LX model starts at $31,690, and the top-end SX checks in at $41,490. Adding AWD to any model requires spending $2,000. Destination is pegged at $1,045 for all models.
Kia baked just about everything into the Telluride’s trim walk, leaving very little room for à la carte configuration. A second-row bench can be substituted for the standard captain’s chairs on S models for $100; a $795 tow package adds a hitch and self-leveling rear suspension; and a $2,000 Prestige Package (exclusive to the SX with all-wheel-drive) bundles Nappa leather upholstery, a head-up display, second-row heated and ventilated seats, rain-sensing wipers, a 100-volt inverter, and a heated steering wheel.
Our test vehicle was an SX model with all-wheel-drive and the Prestige package. With carpeted floor and cargo area mats, our Telluride rang the till at $46,860. This is about as loaded as it gets.
INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DESIGN
Kia’s mission for the Telluride was twofold. Not only did the company want to add a full-blown midsize family hauler to its lineup, but it put special emphasis on it being an SUV rather than simply a larger Sorento.
That last point is important. The Sorento may be advertised as a midsize, three-row crossover, but it’s technically built on a compact crossover platform. Kia could have simply cut the proverbial sausage to yet another length, but differentiation was a key part of the Telluride’s mission from the get-go. The result pays dividends in more ways than one.Kia long ago left behind its cheap economy car heritage, so it’s no surprise that the Telluride boasts a cabin befitting its $32,000-and-up price tag. The interior touches in our loaded-up test models were particularly impressive, especially considering that the wood and metal finishes are not what they seem.
Kia calls them synthetic, which is an appropriately sophisticated way of saying fake, but they are nonetheless impressive. Where some manufacturers may use high-gloss, plasticky woodgrain trim panels, Kia opted instead for an exposed-grain effect. It’s a premium execution reminiscent of the way Volkswagen used to dress up its mainstream models.From a practicality perspective, Telluride offers more interior passenger and cargo volume than just about any of its competitors (including the brand-new Subaru Ascent and Volkswagen Atlas) and, notably, the larger, truck-based Chevrolet Tahoe. It gives occupants 157 cubic feet of space, while the Tahoe only musters 122.4 cubes. Those figures don’t tell the whole story, though.
The Telluride has 21 cubic feet of trunk space with a full load of passengers. With the third row stowed, the number increases to 46 cubic feet. Drop both passenger rows and you get a whopping 87 cubes. The Tahoe checks in at 15.3, 51.7, and 94.7, respectively. The Ascent and the Toyota Highlander trail both models with a maximum cargo capacity of 72.6 and 83.7 cubes, respectively. The Atlas comes out on top with up to 96.8 cubic feet of trunk space for your gear.
TECH FEATURES
The Telluride offers a robust suite of standard tech and driver assistance features, including a couple (lane follow assist and rear cross-traffic avoidance with braking intervention) which are segment firsts.
The rest of its standard features read like the bulk of a spec sheet for level two semi-autonomy: automated emergency braking with pedestrian protection, smart cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keeping assist (not to be confused with the aforementioned follow function, which actually centers the Telluride in the lane), and blind spot detection with collision avoidance and braking/steering intervention.
Upgrading to the EX or SX trim gets you Kia’s Highway Drive Assist technology, which integrates all of the above features into a semi-autonomous driving system which the firm has internally validated as a level two suite. Exclusive to SX models is a neat blind spot view monitor, which uses blind spot cameras to display images on the Telluride’s central screen. This feature is almost identical to Honda’s LaneWatch.
