New Kia Telluride for America unveiled

ABU DHABI: Kia Telluride dubbed as mid-size SUV has been unveiled for the US market. Although not so mid-sized, the SUV is a massive eight-seater with boxy appearance and bold stance. It seems like Kia knows how things work in the United States, the bigger it is, the more it’s likely to perform.

Kia has done a fair bit to make Telluride an American SUV because it certainly doesn’t have those Korean design cues. The new Kia Telluride has been designed in California and Georgia is where this giant SUV got assembled.

Talking about the looks, the Telluride SUV looks massive in a boxy avatar. It gets stacked projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights, Tiger Nose front grille, aggressive wheel arches that house 20-inch dark alloys, and a standout skid plate at the back for a rugged appearance. The alloys are wrapped with Michelin Primacy Tour tyres. It’s more like an SUV with a go-anywhere attitude that promises to do any damn thing possible on the roughest and steepest of terrains.

Inside the cabin, it’s as luxurious as it can get. With exquisite use of high-quality materials, the Telluride gives you a living room like feel than a typical sports utility conveyance. It gets quilted Nappa leather upholstery with dual-stitching and brushed metal matte wood trim.

As an optional package, it gets ceiling mounted climate control for the second-row occupants, ventilated and heated front and second-row seats, and ultra comfortable armchairs third-row seats. Not even the third-row occupants feel crunched as there is plenty of space to fit them all.

Other than this, the SUV comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. Additionally, there is a 630W Harman Kardon audio system with 10 speakers, a rear-view monitor, a head-up display with navigation, 5 USB charging ports, and a wireless charging tray for smartphones.

Under the flesh, the Kia Telluride features a V6 3.8-litre GDI engine that churns out a max power of 295 PS at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 355 Nm at 5,200 rpm. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Telluride is a four-wheel-drive vehicle that comes with four different driving modes including Comfort, Eco, Sport and Smart.

For safety, the Telluride gets plenty of aid in form of the “Kia Drive Wise” suite that includes advanced safety features like 7 airbags, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, Safe Exit Assist, Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist Rear, Lane Following Assist, Smart Cruise Control, Driver Attention Warning, and Highway Driving Assist.

The pricing for the new Telluride will be announced near its sale date. Expect a hefty rate this time around with Kia especially putting so much on offer.