Is the 2023 Kia Telluride Still Top of the Heap?

Since Kia unveiled the Telluride a few years in the past, it has been one of the most desirable 3 row crossovers on the current market, combining ability, luxury, design, and price in an beautiful package that’s just the correct sizing for people. The factor that has constrained the Telluride most has been its availability in the market, with Kia claiming an regular of 4 times in between supply and sales at the dealership.

Also, Covid-19 production stoppages and source chain troubles limited the volume of available cars in the earlier two many years. Despite this, the Telluride has continued to be a prime pick by automotive journalists and customers alike.

Nonetheless, the market can change quickly and suppliers need to adapt to maintain up. Kia, for its part, has now taken the covers off the refreshed 2023 Telluride, which is a pretty slight update to its profitable bundle. Is this facelifted Telluride more than enough to keep it on top of the significant crossover section?

From the exterior, this is obviously a subtle transform: the entrance and rear bumpers have been chiseled by Kia’s structure staff to show up much more upright with greater outlined and much more integrated details. For illustration, the front air ingestion down below the grille is now improved integrated into the face of the car or truck. The grille itself has also been slightly squared off on the edges to give a beefier visual appeal. The Telluride’s headlights have been fully updated, shedding the halo effect daytime managing lights and including a a lot more upright linear topic that seems additional modern-day but has sparked a good deal of criticism from individuals who liked the amber halos of the pre-facelift model.

The taillights have been revised as nicely, showing up more purposeful and continuing the LED sample into the tailgate although shifting the reverse lamps to the decrease bumper. Some new colors and new wheel styles have been extra, and the common Dusk version has been replaced by the X-Line trim amount which comes in a styling-only X-Line variation and an X-Pro trim that consists of more compact wheels and larger all-terrain tires with some other smaller mechanical updates to make the X-Pro slightly extra able off-highway (just really don’t confuse this additional capability with a genuine human body-on-frame off-roader).

On the inside of, the previous far more classic dashboard has been replaced by a two-monitor set up with 12.3” displays for both equally the gauge cluster and the infotainment interface. This delivers the Telluride in line with other new Kia models which contain this dual-screen setup, and helps make the Telluride’s inside experience extremely a great deal like an Escalade on a budget. Further than the sprint, the seating patterns are more rugged for 2023, but very little else definitely variations on the inside of.

From a powertrain standpoint, the Telluride remains unchanged with at 3.8L by natural means aspirated V6 delivering an enough but not excessive 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. This motor also nets the Telluride an ordinary fuel financial system of 23 miles for every gallon. On the other hand, this is 1 of the areas exactly where the Telluride is really commencing to present its age in comparison to the marketplace. The powertrain is neither highly performant nor extremely fuel successful, meaning that people who have the dollars to ignore promptly elevating gasoline prices may possibly discover it underpowered and these who are more frugal will come across it exceedingly thirsty.

In comparison to opponents who have entered the sector considering the fact that Telluride to start with went on sale, this powertrain just is not incredibly competitive. For case in point, Jeep’s new Grand Cherokee L matches the Telluride in terms of luxury and has an arguably additional attractive badge, but offers a 5.7L V8 with 357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque (albeit with a decreased 17mpg ordinary). On the other side of the spectrum, a Toyota Highlander Hybrid might be somewhat a lot less appealing than a Telluride general, but sees a 35mpg average gasoline financial state, which begins to appear particularly beautiful with gas prices spiking.

Additionally, Telluride could start looking at much more competition coming from the growing popularity of full-dimension SUVs, specifically the new Toyota Sequoia which features a greater deal with extra ability and improved gas efficiency for not a great deal far more cash than a Telluride. Kia doesn’t still have an offering in this segment and I’m certain they will commence to sense this escalating competitors as the Telluride ages.

Finally, Kia needs to look at opposition from in just its company umbrella, as the 2023 Hyundai Palisade has been through a significantly more sizeable redesign and now capabilities a significantly more rugged glance. When the Telluride was without doubt the much more interesting car just before the redesign, Hyundai could pull a couple purchasers more than the fence with the most recent Palisade.

Even with these issues, the Kia Telluride continue to has a solid placement in the market place as of nowadays, and it enjoys the continued momentum of its fantastic standing. The changes for 2023 do continue to keep the vehicle contemporary, but can it keep on to its crown right until a full redesign, which is surely a good 2 or 3 decades in the foreseeable future? We’ll see, but at minimum for me, I believe it is apparent that Kia will want to handle its lackluster powertrain, potentially by incorporating a twin turbo, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid solution, and enhance the Telluride’s dimensions, or at the very least offer you a prolonged wheelbase edition, if it wants to hold up with shifts in the current market. And if Kia will get the future EV9 large electric powered crossover proper, we may possibly even see a further possibility in the Kia lineup that could steal again some of people who may be swayed by the present-day and forthcoming opposition but like the rewards of the all-electric powered E-GMP platform.