2027 Kia Telluride Reimagines the Brand’s SUV Flagship

Kia on Monday gave the world its first official look at the 2027 Telluride.

After the first-generation model proved a major success and showed just how serious the brand was about the mid-sized three-row segment, expectations were high. Well it’s safe to say the new model, shown first in rugged X-Pro and swanky SX Prestige trims, is going to get folks talking. A lot.

The ’27 Telluride does that most typical new-vehicle thing of being bigger in nearly every dimension. Kia says length is up 2.3 inches while the wheelbase has grown “nearly three inches,” and the whole package is an inch taller than before. For reference, the previous measurements were 196.9 inches (5,000 millimeters) in length, 114.2 inches (2,900 mm) of wheelbase, and 68.9 inches (1,750 mm) of height; unsurprisingly, the new numbers are all but a perfect match for the latest Hyundai Palisade, which shares a platform with the Kia.

But boy does the Telluride look different. No matter the model, the daytime running lights sit at the far corners of the front fascia, still in the appropriate amber hue that made the current model so instantly recognizable. The headlights themselves are wedged between the DRLs and the massive, wide grille. The SX Prestige uses a gloss-black grille insert, not to mention a body-color crossbar to break up the visual heft of the grille and lower bumper. It’s the X-Pro that goes big on matte black plastic, with the whole grille matching the lower bumper too—complete with red recovery hooks. The result is a gaping maw that looks a bit like we’re still waiting for the rest of the Telluride to load.

"With Telluride, it was a matter of being tailored and restrained – dare I say, anti-design," said Kia Design Center America VP and senior chief designer Tom Kearns. "With that approach, it was about capturing strength and luxury, tradition and modernness, into a single expression. That's what [Kia design language] Opposites United enabled us to do."

The rest of the shape is more familiar. We see wheelarches that protrude out from the body to a defined point, similar to the hippy shape seen on the K4 sedan. The greenhouse is more upright and shifted rearward, with smoother glazing and a strong reverse-rake D-pillar. Around back are thin taillights featuring an evolution of the original Telluride’s light signature. There isn’t a lot of surface detailing here, with Kia’s designers opting for large swathes of clean surfaces. This even applies to the flush-fitting door handles; yep, one of the more annoying details isn’t unique to EVs anymore.

The X-Pro model rolls on unique wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, which help to contribute to a healthy 9.1 inches (231 mm) of ground clearance for this model.

It isn’t all design for the sake of it, either. New Telluride features ground lighting from the side mirrors, rear doors, and rear bumper, which should make setting up camp much easier. There are also puddle lights to beam ‘Telluride’ onto the ground.

Like the Palisade, the Telluride appears to be getting a very serious cabin glow-up. A wrap-around dashboard design is suitably funky, with in-set wood texture trim and air vents stretching from one side to the next. Big grab handles frame the center console, a nod to the original’s. We spy dual wireless chargers, a configurable center console, and physical controls, with Kia’s contentious swappable panel nowhere to be found. Kia uses a familiar twin-screen approach, though the dashboard height may be lower on account of the screens’ top edge sitting proud of the dash. In the Hyundai, the screens are embedded fully within the dashboard.

Adventurous color schemes include the Deep Navy with Tuscan Umber shown here, as well as an available deep purple (“Blackberry”) paired with Sand Beige. The X-Pro sticks to single-color designs.

Curiously, Kia didn’t mention a single drivetrain feature of the Telluride, save for calling the Telluride the brand’s “flagship gas-powered SUV.” We suspect the same corporate 3.5-liter V6 found in the Palisade, where it makes 287 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Will the hybrid powertrain also make the jump? We’ll find out soon.

When Kia and Hyundai launched the previous versions of their three-row SUVs, it was the Telluride that arrived first, earning major accolades and becoming a strong seller. We know the new Palisade has leapfrogged the competition and we expect the Telluride to follow suit. We’ll know more at the 2027 Telluride’s full reveal on Thursday, November 20.

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