Kia Telluride
Three-row midsize SUV · 2020–present. 115,504 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
It was designed at the Kia Design Center America in Irvine, California. The 2016 Telluride concept was the work of Tom Kearns, chief designer at that studio, while Peter Schreyer led Kia's global design. At the 2019 production launch it was introduced by Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia Motors North America, and driven off the line by Jason Shin, head of the Georgia plant. A September 2018 interview identifies Kia Senior Design Manager Kurt Kahl behind Telluride; the releases reviewed do not name a chief engineer.
It was designed in Irvine, California, and much of its testing took place at Kia's track in Mojave, California. From day one it has been built at Kia Georgia in West Point, Kia's first North American plant. Kia says it is the only plant in the world that builds it.
The concept was shown on January 11, 2016 at the Detroit auto show. The production version first appeared in public in September 2018 and officially debuted in Detroit on January 14, 2019. Kia held its production-launch ceremony on February 15; its service documentation records 2020-model builds from January 9.
It is named after Telluride, a town in southwestern Colorado, following Hyundai Motor Group's habit of naming models after U.S. places, such as Santa Fe and Tucson. Before the announcement, the concept had been expected to be called Mohave. An original press first-drive report documents the route from Gateway, Colorado, to Telluride and back.
Kia wanted an SUV bigger and bolder than the Sorento, with room for up to eight people. It was the first Kia designed specifically for the United States: the idea was to echo the big, boxy SUVs of the past, but with an upscale interior. It worked: more than 75 percent of its buyers were new to the brand.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12020–2025 · ON
The boxy SUV that won over America
Photo: Ghostofakina · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It was an all-new model: the largest vehicle Kia had ever built, with three rows and up to eight seats. It uses a 3.8-liter V6 with 291 hp and 262 lb-ft, an eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive, and a 5,000-pound towing rating. It shares much of its engineering with the Hyundai Palisade. The 2023 model-year refresh brought standard LED headlamps, available dual curved 12.3-inch screens and the X-Line and X-Pro trims; the X-Pro raises towing to 5,500 pounds.
The innovation. It was built around the whole family: Driver Talk uses a microphone so the driver can talk to the second and third rows without shouting, Quiet Mode mutes the rear audio so kids can sleep, and Rear Occupant Alert uses ultrasonic sensors to detect movement in the back rows after the car is locked.
If you buy one usedCheck these NHTSA recalls by VIN; all have a free repair. For 2020–2024: the front power seat motor could overheat and cause a fire (24V407, replaced by 26V430: cars already repaired need the new remedy; park outside away from structures until fixed), and the front driveshaft could be not fully engaged, letting the car roll away in PARK (24V214; use the parking brake until fixed). For 2020–2022 with a genuine Kia tow hitch: fire risk in the four-pin harness module (22V626); affected owners should park outside away from structures until that repair is complete. For 2024: valve springs could break; Kia replaces the engine sub-assembly (24V077). For 2023–2025: the door belt molding could detach (25V494). For 2025: faulty front seatback frames on affected power-seat vehicles (26V105). In 2020 IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick only with the SX trim's LED headlights; the halogen lights on LX, S and EX were rated Poor. - Gen. 22027–present · LQ2
Bigger, turbocharged and a hybrid for the first time
Photo: MercurySable99 · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2025. It grew 2.3 inches in length (199.2) and 2.7 in wheelbase (116.9), with more legroom in the second and third rows. The V6 is gone: it now uses a 2.5-liter turbo with 274 hp and 311 lb-ft and an eight-speed automatic. It debuts vertical headlamps with Star-Map signature lighting, available dual 12.3-inch screens, and the X-Pro adds an electronic limited-slip differential and standard all-wheel drive.
The innovation. The first Telluride hybrid: it pairs the 2.5 turbo with electric motors and a 1.65 kWh lithium-ion battery for 329 hp and 339 lb-ft, up to 35 mpg combined (front-drive EX) and up to 637 miles of total range. It is the first hybrid assembled in Georgia and the first hybrid Kia builds in the United States.
If you buy one usedIt is very new, but NHTSA already lists two recalls for the 2027 model: the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle might not latch properly (26V135), and the driver's seat belt retractor could lock and keep the belt from extending, Hybrid included (26V356). Both are repaired free; check by VIN. IIHS gave the Top Safety Pick+ only to units built after June 2026: headlights on those built before July 2026 are rated Marginal.
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