this is the 2020 Kia telluride the brand's first ever three row large
crossover family SUV now this is the largest vehicle that tss its ever made
for sale in the United States and on paper it seems to have all the goods to
go up against vehicles like the Volkswagen Atlas and Ford Explorer for
the hotly contested family crossover segment it's got a decently sized v6 you
have optional seating for up to 8 people there's tons of Technology inside and a
long list of standard safety equipment as well so we've come here to the
absolutely gorgeous high plateaus of western Colorado not far from the
namesake town of Telluride to see if it's any good it certainly looks the
part of a proper full sized SUV the Telluride is big sitting on a heavily
modified sorento platform that's been stretched in every dimension it shares
its underpinnings with the upcoming hyundai palisade but it looks nothing
like Hyundai's big SUV it's definitely the more rugged looking of the two with
a styling that's a mix of Volvo Range Rover and some traditional Kia elements
like that tiger nose grille the vertical LED tail lights are pretty dramatic and
the overall look of the big SUV is stylish and modern without being
overdone out on the road the new Telluride is solid sure-footed and very
stable the ride quality is excellent even with the larger 20-inch wheels and
tires absorbing bumps and road imperfections without transmitting any
harshness into the cabin the Telluride is powered by a 3.8 liter atkinson cycle
v6 engine making 291 horsepower and 292 pound-feet of torque it sends that power
to the ground through an 8-speed automatic transmission and either front
or all-wheel drive acceleration and passing power is more than acceptable
even at the higher elevations we drove in through the canyons of western
Colorado it's also a very quiet motor with little powertrain noise making it
into the cabin except under the hardest foot to the floor acceleration the
Telluride handles well too especially considering its size and heft there is
some body roll on corners and sweepers but the suspension always feels well
controlled and the steering feel is excellent suffice it to say for the
family duties that will comprise the vast majority of the Tellarites daily
chores kia has crafted a solid steady comfortable big SUV that performs
beautifully inside the new looks fantastic this is the
top-of-the-line SX trim done up in nappa leather hides an astonishingly realistic
looking wood and metal trim the first and second row seats are big and
comfortable with plenty of support and excellent adjustability their standard
seating for 8 with a three passengers second row bench in the LX and EX trim
or room for seven people with the standard captains chairs in the upmarket
s and SX trims the third row actually features adequate room for two full
sized adults thanks to adjustable sliding 2nd row seats Kia has put enough
seat belts in the third row for three people however but they're going to have
to be little people as squeezing three full-sized adults back there would be
quite unpleasant one touch tilt and slide second row is standard on all
models making getting into and out of the third rail much easier Kia's big SUV
is loaded with all of the latest technology as well with either an 8 inch
or optional ten and a quarter inch touchscreen front and center it's clear
and easy to use just like the rest of the Tellarites interior I love that both
Hyundai and Kia use big buttons everywhere filling up the available
dashboard real estate the gauge cluster is simple but complete and features a
digital central screen that shows vehicle data and switches to the blind
spot view monitor cameras whenever you activate a turn signal the telluride
features a couple of neat features as well like quiet mode that deactivates
the rear speakers and turns down the volume on the front ones in case the
kids in the back of fallen asleep and driver talk which mutes all audio and
broadcasts the drivers voice to the backseat via a built-in microphone a
high level of safety equipment has been included as standard on all telluride
including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection automatic
cruise control with stop and go lane keep assist automatic lane centering
blind spot detection with braking and steering intervention rear cross-traffic
alert and intervention and the safe exit assist for the rear seats that function
uses the rear facing radar to detect oncoming traffic and can prevent a rear
door from opening if an approaching vehicle or bicycle is detected
I found the addition of most of these features quite welcome but the lane
centering function is a bit intrusive and the lane keep assist is really
oversensitive after the first few miles of feeling the wheel constantly shifting
in my hands I switched it off and never looked back
still the kia includes this as standard equipment when many other automakers
charge big bucks for it is really praiseworthy we're looking at you
Chevrolet what does the Telluride not have that competitors do well there is
no automatic parking function either parallel or perpendicular and frankly
Nokia actually features this ability there is no rear seat entertainment
system which is especially curious in a vehicle that's looking to be a popular
family wagon there are no rear screens no seat back
DVD system nothing the drops from the ceiling to keep the kids entertained
there's also no power third-row the seat backs are raised and lowered manually if
you want powered third rail you're gonna have to wait for the upcoming hyundai
palisade which should be along later this year the new 2020 kia telluride is
on sale right now at kia dealerships across the country it starts at about
$32,000 and a loaded one like this SX trim can top out at around 48 thousand
dollars now that's significantly less than a lot of competitors and represents
really an astonishing value for the amount of equipment and safety stuff
that you get in the brand new 2020 Telluride if you'd like to find out more
about the new 2020 Telluride or maybe find one in a dealership near you come
look us up on cars.com