Kia Telluride SUVOTY Review: A Victim of Heightened Expectations?

Pros

• Spacious inside
• Handsome looks
• Solid tech and amenities

Cons

• Underwhelming powertains
• Maybe a little too big
• Uncomfortable second row

Back in 2020, the brand-new Kia Telluride easily took home our SUV of the Year honors, making it the first Kia to win the Golden Calipers. Since then, Telluride sales have increased every year. Sales ain’t slowing down, either, with 2026 sales on track to be the Telluride’s best year. The only possible monkey wrench in Kia’s plan for family three-row SUV dominance is that a new Telluride is out for 2027. Can it possibly be as beloved and desirable as the first-generation model?

We found a lot to like about the new Telluride’s styling, inside and out. Guest judge and former Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener singled out the extra lovely gold-painted Telluride (one of the two we had on hand) as one of the best-looking vehicles present. Maybe don’t look too closely, as some of the styling gets a bit fussy (what’s with the rectangles on top of the wheel arches?), but from 25 feet, especially the hard side, the big SUV looks great. We also loved the spacious interior. Well, the spacious front seats and the smart storage solutions. “Inside is classic Hyundai-Kia of this generation: a large technology screen, a well-integrated instrument panel, and physical buttons and scroll wheels,” director of editorial operations Mike Floyd said. “Everything works well, except for the slightly strange HVAC controls.”

Our enthusiasm waned some, however, when we clambered into the back of the Telluride. “The second row is very spacious, but the seats are super hard and flat, and my knees are kind of high,” features editor Scott Evans said. “It’s not as comfortable as I was hoping for. The one-touch tilt-and-slide second row is fantastic for getting into and out of the third row, which is habitable for adults, but you wouldn’t want to spend very long back here.”

We also weren’t thrilled by the two engine choices, with most of the incoming fire aimed at the base 2.5-liter turbo-four. “It sounds like it’s working hard all the time, and it’s not super quick,” Evans said. Buyer’s guide director Zach Gale was particularly disdainful. “This engine sounds like it belongs in a $25,000 car; it undercuts much of the progress the Telluride makes elsewhere in looking premium,” he said, before adding, “Laggy.”

But even the Telluride’s far more efficient hybrid option had its detractors. “I wish this hybrid powertrain were blowing my socks off a bit more than it is,” technical director Frank Markus said. “I drove the 2.5-liter turbo I-4 that replaced the base V-6 on the previous gen and really did not like it. Yet I was led to believe the Telluride’s saving grace would be this hybrid.” Still, you should get the hybrid, as we’re talking about 31 mpg combined for the AWD X-Line hybrid we had in versus 19 mpg for the AWD X-Pro powered by the base turbo.

At the end of the evaluation, we all collectively liked the second-generation Telluride well enough, but not enough. It didn’t thrill any of us, nor did it move the segment forward the way the first-generation soccer-practice all-star SUV did. The old Telluride was a game changer not just for Kia but for the segment as a whole. As for the new one? Associate editor Alex Leanse summed it up well: “The first generation set a very high bar, which this second-gen version clears, barely.”

This review was conducted as part of our 2027 SUV of the Year (SUVOTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.