Topic: 2023 Kia Telluride X-Line

[Blueprint]

Last time I got to drive Kia's star player, it was in the fall of 2019, just as the model came out for the 2020 model year. Nobody knew about them and it spun plenty of heads - many thinking this was a premium Euro brand. My tested had impressed me a lot, and so did its 11 l/100 km fuel economy over a pre-Covid typical week with WFW 5 days a week. Now, it's winter, the Telluride still has waiting lists but despite that Kia treated it to a mid-cycle refresh. Let's dig.

https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20230308/kia-telluride-x-line-2023-essai-hivernal/

[Blueprint]

First off, I'm not a fan of the refresh. The uber-cool amber daytime driving lights have been replaced by conventional units that give the Telluride reptilian eyes. The previous headlights were a signature of the model, one that even the casual observer knew of. Mistake.

[Blueprint]

Not a fan of the "fat lips" front maw either. The fast fashion dark grey / black trimmings don't do the basic shape any favours either. The base EX and SX are less offending, with some splashes of chrome left.

[Blueprint]

Inside, the previous, excellent and very retro-Euro chic instrument pod got replaced with Kia's twin 12.3" flat screens. They're legible, easy to use but not nearly as elegant as the old IP was.

[Blueprint]

Fortunately, the rest of what makes the Telluride a standout in his field remain intact. The new X-Line trim build on the SX Limited, with 2+2+3 seating, but loses the lower trim's supple Nappa leather. You'd never know its gone, as the whole interior smells like a Coach store. Terra Cotta is a 250$ extra and worth it IMHO.

[Blueprint]

The 3rd row is pretty low to the ground, but adults can sit there for short jaunts. As with any 3-row SUV of this category, except maybe the Atlas, trunk behind the 3rd row is shelf-like. Just to prove how space-inneficient SUVs are, drop all seats and you barely surpass 50% of the cargo volume of an Odyssey. I still firmly beleive that to get max utility in this category, you need a 3-accross bench in the middle so the 3rd row can be stowed. You'll still barely have all-seat-up minivan trunk space.

[Blueprint]

It when you drive it that the Telluride shines the most. Refinement is way up there in the Euro realm, the conventional 3,8 litre V6 a good fit over the turbo fours of many competitors. With 291 hp on tap, the Telluride is rated to tow 5,000 lbs (the top trim adds 500 lbs to that). I praised the in-house 8-speed auto the last time, but here - maybe it was the cold - I noticed regular hesitations at city speeds, as if it was confused by all the ratio choices. The Telluride pulls with authority in the city, but an all-out on-ramp attack reveals that mass bogs down the vehicle at higher speeds - passing will require some planning. General demeanor is very much upscale, with great control of bumps and crevices, and no floating à la Atlas. Definitely an SUV that makes you feel like a king when you're behind the wheel.

[Blueprint]

The one to get is the base EX. With solid content and 8 seats, it provides terrific value for 50k$ and mostly gives up the sweet leather (EX gets the fake stuff) vs the higher trims. With more short trips, the cold and some snow, my snow-white tester gave me a 14.1 l/100 km avg for the week, hardly economical but in the realm of the bigger guys in this category. But no matter what trim you pick, for most of us a Telluride will still feel like a 50% discount on a Range Rover. I just wished they had kept the original esthetics. Now, how about a hybrid version?

[JohnnyMac]

It when you drive it that the Telluride shines the most. Refinement is way up there in the Euro realm, the conventional 3,8 litre V6 a good fit over the turbo fours of many competitors. With 291 hp on tap, the Telluride is rated to tow 5,000 lbs (the top trim adds 500 lbs to that). I praised the in-house 8-speed auto the last time, but here - maybe it was the cold - I noticed regular hesitations at city speeds, as if it was confused by all the ratio choices. The Telluride pulls with authority in the city, but an all-out on-ramp attack reveals that mass bogs down the vehicle at higher speeds - passing will require some planning. General demeanor is very much upscale, with great control of bumps and crevices, and no floating à la Atlas. Definitely an SUV that makes you feel like a king when you're behind the wheel.

Do you think offering the engines from the Genesis CUVs might make it a little better? 

