If you haven’t already heard, crossovers and SUVs are very hot right now. This includes pretty much any kind of crossover and SUV you can imagine – and there are a lot of them. There are some stalwart and longtime competitors in the segment and there are also some newcomers hoping to rise in the ranks. The Toyota Highlander is one of the oldest in the segment. It was introduced in 2001 and has been going strong as a family crossover across four generations now. Toyota has always excelled at providing vehicles that are widely liked and dependable. But they don’t always have a lot of excitement to them.

The Kia Telluride is on the opposite side of the spectrum than the Toyota Highlander. It has only arrived on the scene in the past couple of years and gives more of a truck-like style compared to more rounded-off crossovers like the Highlander. Since its introduction, the Telluride has been met with quite a bit of fanfare as it does a lot of things right all of which we agree with. The 2023 Kia Telluride is here to dethrone long-standing champions like the Toyota Highlander.

Kia has pulled out all the stops on the 2023 Telluride. Here is why this has put it above the Toyota Highlander.

Related: Here's What's New On The 2023 Toyota Highlander

The Kia Telluride Has A Style That Stands Out

Kia Telluride Gray Rear
Kia

The family crossover segment has begun to have a homogenized look to it across many brands. Even the Kia Telluride’s corporate cousin, the Hyundai Palisade has a look to it that is relatively similar to many of its competitors in the space. But that is somewhere that the Telluride stands out from the pack. It has a boxy style that emulates more of a truck style than it does a crossover style. This does leaps and bounds for the Telluride as this helps it stand out. Any other vehicle in the segment that has had boxier styling in the past has abandoned it years ago. In the case of the Toyota Highlander, it ditched its boxiest style after its first generation that ended in 2007. The Telluride blends the practicality of a crossover with the ruggedness that comes with the styling of a truck or off-road SUV. It gives this vehicle a noticeable presence on the road and proportions that are refreshing amidst a class that is so much of the same.

The Highlander has kept its styling relatively modest for its newest generation. It has clean lines but nothing about it is particularly notable. Compared to the Telluride, it does not have the styling to make a lasting impression at a first glance. Toyota has tried to spice up the Highlander with trims like the sporty XSE trim, but the idea was better than the execution. The end result was a front end with two grilles that seem like they compete with each other and no real performance enhancements.

Related: 10 Things To Know Before Buying The 2023 Kia Telluride

The Telluride Is Rich In Features That The Highlander Can’t Keep Up With

2023 Toyota Highlander front third quarter view
Via: Pressroom.toyota.com

Today features are the name of the game and both Kia and Hyundai are experts in this category. For the better part of a decade, both brands have been bringing features into their cars that are unusual to see in their respective segments. This means that the 2023 Kia Telluride is laden with all the creature comforts that you could imagine. These things include heated and cooled front and rear seats as well as one large piece of glass that comprises both the center screen and the instrument cluster. The Highlander does offer decent screens but not to this extent or as modern-looking as the Telluride does.

Features also include the powertrain and the Telluride has a sturdy V6 that gets the job done well. The naturally aspirated V6 in here produces a healthy 291 horsepower. The Highlander used to be able to compete fairly well with the Telluride’s V6 except for the 2023 model year its V6 engine was swapped out for a turbocharged four cylinder which dropped its horsepower rafting down about 30 to a total of 265. The one thing that we will give to the Highlander is that it offers an exceptional hybrid powertrain that deliver great gas mileage. Unfortunately the 2023 Telluride is not offered in any sort of electrified form.

There are many viable family crossovers out there for someone to choose from. Both the Kia Telluride and Toyota Highlander are solid contenders, and it is hard to go wrong with either one in the end. But between the two there is still a clear winner and that happens to be the 2023 Telluride. Its rugged appearance combined with desirable features give it the advantage over the Highlander and most of the other competition in the segment. Only time will tell if Kia can keep a good thing going with the Telluride.