We first drove the Kia Telluride in Telluride when the popular SUV debuted in 2019 and have seen it become one of the Korean carmaker’s biggest success stories. But, since then, we’ve only had some brief exposure to the three-row, up-to-eight-passenger vehicle – a short drive in 2023 – and have probably spent more time in its non-identical twin, the Hyundai Palisade. 

For the not-so-far-ahead 2027 model year (wrap your head around that), the entirely revised Telluride has appeared as a reconfigured and exceptionally futurized vehicle. It now features looks that blur into Range Rover and Kia’s own EV territory – especially the future-blocky EV9 –and both an upgraded standard engine and higher-performance hybrid variants.

I got the most qualifier-elongated version of the 10-trim gasoline-engine lineup, the X-Pro SX Prestige AWD trim, which sits at the top of the pack. It cost $59,580, including delivery and a somewhat snow-resistant, flat dark earth-ish Terrain Brown matte paint job. An LX base model, by the way, is base-priced at $39,190.

Body design is indeed more smooth and sparse, especially in this black-on-tan color scheme, with a large, blacked-out grille, pop-out door handles, black wheel arches, window trim and roof rails, plus a very Range Rover-ish rear view, with thin-profile vertical brake lamps and a broad, smooth rear liftgate.

As a hugely popular attribute for my Instagram friends, the Telluride’s right-side 12.3-inch touchscreen (joined to a left-side 12.3-inch instrument display) could also be electronically customized with Star Wars thematic elements. That resulted in a disgruntled-looking Carrie Fisher at start up, and Chewbacca as the activation button for the Telluride’s off-road monitor system. The force was indeed with me.  

As we discovered with the 2023 model, the X-Pro part of the big name brings a range of pretty legitimate off-road capability (the X-Line models are more for looks). For the current model, that means extra-chunky Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires on blacked-out 18-inch wheels, upgraded suspension and 9.1 inches of ground clearance, an electronic limited-slip rear differential and a darker and blockier range of X-Pro looks both outside and inside (logos on the seats of course), which deletes the LED fog lamps found on other trims.

In addition to some very brawny looking front recovery hooks, this upgraded Telluride can take better advantage of the vehicle’s all-wheel drive and multiple terrain modes. I of course tested that pretty fully, heading up to the early May snowline above Central City.

Much like the current batch of other offroad-optimized SUVs, the 2027 Telluride does an admirable job of composed travel on tougher-than-average gravel and rocky roads. Tires are a big factor, but it remained fully in control in conditions that would certainly trouble a more standard trim.

Under the hood, Telluride now comes with a single gasoline engine, a 2.5-liter turbo that’s rated for 274 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque (the latter number has jumped by 50 from previous models). The exhaust and take-off note is a little peculiar with that combination; in-city acceleration and power is fine, but I found the Telluride was still more comfortable during uphill climbs (especially on actual offroad stretches) when optimized in the revvier sport driving mode, with buttons inside the squared-off steering wheel.     

Size has increased throughout, though not enough to be hugely obvious when parked next to the previous-generation model. The current Telluride is now 2.3 inches longer (199.2 inches) and rides on a 2.7-inch-longer wheelbase (116.9 inches). That’s felt mostly in more room in the second and third rows – this seven-passenger model featuring a comfortable, leathery pair of second-row captain’s chairs and a more compact third-row bench. Flatten all those seats and total cargo space is over 89 cubic feet. 

This highest-end build features a dark-glossy cabin that’s outfitted with a lot of Kia’s own dark-speckled carbon trim (not unlike the rocky trim in Toyota’s high-end Tacoma and 4Runner), covering the extra-large console. A dual set of grippy charging pads, three USB outlets and physical HVAC tabs complement the double-wide screens; shifting and starting is still through that oversized and semi-concealed rectangular bar, underneath the wheel. 

Seating is attractive and futuristic, with ultra-grippy ergonomic motion design for the driver and a mixture of pleated leather and suede-ish shoulders, plus EV9-styled robot headrests. 

Alternately, you can also seek out the new 2027 Telluride turbo-hybrid, which uses a hybrid version of the engine – giving it a more fulsome 329 overall horsepower – to boost its mileage to 35 mpg combined, and the ability to get as many as 637 miles of range on a single, lower-altitude, straight-line journey. It starts at $46,490.