[Jaeger]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

[Blueprint]

It when you drive it that the Telluride shines the most. Refinement is way up there in the Euro realm, the conventional 3,8 litre V6 a good fit over the turbo fours of many competitors. With 291 hp on tap, the Telluride is rated to tow 5,000 lbs (the top trim adds 500 lbs to that). I praised the in-house 8-speed auto the last time, but here - maybe it was the cold - I noticed regular hesitations at city speeds, as if it was confused by all the ratio choices. The Telluride pulls with authority in the city, but an all-out on-ramp attack reveals that mass bogs down the vehicle at higher speeds - passing will require some planning. General demeanor is very much upscale, with great control of bumps and crevices, and no floating à la Atlas. Definitely an SUV that makes you feel like a king when you're behind the wheel.

Do you think offering the engines from the Genesis CUVs might make it a little better?

The V6 is fine - it just needs a hybrid option, one more powerful perhaps than what they bolt in the Sportage and Sorento.

[Blueprint]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

[Jaeger]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The Mazda does sound very promising.

[valuator]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The CX-90 will drive nicer, but the new Pilot will leapfrog the Telluride as the practical 3-row to buy.

[Jaeger]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The CX-90 will drive nicer, but the new Pilot will leapfrog the Telluride as the practical 3-row to buy.

It should, shouldn't it?  I'd expect an all new offering from a manufacturer like Honda to surpass a 4 year old competitor.  Of course, if they equip it with a wheezy turbo and a CVT, they just might miss that highly attainable goal.

[bridgecity]

^The new Pilot is out, and retains its V6.

[valuator]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The CX-90 will drive nicer, but the new Pilot will leapfrog the Telluride as the practical 3-row to buy.

It should, shouldn't it?  I'd expect an all new offering from a manufacturer like Honda to surpass a 4 year old competitor.  Of course, if they equip it with a wheezy turbo and a CVT, they just might miss that highly attainable goal.

V6 and conventional AT.  SavageGeese approved, so far 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The CX-90 will drive nicer, but the new Pilot will leapfrog the Telluride as the practical 3-row to buy.

It should, shouldn't it?  I'd expect an all new offering from a manufacturer like Honda to surpass a 4 year old competitor.  Of course, if they equip it with a wheezy turbo and a CVT, they just might miss that highly attainable goal.

V6 and conventional AT.  SavageGeese approved, so far 

I wonder if it suffers from the same full acceleration shift-into-neutral while turning as the MDX.  Same drivetrain, and all.  Different software programming, I assume, so perhaps that particular bug doens't exist in the Pilot.

[valuator]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The CX-90 will drive nicer, but the new Pilot will leapfrog the Telluride as the practical 3-row to buy.

It should, shouldn't it?  I'd expect an all new offering from a manufacturer like Honda to surpass a 4 year old competitor.  Of course, if they equip it with a wheezy turbo and a CVT, they just might miss that highly attainable goal.

V6 and conventional AT.  SavageGeese approved, so far 

I wonder if it suffers from the same full acceleration shift-into-neutral while turning as the MDX.  Same drivetrain, and all.  Different software programming, I assume, so perhaps that particular bug doens't exist in the Pilot.

Not the same drivetrain.  The issue they found was in the Type-S version of the MDX.  Of course, I have not researched this beyond watching that video.  I asked my dad if he's noticed that in his new MDX Platinum, but he drives like the old man that he is, so not yet.

[Jaeger]

Another excellent review. I'm with you on the amber DRLs - dumb move. Aesthetic demerits aside, it's still a very appealing ride.

Thanks, and yes, I agree - this is just about the most compelling "large midsize" 3-row SUV out there ... until the CX-90 shows up 

The CX-90 will drive nicer, but the new Pilot will leapfrog the Telluride as the practical 3-row to buy.

It should, shouldn't it?  I'd expect an all new offering from a manufacturer like Honda to surpass a 4 year old competitor.  Of course, if they equip it with a wheezy turbo and a CVT, they just might miss that highly attainable goal.

V6 and conventional AT.  SavageGeese approved, so far 

Good choices.