2027 Kia Telluride

You've probably already seen the design of the 2027 Kia Telluride. Such a big change to Kia's most important car is unlikely to go unnoticed by anyone shopping for an SUV (and, by the way, that's a lot of people in 2025). But what we didn't have until now is anything in the way of specs. But now we know: The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid is here, the old V6 is gone in favor of a turbocharged four-cylinder, and it's getting quite a bit bigger.

Smaller engine, big news

The big news is the axing of the V6 that powered every version of the previous Telluride in favor of Kia's 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. In this iteration, it will make 274 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque (that's 49 more lb-ft than that old V6). It will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and will come with either front- or all-wheel drive. 

If you want to go for even more power, you're going to have to go hybrid. Yes, the hybrid makes more power — 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque to be exact. This engine uses a six-speed automatic and again can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. Kia estimates the hybrid will get up to 35 mpg and that total driving range is 600 miles on a single tank. Considering the last Telluride was only able to muster an EPA-estimated 20 mpg combined, this is a major improvement. 

The hybrid model also gets what Kia is calling "Stay Mode." Essentially, it will use the hybrid battery pack to operate stuff like the climate functions, cabin lighting, stereo, and other functions for up to 20 minutes (or once the battery is down to 20%) without having to turn on the gas engine. 

More outside, more inside

The Telluride will grow for its second generation. The new car comes in at 199.2 inches long and has a wheelbase (the distance between the center of the front and rear wheels) of 116.9 inches. That's an increase of 2.3 inches and 2.7 inches, respectively. The good news is that customers familiar with the old Telluride will hardly have to account for the extra overall length, but the stretch in wheelbase means more legroom for second- and third-row passengers. 

The second row now folds farther forward to make getting into the third row a little easier, and because of a seat redesign, second-row car seats can now remain in place while you slide the chairs forward. The added overall length also increases cargo capacity. There is now 22.3 cubic feet of cargo space (21.3 cubes in the hybrid because of the battery) behind the third row. If you fold all the rows down, you'll have access to 86.9 cubic feet of free air to load your stuff into. 

If all that wasn't enough, there's also a standard fold-out luggage table that slides in behind the third row. It's complete with cupholders, too. There's also more space underneath the cargo area's false floor with movable dividers to keep stuff tidy. 

Hardcore X-Pro model gets real off-roady 

The tippy-top of the Telluride range will be the off-road-focused X-Pro model. This is the clearest split between the new Hyundai Palisade and the Telluride. Hyundai's top trim is called Calligraphy and is a more luxe take on SUVs. 

Kia's going down the off-road route with its top model, and the X-Pro gets 9.1 inches of ground clearance, wider off-road-ready tires, black body cladding, a special Terrain mode, and recovery hooks in the front and rear. It also gets its own shocks that are more prepared for off-roading and an electronically locking differential to help with traction when one wheel's in the air or stuck in some mud.

Plenty of interior goodies

The interior space is all-new, and you can read our review of what it's like to sit inside the new Telluride right here. The screens for both the instruments and the infotainment measure 12.3 inches each, and there's a tiny climate control screen (which we used on the Kia EV9 we had in for a One-Year Road Test and didn't like very much). 

The new Telluride can be had with not one but two wireless charging pads, heated seats for all three rows, and a 14-speaker Meridian audio system. A voice assistant can understand natural speech and is triggered by saying "Hey, Kia ..." We aren't sure how many people have gotten used to talking to their cars yet, but a more useful feature is the company's Digital Key 2.0. It will allow you to turn on the car and drive with just your phone (or Apple Watch). 

The brand's Highway Driving Assist 2 is an optional extra and is essentially an advanced adaptive cruise control that can also make lane changes for you (in certain conditions). Lane centering, blind-spot monitoring with Kia's blind-spot camera tech, collision warning, and other safety features can also be had, as we've come to expect from modern cars. 

How much does the new Telluride cost? 

Kia hasn't said how much the new Telluride will cost just yet, but we're certain it will be more than $37,885 the 2025 Telluride starts at. The new one will be available in LX, S, EX, SX, SX-Prestige, X-Line and X-Pro trims when it reaches dealers at the start of next year.