2019 Kia Telluride

MSRP: $31,690

Engine: 3.8 Liter V6

Horsepower/Torque: 291 // 262

MPG as observed: 20 in mixed driving

Text: Yousef Alvi // Photography: Geoff Dennis

Do you know what the lifeblood is that runs an automotive brand now? It’s the three row crossover. You either have a successful model and float on wads of money or you don’t and sink. This is why the new 2019 Kia Telluride is so more important to the brand. It’s either going to help bring hordes of shoppers into showroom floors or tumbleweeds. Does it have what it takes? In a simple word. Absolutely

The Telluride is not just good….it’s incredible.  That is the phrase that follows the Telluride wherever it went. Also the obligatory ‘’Wait…that’s a Kia?”.  The exterior is a home run.  It’s strong, stately and muscular.  The interior is the absolute best in it’s class. It’s beautifully styled, the quality is top notch and fit and finish superb.  Actually it’s not just superb…the interior helps elevate Kia into another market.  Taking a page out of Mazda’s playbook…it’s almost luxury car good.

Interior space in the Telluride is akin to the VW Atlas and the Chevrolet Traverse.  All three are mammoth crossovers designed for families.  All three can fit full size humans in the third row and have actual items go in the cargo area with it up. So what is the lynch pin in all of this? Looks can be subjective so again it comes down to interior quality. The Telluride has them beat.

The Telluride is powered by a 3.8 liter V6 making 291 horsepower and 262 ft/lbs of torque, bolted to a 8 speed transmission.  The V6 is smooth and buttery but the stellar part is the gas mileage.  We were getting 20 mpg on average.  Whereas my wife’s Atlas is getting a less than stellar 16 mpg on average.  The 8 speed auto works seamlessly in the background, delivering smooth shifts across the board.  Handling wise, the AWD Telluride we had worked brilliantly.  One can actually feel the torque being distributed from front to rear during aggressive cornering and unlike the CX-9, not a hint of wheel-spin.  

So what do I think of the 2019 Kia Telluride? Other manufacturers take notice…there is a new benchmark on the road.