The Kia Telluride is a popular SUV known for being roomy and comfortable. The 2027 version is the latest model, which has some new features and improvements.
All-terrain tires are special tires that work well on different types of ground, like dirt and pavement. They're great for cars that go off-road or drive in various conditions.
Flush door handles are handles that sit flat against the car's surface when not in use. This makes the car look smoother and helps it move through the air better.
Opposites United is a design style used by Kia that combines different shapes and styles to make their cars look unique and modern. It helps their vehicles stand out on the road.
The Land Rover Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can handle rough terrains while also being very comfortable inside. People talk about it because it’s seen as a status symbol and is great for both city driving and off-road adventures.
Aerodynamics is about how air moves around a car. A car designed to be aerodynamic can go faster and use less fuel because it cuts through the air more easily.
Signature lighting is a special design for car lights that makes them look unique and helps people recognize the car brand. It also makes the car safer to see at night.
The Hyundai Palisade is a large family-friendly SUV that has plenty of room for passengers and luggage. It's known for being safe and comfortable, making it a great option for those who need space for their family.
A turbo four-cylinder engine is a smaller engine with four cylinders that uses a turbo to make it more powerful. It helps the car go faster without using too much fuel.
Lighting technology in cars includes the different types of lights used, like headlights and taillights, which help drivers see better and make the car look good.
StarMap LEDs are special lights used in cars that create unique designs and patterns. They help make the car look more attractive and can be a signature feature for the brand.
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Something a little bit different this time, I'm at the U.S. Kia Design Center in Irvine,
California, where execs are about to unveil the second generation Kia Telluride, a very
important vehicle for the company.
And since you can't be here and I can be, let me show you behind the scenes.
There's no better place to experience the future direction of our brand.
This is where our most awarded model, the Kia Telluride, was first bought.
I'm pleased to present our all-new 2027 Kia Telluride.
This is the X-Pro, our most rugged trim featuring an exclusive grill for recovery hooks and
trail-ready 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires.
The second generation is a new approach, Kia is not playing it safe.
When we created the original Telluride, our instincts told us customers would respond
to a big, bold and unapologetically boxy SUV, yet infused with a unique Kia attitude.
We designed it to be aspirational, aimed at changing people's perception of the Kia
brand.
The next generation doesn't step away from that, it simply reinterprets our ideas through
the lens of Opposites United.
To get here, we envisioned the all-new Telluride as the perfect vehicle to drive to a luxurious
ski resort.
It would be imposing but upscale, luxurious and with restraint.
And here's the result, an entirely new chiseled exterior design that retains a boxy,
honest SUV presence.
Telluride is Kia's flagship, it's never fully been able to pump out enough of them from
its plant in Georgia, even after increasing production every year.
Flush door handles, usually only seen on luxury vehicles, allow for a clean, refined
surfacing and improved aerodynamics.
Kia is only showing the X-Pro trim and is not sharing pricing or powertrain details yet.
Gen 2 Telluride uses Kia's edgy Opposites United design language, though here it's
softened and there's a lot of talk about diamonds.
The triangular farms extending from the wheel arches are inspired by the facets of a diamond.
Diamonds are very beautiful and valuable, but they're also one of the toughest and most
durable things in the world, just like Telluride.
I hung out with Kurt Kahl, chief designer at Kia Design Center America.
Other videos you watch might call this a half-price Range Rover.
Kia's team says it was only trying to elevate what current Telluride owners liked, and most
likely this design was frozen before the current Range Rover was shown to the public.
We had these three key words when we launched the original Telluride, big, bold and boxy.
The tail lamps on the original Telluride are pretty distinctive, you can recognize them
when you're on the freeway following one.
These twin vertical bars.
So we thought that is an important aspect.
Vertical, tall, it kind of speaks to this kind of vehicle.
On original Telluride, it's a three-dimensional form.
It's got the red stripes inside a lamp bucket, but in here we wanted to do it really precise,
really graphic and really clear.
So that's how this came about with the body color in between, and you can see a really
strong, whether it's lit or not, it's a really strong two-bar vertical graphic.
And then this edge came about through aerodynamic work, where you really want the wind to stick
to the vehicle as it exits and forms the whole aerodynamic shape of the vehicle.
We also have something called Star Map, which is our signature lighting.
You can kind of liken that to a constellation where you have right thicker parts, where
you can see the star, and then a constellation, you drop thin lines between them to create
those shapes.
You can see that here with the thicker elements and the thinner elements, and it's even more
apparent in the DRL in the front.
Generally, the body side is to express our opposites united.
We talked about this diamond form.
You can also liken it to sharp, jagged peaks.
It's called the Telluride, the mountains of Colorado.
So you've got these, and they're also uplifting elements.
They lift the vehicle, which is important for a kind of rugged, capable vehicle.
So you've got the lines coming up, and then they dissolve into this really gentle, carefully
sculpted body side.
That provides the contrast, edgy and technical, and more of this humanistic, organic feeling
of the sculpture, which also goes down here and more of an uplifted crease here.
And what this does, it provides this kind of mechanical, technical interface from the
body to the cladding.
It also provides a little bit of a landing zone for these two elements to come down.
One signature flourish that's gone, that kick into the B-pillar from the base of the window
trim.
That didn't make it.
No, we're looking for this really long gesture line.
So in this interpretation, we had other elements that we were looking at for opposites united.
So we went for a very clear, stretched belt line on this version.
