From what we can tell, the keyword in the Telluride's success is “value.” While the Korean automaker has been known for being able to include a lot of features in its cars and price them much lower than their Japanese rivals, the Telluride is basically the poster child of providing such great value.
For example, U.S. News reports that J.D. Power and Associates gave the Telluride a 4 out of 5 for reliability. U.S. News considers that to be better than most, but when this number is combined with the other ratings that U.S. News gave the Telluride, the brand-new Kia SUV only scored 8.6 out of 10 overall.
The 2021 Kia Telluride has a $31,990 starting price, which is about average for the midsize SUV segment. The Telluride's highest trim level carries a $42,190 price tag.
A quiet and gentle driveIn terms of quiet cabins, the Kia Telluride beat many rivals, like the Ford Edge and Hyundai Palisade. In its road test, CR's testers found that you could barely hear any road, wind, or tire noise from inside the cabin.
The base model 2021 Kia Telluride begins around $31,990, which is only a $100 increase over the 2020 Kia Telluride.
The Hyundai Palisade takes about 7.1 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, while the Kia Telluride takes 7.2 seconds to reach 60 mph. According to MotorTrend, the 2020 Kia Telluride has a more leisurely acceleration. It's smooth and doesn't make you feel like you're in a rush.
So, not to be outdone, KIA has named their new full-size SUV the Telluride, after the old mining town in the Colorado Rockies, which is now a ski resort.
The Kia Telluride is a mid-size crossover SUV, built by Kia Motors. Originally introduced as a concept car in 2016, the vehicle debuted in the spring of 2019 as a 2020 model. It is named after the town of Telluride, Colorado. In 2020, the Telluride was honored to become the 2020 World Car of the Year.
Winner: 2021 Kia TellurideIt's a close call, but the Kia Telluride beats the Hyundai Palisade by just one mpg when it comes to fuel efficiency. The Kia Telluride with front-wheel drive gets an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The Hyundai Palisade with front-wheel drive gets 19 mpg city.
Yes, the 2020 Kia Telluride comes with standard Remote Start through the UVO telematics system.
Parking AssistanceThe Surround View Monitor (SVM) feature on the 2020 Kia Telluride provides a bird's eye view of the exterior of the vehicle. This feature pairs with the rearview camera to making any type of parking as easy as possible.
This is the first trim to add a power-folding feature to the side mirrors. Another highly convenient feature added by the EX is a smart power liftgate. On top of the sound-absorbing windshield, this trim has the same glass in the front windows.
This $40,135 Telluride EX AWD has Yokohama Geolander tires and a makeshift skid plate over the oil pan, but is otherwise totally stock. A center clutch distributes torque front to rear, and you can lock it into a fixed 50-50 split, allowing the AWD system to mimic an old-school transfer-case four-wheel-drive setup.
The Nightfall package costs $1295. It's available on all-wheel-drive models of the two top Telluride models, the EX and SX. Choosing it for the EX AWD requires you also opt for the $1695 Premium package, for a total price of $43,550.
The Kia Telluride is a large family hauler with a lot to love. It also has many of the features of a $50,000 SUV for less than $40,000. The 2021 Kia Telluride is a big family hauler with a beautiful interior. The fuel economy isn't the greatest and it's not going to wow you with performance.
Kias are inexpensive simply because they're established in Seoul, South Korea. They don't have to pay tax to import to other countries.
Nearly one year after its debut, the three-row family hauler's sales are holding strong. Kia's new Telluride three-row SUV is insanely popular right now. The Telluride sold 5,080 in March 2019, its first full month of sales, meaning the thing hasn't lost much, if any, sales steam in nearly a year.
A KIA Telluride will depreciate 49% after 5 years and have a 5 year resale value of $20,520.
Dodge, Kia Are Most Reliable Car Brands in First 90 Days, While Tesla Perturbs. Dodge and Kia make the most problem-free vehicles for the 2020 model year, according to an influential J.D. Power study measuring the problems new-car owners experience in the first 90 days after purchase.
SX: Differences. The 2020 Telluride EX is equipped with second-row bench seating and will seat 8 passengers comfortably. Alternatively, the SX configuration seats seven due to the second-row captain's chairs, which sacrifices seating capacity for added comfort.
In recent months, in-demand vehicles such as the Kia Telluride and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid have been selling for a few thousand above MSRP. It's a textbook case of supply and demand in which there are more customers than cars. While frustrating and costly, this price adjustment is within a dealership's rights.
According to TrueCar.com, which shows you pricing based on real-world sales transactions, the 2021 Kia Telluride EX has a retail price of $40,560, and the current market average is $40,930 with a current average dealer markup of 1.6%.
If you encounter a flat or other tire emergency, you can locate a spare tire under the trunk of the Kia Telluride. To clarify, the spare tire is not inside the trunk, but is under the vehicle.
Most Expensive 2020 Kia Telluride Costs $50,775.
MotorTrend stated that the luxury filled Telluride SX “feels like a Mercedes GLS that you can get for $40K.” But for those looking for the best value, the LX base model offers the best price point with plenty of standard features to make this SUV a solid choice.
