KIA Telluride

Step inside the Kia Telluride, and you are welcomed by the plush and immensely spacious cabin of this SUV. The quality and equipment levels in the cabin of the Telluride are massively impressive. In addition to the dual-tone black and ivory-white leather upholstery, the premium-looking faux wood, satin chrome and brushed aluminium inserts uplift the ambience.

Behind the four-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, the Telluride gets a wide instrument console with a TFT MID stacked between traditional analogue gauges. However, the free-standing 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system at the top of the centre console is a thoroughly modern unit with all forms of connectivity and integrated voice command functions available. The centre console looks very BMW-like, with a hexagonal design comprising slim AC vents at the top and sleek-looking and vertically-aligned control panels for audio and climate control switches. The wide transmission tunnel in the lower centre console has large grab handles on either side.

Kia hasn’t compromised much in this spacious three-row SUV. It has equipped with several features like a dual-pane sunroof system, tri-zone automatic climate control, wireless charger, USB charging slots, bottle holders and AC vents in all three rows, heated and ventilated front and second-row seats, electronic parking brake, 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and more.

Kia has made wholesome efforts to make Telluride a proper show-stopper. This mammoth SUV, which measures exactly 5 metres in length, has a striking road presence of a large, full-sized SUV. Adding to it, the Telluride also gets many modern design elements, which make it look fresh without going too out of the park.

At the front, the Kia Telluride has a simple but imposing fascia, which includes a wide, all gloss-black layout for the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille, with ‘Telluride’ lettering above it on the bonnet and a split grilled air dam below it on the front bumper. The Telluride also gets vertically-aligned all-LED tail lamps with LED DRLs and turn indicators, which get rounded outer edges. In addition to the split air dams, the front bumper also gets slim air curtains with gloss black inserts on the corners and LED fog lamps in the corners of the lower air dam.

The simple-looking lines of the bonnet of the Kia Telluride flow gently towards the imposing side profile of the SUV, which looks impressive with its high ground clearance and 20-inch machined alloy wheels. In addition to the dimensions, the body cladding over the wheel arches and lower door panels and slim roof rails also add to its SUV demeanour.

At the back too, the Kia Telluride carries a subtle presence with inverted J-shaped all-LED tail lamps with ‘Telluride’ lettering spread between them on the boot lid. The windscreen looks slightly raked with gloss black air curtains on the sides and a roof-mounted spoiler for aerodynamics. The rear bumper here looks rugged with black cladding all around and a large silver skid plate at the bottom.

Riding on 20-inch wheels, the Kia Telluride gets Macpherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The SUV features four drive modes – Comfort, Eco, Sport and Smart, and three terrain modes – Snow, Sand and Mud, which makes it an effortless SUV to drive even in adverse terrain conditions. For enhanced stability at higher speeds, the Telluride is provided with a self-levelling rear suspension, which adjusts the ride height depending on the type of terrain ahead.

Kia has equipped the Telluride with a 3.6-litre Atkinson cycle V6 petrol engine, which along with the 8-speed automatic transmission, is the only powertrain option for this flagship SUV. This engine produces 295 PS of maximum power and 355 Nm of maximum torque and channels the power to all four wheels via a standard four-wheel drive system.

The long and comprehensive list of safety features offered in the Kia Telluride includes trailer stability assist, safe exit assist, head-up display, forward collision avoidance assist and many more features in its ADAS package.

For its massive road presence and premium appeal inside-out, the Kia Telluride rightfully deserves to be Kia’s best shot at making SUVs. No wonder why it was awarded the World Car Of The Year in its debut year.