The Kia Telluride took things to a new level for the Korean carmaker when it made its debut in 2019, winning an assortment of awards and generating a new class of buyers. Now, the automaker is preparing to roll out a second-generation Telluride, offering up a first look at the 3-row SUV’s new design. Headlight.News has more.
The second-generation 2027 Kia Telluride.
When the original Kia Telluride made its debut during the 2020 model-year, the Korean brand described it as “large, bold, capable and comfortable,” and the formula clearly connected. The 3-row crossover took an array of awards, among other things named the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, while bringing a new class of buyers into Kia showrooms.
For 2027, the Korean carmaker is back with a second-generation Telluride and it’s offering up a first look at the 3-row crossover’s new design ahead of its official launch at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.
Kia describes the updated package as “bigger and bolder” than the original, growing more than 2 inches in length and adopting a distinctive new take on the brand’s “Opposites United” design language.
What’s new for 2027
The 2027 Telluride is 2.5 inches longer, yielding more room for its three rows of passengers.
For the moment, Kia isn’t talking powertrains or technology, most of those details set to be released in LA on November 20, 2025. For the moment, the automaker is focusing on the new design. As with the original, the goal was to give the 2027 Telluride the sort of presence befitting a flagship model, explained Tom Kearns, Vice President and Senior Chief Designer, Kia Design Center America.
“With Telluride, it was a matter of being tailored and restrained – dare I say, anti-design,” Kearns said in a statement. “With that approach, it was about capturing strength and luxury, tradition and modernness, into a single expression. That’s what Opposites United enabled us to do.”
Among other changes, Kia has moved to give the Telluride X-Pro package what it describes as a “darker, more commanding character,” with blacked-out wheel arches and, befitting its off-road capabilities, a higher ground clearance and recovery hooks, front and rear.
Bigger, bolder
A new grille and front lighting.
Final specs have yet to be released but Kia did confirm that the 2027 Telluride will be 2.3 inches longer than the outgoing model, with a 3-inch stretch of its wheelbase. It gains about an inch in height, as well. Based on what we’ve already seen of the Hyundai Palisade – which shares the same underlying architecture – it should be safe to expect the Kia crossover will deliver more head, leg and shoulder room, especially in the third row.
The second-gen design won’t come as a shock to those already familiar with Telluride. But there are a number of notable changes. The grille carries over only the faintest elements of the traditional Kia “tiger nose” grille. It adoptys a bolder, more squared-off look, framed by vertical bar headlights, said designer Kurt Kahl, in order to “frame…and sharpen the Telluride’s face feature Kia’s Star Map lighting graphic.The amber-hued DRL lighting returns with this sleeker, more modern expression.”
The grille and the broad hood give the newly revised Telluride a wider, more planted shape. Gently sculptured body elements include upward-floating character lines designed to give the crossover a tall, athletic stance. The rising beltline connects with broad rear fenders to keep the overall look well planted. The overall look is more aerodynamic, however, emphasized by details such as the flush door handles used in Kia’s 3-row battery-electric SUV, the EV9.
More Kia News
The X-Factor
Telluride X-Pro models now feature 9.1 inches of ground clearance.
More Americans than ever are heading off-road, according to industry data, even if that’s just dealing with a rutted dirt trail leading to the family’s summer cottage. Demand has grown for more capable packages, like the original Telluride EX and SX Prestige X-Pro models.
In line with what we’ve seen across the current Kia line-up, the 2027 Telluride X-Pro packages are more differentiated than before. They now get 9.1 inches of ground clearance and ride on all-terrain tires. They also “wear blacked-out wheel arches, side mirrors, beltline trim, and D-pillars,” noted Kia, while, “Raised roof rails reinforce an adventurous profile, ready to carry the gear that takes you off the grid.”
X-Pro models feature new ground lighting, including lamps projecting from the bottom of the rearview mirrors, rear doors and back bumper, illuminating the area around the vehicle. “Additional lighting from the raised tailgate assists with tasks like tire changes or cargo access in low-light conditions,” Kia added.
High-tech interior
The cabin of the 2027 Kia Telluride adopts a more tech-oriented theme, with a seamless glass panel covering gauge and infotainment displays stretching across nearly two-thirds of the instrument panel. The front doors gently wrap into the IP, giving the cabin a wider, yet more upscale look and feel. That’s enhanced by the use of real metal accents.
The higher roof provides as much as a half-inch more headroom for those ordering a Telluride with a sunroof. The added length of the crossover, meanwhile, makes it easier to access the second and third-rows.
In the rear, the center console can be transformed into a “functional” table, said Kia, while there’s “a folding luggage table with integrated ruler markings and a removable partition, a nod to outdoor adventure that merges form with function.
Powertrain
Here’s where we can only guess at what Kia might have in store, though it’s a reasonable guess that the automaker won’t stray far from what we’ve already learned about the 2027 Hyundai Palisade. If that holds true, we can expect:
- A 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-6 coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Making 287 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, it will handle up to 5,000 pounds towing. The ICE powertrain will be offered in both two-wheel- and all-wheel-drive configurations;
- A new hybrid drivetrain pairing a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four with two electric motors, power going through a six-speed automatic Combined, they will deliver up to 329 hp and 339 lb-ft, though towing capacity drops to 4,000 pounds.
Pricing and availability
Like the Hyundai SUV, the 2027 Kia Telluride will be assembled in Ulsan, South Korea.
Expect to see it reach U.S. showrooms during the first quarter of next year, Kia confirmed. It isn’t saying whether it will follow Hyundai’s lead and debut with a naturally aspirated drivetrain, following up a few months later with the anticipated hybrid.
As for pricing, it would surprise no one if the 2027 model adds a bit to its MSRP, if nothing else to reflect added content. So far, the brand has avoided passing onto consumers any of the added costs from the Trump tariffs on imported autos and auto parts.
The base LX version of the 2025 Kia Telluride currently starts at $37,885, with the top-line SX Prestige X-Pro carrying a starting MSRP of $55,180 – with destination fees of $1,495.
0 Comments