2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Design-wise, the new 2027 Kia Telluride represents a bold reinterpretation, which could polarize some shoppers into love-it or hate-it camps. The grille, in particular, tends to divide opinions with its flat and almost faceless look that spans the entire width of the front end.

The Telluride is also one of the few vehicles that significantly changes personality depending on colour and trim level due to the body-coloured vertical strakes at each edge. In lighter paint colours, they can seem a bit jarring, but they blend in more harmoniously in darker shades. In the X-Line and X-Pro models, those strakes are gone and replaced by a series of rectangular grille blocks. Both styles feature distinctive amber accent lights flanking the grille.

The boldness continues from the side, with unique faceted and angular fender sculpting and unusual black plastic tabs atop each wheel well. They're a bit of an odd novelty that seems unnecessary, making us wonder if the design might look cleaner without them. The profile view also highlights how boxy and truck-like the hood and grille are. The rear view adopts a different style with rounded corners and vertical taillights that mimic the front accent lights. In some ways it looks like a Range Rover from behind, and that's not a bad thing.

The Telluride's interior is far less controversial with a simple horizontal dashboard layout and a rather stark and buttonless modern appearance. The U.S.-specification Hybrid SX Prestige trim we evaluated came with an optional lighter two-tone palette. It adds a more luxurious flavour akin to something we'd see from Volvo. The only drawback is the labeling on the silver buttons and cream-coloured infotainment shortcut buttons below the touchscreen is difficult to read.

The seats are covered in synthetic leather and suede, while other trims feature synthetic leather and a combination of fabric. The seats have somewhat flat and firm cushions, which can create some uncomfortable hard spots on longer drives. Surrounding material quality is excellent for the class, and buyers can choose between a few different trim surfaces. These include the engineered wood shown here, which is a laminated wood cut crosswise, and engineered carbon with irregular bits of carbon fibre pressed into a smooth surface. There are also more traditional coverings in supporting trim levels.

The standard 2027 Telluride is powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. It has less horsepower but more torque than the previous V6 engine and should deliver similar performance. It's paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and we expect all-wheel drive to remain standard in Canada. The Telluride Hybrid adds electric motors fed by a 1.65-kWh battery pack, increasing output to 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a six-speed transmission. We expect Kia Canada will follow the U.S.’s lead by not offering the hybrid powertrain in the off-road-capable X-Pro trims, but we may see it in the X-Line trim, which mimics the X-Pro's looks without the all-terrain equipment.

We spent most of our time driving the hybrid but had a brief off-road excursion in the top X-Pro model. The standard engine’s power disadvantage did not make itself known in the latter setting, and the Telluride had plenty of power to climb moderately steep grades without having to rely on momentum. The engine remains pleasantly quiet, and when driven harder it doesn't sound overstressed. For those wanting all-terrain capability, the Telluride X-Pro should exceed most shoppers' expectations as long as they're not expecting the rock-crawling abilities of a Toyota 4Runner or a Ford Bronco.

The Telluride Hybrid has more than enough power and is noticeably quieter. For the most part, we couldn't tell if the gas engine was running or not, and the transition between electric and gas was undetectable. There were a few rare occasions when the engine would spring to life and rev higher than a typical idle, but those only lasted a few seconds.

Both Tellurides are tuned for comfort and deliver a luxuriously smooth ride. The X-Pro was surprisingly comfortable, which is somewhat unusual for a model with a lifted off-road suspension. The 18-inch wheels with tall-sidewall tires easily soaked up bumps and ruts. The Hybrid SX Prestige we tested had a stiffer ride with its 20-inch wheels. It's especially noticeable over potholes, but the suspension manages to keep them from sending sharp jolts through the cabin.

Mid-range and higher trims add more sound insulation. In the top hybrid trim, the interior remained pleasantly quiet over a variety of surfaces, and wind noise is nearly imperceptible at highway speeds.

On a winding road, the Telluride is composed and controllable. Like most three-row midsize SUVs, it's not particularly sporty or inspiring, but it instills plenty of confidence. When slowing, the brake pedal effort is rather soft and can take some getting used to. In panic stops, brake response is immediate and the vehicle tracks straight with an appropriate amount of nosedive.