It was definitely a challenge because we were coming off of a vehicle that was so well
loved by the customer and resonated with the customer.
But we had this formula originally with Telluride of a refinement, but also capable luxury.
There's also an approachability to it.
And we felt there's more story to tell with that formula.
So it was an exciting opportunity.
How can we re-envision Telluride with those same qualities and really elevate the feeling
of refinement, of grace, but also the feeling of rugged capability?
A few years back, Kia removed the amber DRLs.
Bad move.
That's not happening again.
Again, Kia is not talking price or powertrain yet.
The assumption is it will run with the same stuff as Hyundai Palisade.
That means a 3.5-liter V6 with 287 horsepower mated to an 8-speed gearbox or a new 329-horse
hybrid drivetrain with a 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder electric drive motor and 6-speed gearbox.
I can show you that it will get a spare tire.
It's a larger vehicle gaining just over two inches in length with a wheelbase extending
by almost three inches.
It allows for a roomier interior, easier ingress egress with improved ride quality.
There are two 2027 Tellurides at the event, both the same X-Pro trim.
This one is set aside from the crush of the crowd.
I get 20 minutes in this studio to show you design.
No shoes allowed.
Kind of feel like I'm at a wedding.
In this controlled setting, it's easier to see the diamond-shaped panels over the wheel
wells.
These almost look like buckles.
Some trims will get perimeter lighting along the door and hatch openings.
That's a nice touch.
X-Pro gets recovery points front and rear.
There's a D-pillar flourish that's hard to see since the black trim blends in with the
black rear window molding.
In silver, it's easier to discern.
Points for hiding the rear wiper under the spoiler.
Overall, Gen 2 looks larger than the first Telluride, at least in closed quarters.
The cabin is completely different.
Again, no specs, but Kia does talk about more room.
In the past, X-Pro had an austere look about it.
This is an upgrade.
I've said many times that Telluride had the best fake wood trim in the biz.
Some grades will get real bark, though I'll assume that's for top models.
Other authentic materials are available.
For example, X-Pro gets real forged carbon fiber panels.
The stuff was developed in Seattle, by the way.
For fashion mavens, there will be some chances taken with the colorways.
Not just black and gray.
Looking forward to seeing the purple in person.
If you're familiar with Kia's EV9, some of the controls look familiar.
There was some hinting that the second row will get priority when it comes to the nearly
three inches of wheelbase stretch.
There are a lot of amenities happening.
I'm sure that depends on which trim level.
Telluride is larger now, but Kia isn't offering up any interior dimensions right now, though
eyeballing it.
The trunk looks a smidge larger.
It's easy to reach in and drop the seats.
X-Pro tends to be less fancy.
This is the first time the press has ever been allowed into Kia's U.S. design studio.
This wall separates the press from real work happening on vehicles that are two to three
years away.
This clay model was taken out of storage to show the craftsmanship that goes into producing
the shape.
Yes, much of the work is done using computer modeling, and the designers have the technology
to walk around a digital model.
But designers I've talked to say there's nothing like seeing it in solid form.
That said, there's a wide open space hidden from outsiders, maybe not drones, where work
can be inspected in natural light.
You know, where cars spend most of their time.
There are a number of turntables here in the courtyard where designers can bring clay models
out and rotate them in the sunlight.
It's very important to get a good perspective.
Kia brought out a development vehicle that was wrapped to keep the public guessing.
Even that has flair.
Any guesses to the Colorado town this refers to?
Also, as much as the pattern is trying to disguise the body, it's not the usual zebra
stuff and it gives a lot of hints.
That's why I love designers.
Designers are the best.
Since you couldn't be here, I'll leave you with a few clips from the press conference.
The grille creates a sense of width punctuated by vertical elements.
We also explored a non-traditional separation of the grille from the headlights.
And that wasn't easy to do, but we think it was well worth the effort.
In part because it really helps the lighting stand out.
You know, lighting technology is evolving and it's really becoming the brand signature
more than the grille on modern vehicles.
Kia is among the pioneers in the industry with our expanded use of StarMap LEDs and
animated features.
Tell Your Ride elevates the technology even further with available animated welcome lighting
patterns and standard amber DRLs that really pop.
Especially against the blacked out grille of this X-Pro model.
Well, that's all I could get out of the executives when it comes to the 2027 Tell Your Ride.
It should be available in the first quarter of 2026.
Until then, maybe subscribe to the channel.
You'll get news when this comes up.
Remember that this is very different from the car review videos that I do.
Those are very well shot and very detailed.
So check those out.
People seem to like them.
For Driven, I'm Tom Volk.
About this episode
A sneak peek at the all-new 2027 Kia Telluride reveals an exciting evolution of Kia's flagship SUV. The second generation showcases a bold design inspired by the 'Opposites United' philosophy, featuring a rugged X-Pro trim with enhanced aerodynamics and luxurious touches. Chief designer Kurt Kahl discusses the vehicle's striking diamond-inspired elements and improved interior space, while the episode highlights innovative lighting technology and the Telluride's growing popularity. Though details on pricing and powertrains remain under wraps, the anticipation builds for this upscale, capable SUV set to launch in early 2026.
Hard to believe it's been some six years since the Kia Telluride hit the scene. Apparently internally, it's been known as the "Selluride" since it's such a hot commodity, dealers can't keep them in stock, even though production has been increased every year since it's launch. It's been a huge win for Kia and has helped to reset the brand's image. So gen two is very important.
