2027 Kia Telluride -- And Now, The Rest Of The Story

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

LOS ANGELES -- Apologies to the late, great Paul Harvey for using his famous phrase, but it makes sense here. Kia teased the next Telluride's design earlier this month, and now we know, well, the rest of the story as it pertains to the 2027 Kia Telluride. Kia gave us the final details at the 2026 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The top bullet point in the press release touts the available turbocharged hybrid powertrain that pairs a 2.5-liter turbo four with a 1.65-kW lithium-ion battery and electric motors to put out 329 system horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Kia is touting 600 miles of range and 35 mpg combined on this one. It will use a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive will be available. A "stay" mode will allow drivers to use the hybrid battery pack to charge some accessories for a period of time -- about 20 minutes or until the battery pack is down to 20 percent -- without involving the internal-combustion engine. Towing capacity, depending on engine, is 4,500 to 5,000 pounds.

The other engine choice, which is standard, is a 2.5-liter turbo four ICE that makes 274 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. This one will be available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The off-road-oriented X-Pro trim gets wider tires, a new electronic limited-slip differential system, a new multi-terrain all-wheel drive system, 9.1 inches of ground clearance, a new screen for off-road use, and an off-road camera. The e-LSD system can shift torque left to right and front to rear and a center-locking diff keeps torque split 50/50 front to rear.

Kia has made the trucklet larger -- there's more second-row headroom, more legroom, more cargo space behind the third row, and easier access to said third row.

That's because the wheelbase expands 2.7 inches to 116.9 inches and overall length grows 2.3 inches to 199.2 inches.

Cargo space is 22.3 (21.3 in the hybrid) cubic feet with the seats all up and 86.9 cubic feet with the second and third row down.

Massaging front seats are now available, as are power and climate-controlled second-row captain's chairs. Other newly available features include a power tilt/telescope steering wheel with memory, heated seats for all rows, ground lighting for the X-Pro, and dual front wireless device chargers. Other available tech will include access to vehicle controls via smartphone or smartwatch, YouTube and Netflix streaming, and custom display themes for NBA fans and Disney fans.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available, and Kia promises plenty of device charging points across all three rows.

The on-sale date for this one is the first quarter of 2026 and the 2027 Kia Telluride will be built in West Point, Georgia.

Trim levels are as follows: LX, S, EX, SX, SX-Prestige, X-Line, and X-Pro. Pricing will be announced at some point closer to the on-sale date.

X-Pros and X-Lines will get unique styling touches and the X-Line will be available with 21-inch wheels. When it comes to ADAS, all the usual suspects and then some will be available.

Now you know the rest of the story. Sorry, Paul

[Images: Kia]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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  • Joe168791608 Joe168791608 on Nov 21, 2025

    looks immature and overwrought. Prolly stick with Ford. Our older model still looks fresh and has been very reliable. Something I cant say about our daughters Kia.

    • See 2 previous
    • Bd2 Bd2 on Nov 23, 2025

      Overwrought and attractive can exist together and this vehicle is proof of that.


  • Bd2 Bd2 on Nov 23, 2025

    Just got home from dealer conference in Perth, Australia. The Australian version will receive both the V6 and a turbo diesel variant.

  • Andarris Here in the Toronto area I haven't seen a 2006-2012 with intact rocker pannels for over two years now. I presume everywhere around the Great Lakes is the same ? They were super cheap dhring the first two years of the pandemic - could get one with less than 85K for around $6500 certified or a little higher mileage for $5000. Glad I skipped it, even in 2021 some of the 10's &11's were displaying corosion like you'd see on a 7 year older Impala, Camry or Accord. Also the mid-model switch to EPS made me balk at the few clean ones I found.
  • Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh I do not ever have delays. I only fly out of PDX or EUG to LAS or OAK and OGG then back .. have never been delayed in the last ?30-ish? trips to vegas/disneyland/maui/cruise ship vacations.... EUG has contract tsa so we never have any TSA delays. unsure which airports have PRIVATE contract TSA that is UNAFFECTED by the deadlock that i HOPE NEVER EVER END.
  • Big Al from Oz gidday mites how are yall feelin today? Want to have a barbie? We are right here gettin dee fire ready
  • Michael S6 The 3 Amigos better hope that the oil spike is short lived as 4-5 dollar a gallon gas would put a damper on their cash cows especially "Ford's strategic shift" of killing off the escape/Lincoln cousin. Most other automakers have a full line of vehicles with much better full economy. GM is sucking air and its Cadillac devision is mostly EV and geriatric line up of ICE cars and SUV's that were supposed to be phased out this year. The expensive gas may push shoppers toward EV but GM's horrible EV reliability is a barrier.
  • Tane94 I read the GM press release about first quarter sales 2026 vs 2025 and Buick is getting its butt kicked:Buick Total* 41,654 61,822 -32.6 The future is bleak for Buick.
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