There's ample space for adults in all three rows of the new Telluride, though smaller passengers are better suited to the rearmost row. The seat cushions are mounted low to the floor, greatly reducing thigh support for adult-sized passengers, but headroom and legroom are adequate. Those rearmost seats also don't feel as tucked away as in some other midsize SUVs thanks to an elevated seating position that gives a better view out the front.

In our top-trim hybrid test vehicle, the second row featured power-adjustable seats with heating and ventilation. They're almost as comfortable as the front seats and also have a reclining feature comparable to a business-class domestic airline seat. The main drawback is that they take a long time to slide and tilt forward to allow third-row access. In lower trims, they manually slide and tilt much quicker.

Either way, the middle-row seats feature a lot of seat travel fore and aft, allowing for more cargo or third-row legroom if needed. There’s ample legroom even with the seats slid past the midway point, and that's even with the Telluride Hybrid which shortens second-row legroom by four centimetres.

Behind the third row, the Telluride can hold up to 631 litres of cargo, which is slightly more than rivals. The fabric covering the seatbacks and cargo floor is difficult to keep from bunching up at the crease and requires a forceful tuck into the space, though. Folding the seatbacks is much easier, needing only a tug of a strap to release. This increases the volume to 1,379 litres, which is about average for the class. All Telluride trims feature buttons in the cargo area to remotely fold the second-row seatbacks flat, offering up to 2,528 litres of cargo capacity. The hybrid models lose only about 30 litres by comparison.

When properly equipped, the Telluride can tow up to 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds), or 2,040 kilograms (4,500 pounds) for the hybrid.

For smaller personal items, the front seats have a large centre bin with deployable cupholders. There's also a shallow centre armrest bin and medium-sized door pockets. A tray underneath the centre console can hold larger items. The second row benefits from a tray and bin that slide out from the console, and even the third row has dual cupholders on each side.

Almost all Kia Telluride models come with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch touchscreen between them for climate controls. Some lower trims in the U.S. come with a smaller 4.2-inch instrument panel, but these had not been confirmed for Canada at the time of writing.

A native navigation system is also included, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and dual wireless phone chargers. The rubberized charging pads easily accept Max-sized iPhones with a bumper case and keep them well anchored while driving.

The infotainment system is easy to use thanks to logically arranged menus. We noticed a few delays between tapping the screen and the system’s response, though, and the screen often requires an unusually hard tap to register. The middle climate control screen is also difficult to use while driving as the steering wheel blocks your view. Thankfully, there are physical temperature control buttons in the centre of the dashboard, and the system requires very few adjustments once set. The row of capacitive-touch shortcut buttons below the screen is also prone to some inadvertent and frustrating activations if your hand brushes them while using the touchscreen.

A 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system is available and delivers powerful bass and clear tones. At higher volumes, the sound quality remains distortion-free. Lower trims are equipped with an eight-speaker system.

At the time of writing, neither the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had published crash test scores for the 2027 Kia Telluride.

Standard advanced safety features for all models are expected to include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, parking sensors, highway driving assist, and rear passenger sensors and reminders.

On higher-trimmed Tellurides, additional driver assistance features include a surround-view camera system, a blind-spot camera system, side parking sensors, and automatic reverse braking.

The Telluride also includes a driver attention monitor, which was the only feature that raised any operational issues. The system often triggered at night even though our eyes remained on the road. We're also not entirely sold on the blind-spot cameras that project a rear side view into the instrument panel, because we found them more distracting than helpful, especially at night.

By contrast, the highway driving assist is particularly helpful on longer trips, keeping the vehicle centred in its lane while maintaining a consistent gap to vehicles ahead. Speed changes are also smoothly executed.

Canadian pricing and fuel consumption figures for the 2027 Kia Telluride had not been announced at the time of writing. Our cost-effectiveness assessment is based on our U.S. test drive and the corresponding pricing in that market.

Compared to the competition, the 2027 Telluride is equipped similarly for feature content and competitive in regard to fuel economy. Its direct rivals include the Hyundai Palisade, the Toyota Grand Highlander, and the Honda Pilot, and only the Pilot is not available as a hybrid. While cost of the Telluride Hybrid versus the gas version is what will ultimately determine its value proposition, we expect it to vault toward the top of its segment as an appealing, efficient, and family-friendly SUV.