2023 Kia Telluride vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

Kia can barely keep up with demand for the Telluride, and its dealers and customers have told the company not to change a single thing, so you’d think it unnecessary for the automaker to invest a single penny upgrading the popular three-row crossover SUV.

Kia would disagree.

This year, the 2023 Telluride gets minor styling changes, new technologies, and some off-roading attitude in the form of new X-Line and X-Pro trim levels. We headed to San Antonio, Texas, to sample the Telluride’s new kit. And we remain impressed with this excellent family-size sport-ute.

If you have more than a couple of kids, chances are good that a regular Toyota Highlander won’t be big enough for all your needs. For many shoppers like you, the Kia Telluride and its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Palisade, have become the obvious choices. Those three-row crossovers are newer, bigger, and incredibly nice to drive.

But now there’s a new Highlander. A bigger Highlander. A Grand Highlander. This all-new midsize SUV takes a popular nameplate (which, don't worry, isn’t going anywhere) and adds a little extra space. But what separates the Grand Highlander from the field is the availability of not one, but two different hybrid powertrains. This all-new model offers plenty of space, good fuel efficiency, and the automaker’s sterling reputation for reliability. So, is the 2024 Grand Highlander an immediate three-row SUV threat to the hot-selling Kia Telluride?