Is the 2023 Kia Telluride Still Top of the Heap?

Considering that Kia unveiled the Telluride 3 a long time ago, it has been one of the most fascinating 3 row crossovers on the sector, combining ability, luxury, type, and price in an attractive package that’s just the right dimension for families. The factor that has restricted the Telluride most has been its availability in the market place, with Kia professing an normal of 4 days between shipping and delivery and income at the dealership.

In addition, Covid-19 production stoppages and supply chain concerns limited the volume of available cars in the previous two many years. Despite this, the Telluride has continued to be a leading select by automotive journalists and consumers alike.

Having said that, the business can change quickly and companies need to adapt to continue to keep up. Kia, for its component, has now taken the covers off the refreshed 2023 Telluride, which is a incredibly slight update to its profitable bundle. Is this facelifted Telluride plenty of to keep it on top of the big crossover segment?

From the outdoors, this is obviously a delicate modify: the front and rear bumpers have been chiseled by Kia’s style and design staff to seem more upright with greater defined and much more integrated particulars. For case in point, the front air consumption under the grille is now improved integrated into the encounter of the auto. The grille itself has also been marginally squared off on the edges to give a beefier look. The Telluride’s headlights have been thoroughly up to date, dropping the halo influence daytime running lights and adding a additional upright linear concept that seems much more present day but has sparked a large amount of criticism from persons who loved the amber halos of the pre-facelift model.

The taillights have been revised as perfectly, showing much more purposeful and continuing the LED pattern into the tailgate even though transferring the reverse lamps to the lower bumper. Some new colours and new wheel kinds have been included, and the common Dusk version has been replaced by the X-Line trim stage which comes in a styling-only X-Line version and an X-Professional trim that features smaller wheels and bigger all-terrain tires with some other little mechanical updates to make the X-Pro marginally additional able off-street (just do not confuse this additional capability with a accurate system-on-body off-roader).

On the within, the prior a lot more traditional dashboard has been replaced by a two-monitor setup with 12.3” shows for both the gauge cluster and the infotainment interface. This delivers the Telluride in line with other new Kia styles which include this dual-screen setup, and will make the Telluride’s interior experience really significantly like an Escalade on a budget. Over and above the dash, the seating styles are much more rugged for 2023, but practically nothing else definitely alterations on the inside of.

From a powertrain perspective, the Telluride continues to be unchanged with at 3.8L in a natural way aspirated V6 providing an adequate but not too much 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. This engine also nets the Telluride an normal fuel economic climate of 23 miles per gallon. Having said that, this is 1 of the places in which the Telluride is definitely commencing to clearly show its age in comparison to the market place. The powertrain is neither highly performant nor really gasoline successful, meaning that people who have the cash to overlook swiftly elevating fuel prices may well obtain it underpowered and people who are extra frugal will find it exceedingly thirsty.

In comparison to competitors who have entered the current market because Telluride to start with went on sale, this powertrain just isn’t quite aggressive. For case in point, Jeep’s new Grand Cherokee L matches the Telluride in phrases of luxurious and has an arguably much more attractive badge, but offers a 5.7L V8 with 357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque (albeit with a decreased 17mpg ordinary). On the other side of the spectrum, a Toyota Highlander Hybrid may be a little bit considerably less appealing than a Telluride total, but sees a 35mpg ordinary gasoline economic system, which starts to appear extremely desirable with gasoline selling prices spiking.

In addition, Telluride could get started viewing far more levels of competition coming from the growing popularity of full-size SUVs, primarily the new Toyota Sequoia which provides a larger deal with much more electric power and far better gasoline efficiency for not a lot much more income than a Telluride. Kia doesn’t yet have an offering in this phase and I’m guaranteed they will start out to sense this expanding competition as the Telluride ages.

Lastly, Kia requirements to contemplate competitiveness from inside its corporate umbrella, as the 2023 Hyundai Palisade has gone through a considerably more sizeable redesign and now capabilities a a great deal much more rugged glance. Even though the Telluride was without doubt the extra interesting auto in advance of the redesign, Hyundai could pull a several buyers over the fence with the hottest Palisade.

Regardless of these troubles, the Kia Telluride even now has a sturdy posture in the market as of currently, and it enjoys the continued momentum of its fantastic popularity. The improvements for 2023 do keep the automobile contemporary, but can it keep on to its crown right up until a full redesign, which is definitely a very good 2 or 3 years in the potential? We’ll see, but at minimum for me, I believe it is clear that Kia will will need to tackle its lackluster powertrain, maybe by incorporating a twin turbo, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid selection, and boost the Telluride’s size, or at the very least give a lengthy wheelbase version, if it would like to continue to keep up with shifts in the current market. And if Kia will get the forthcoming EV9 large electric crossover suitable, we may possibly even see one more possibility in just the Kia lineup that could steal back again some of these who may possibly be swayed by the latest and impending competitiveness but choose the positive aspects of the all-electrical E-GMP platform.