This South Korean SUV has been very well-received in the US market since its launch in 2019. The Kia Telluride then went on to be voted ‘SUV of the year’ the very same year.
The fresh styling of the Telluride is appealing and makes for a fresh alternative to other manufacturers in the same market segment. Let’s remind ourselves that the Telluride is named after a small and exclusive winter sports resort in the US state of Colorado. It's sensibly named for its target market as it won’t be sold in Europe.
The Korean SUV provides what other SUVs of the same size cannot. Take, for instance, its spacious interior, which scores highly in comfort, quality, and levels of equipment. Then you have pleasing ride quality, a respectable amount of power, and reliability. Top that with Kia’s unbeatable warranty and competitive pricing, it is undoubtedly an impressive package.
As for the 2022 model, you’ll be pleased to know the SUV will be acquiring only subtle updates and will largely remain unchanged. After all, why alter a winning combination?
The Telluride Continues Its March Forward As A Serious SUV
The Telluride’s rugged appearance and clean lines present all the hallmarks of a serious SUV. From some angles, it looks as though it’s been breathed upon by a Range Rover. Although it may share most of its components with its sister rival, the Hyundai Palisade, the Kia looks more aggressive.
Kia has always had a tendency to pick out all the good qualities of other manufacturers and apply them subtly to their products. This is exemplified in the Telluride. The Korean masters have also made a dramatic departure from building vehicles that were regarded as being ‘cheap and cheerful’.
Just look at the aggressive appearance of the Telluride; those distinctive tall, narrow headlights give it a unique identity and reportedly will remain unchanged for 2022. The Telluride will, however, gain a revised meshed grille which will now feature a new Kia logo in a more stylized font. The fresh Kia logo is here to stay and will appear on the tailgate, steering wheel, and wheel center caps. That’s not all, though. A wider spaced Telluride script now appears on the edge of the hood and the tailgate.
The Nightfall edition remains in the range adding gloss black finishes to wheels, badges, light bezels, and roof rails.
The Kia Telluride Is A Spacious SUV
Promoting the most spacious interior in its class, the Telluride can seat up to eight occupants by utilizing a second-row bench seat. With the back seats folded, you get up to 87 cubic feet of space.
The materials and choice of interior colors are almost the same levels found in premium SUVs.
The Kia also boasts more features than any of its rivals. The most interesting changes are in the cabin. Whilst the four trim levels will remain (LX, S, EX, and SX), for 2022, equipment levels will be increased for base models, all being available as standard.
Some of the key features for the latest model worth mentioning, are its Dual-zone climate control, smart cruise control, which adjusts speed in accordance with road curvature, and that all-important infotainment system with its size now increased to 10.3 inches.
Its Unchanged Powertrain Remains A Decent Package
For the 2022 Telluride, things under the hood will remain unchanged, which is no bad thing since it's a solid package as it is. The 3.8-liter V6 powerplant develops a peak power of 291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. It can reportedly hit 60 mph from a standstill by around the 7.5-second mark. Not startling performance but generous considering it weighs in at approximately 2 tonnes.
As with the current model, the 2022 Tellurides power is predominantly channeled to the front wheels and is paired with an eight-speed transmission as standard on all models. All-wheel drive remains an option, however, and four driving modes will still be offered to choose from – Smart, Eco, Sport and comfort.
Depending on the selection, the power is split between the front and the rear wheels, accordingly. Also, a lock mode gives a 50/50 split of power to all wheels, no doubt reserved for serious offroading.
The only area where the Telluride doesn’t score high marks is its fuel economy. Reportedly returning 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway is only about adequate for the size of vehicle and selection of engine. However, the ride quality and comfort more than compensate for the less impressive gas mileage.
The prices for the 2022 Telluride will be kicking off at just over $34,000, for the base model LX, to around $43,000 for the top-spec SX. You can add $2,000 on top of the price should you require an All-Wheel Drive Telluride.