It’s no Mohave, but Kia would like to remind you its family-hauling Telluride doesn’t mind getting a bit dusty.
Unveiled overnight at the 2022 New York motor show, the updated Telluride has revised styling, and an interior refresh to go with some new screens.
Changes at the front include new LED headlights with vertical graphics, a bolder take on the company’s tiger nose grille, and a simplified front bumper designed to highlight the car’s off-road capabilities.
Lettering spelling out the car’s name used to reside on the leading edge of the bonnet, but has been deleted as of this facelift.
Along the side the eagle-eyed will spot a new sill design and lower door trim, as well as new alloy wheel designs for every trim level.
At the back there’s a cleaner bumper design, which now incorporates a thin reflective strip paired with the relocated reversing lamp.
Consequently the tail-light graphics have been tweaked, while, in a slight reversal of current trends, the name badge has shrunk a little bit.
Despite its monocoque construction and likely use as a suburban family hauler, Kia is choosing to highlight the Telluride’s off-road capabilities with two new trim levels: X-Line and X-Pro.
Both sit 10mm higher off the ground and have tweaked styling. The X-Pro swaps the X-Line’s 20-inch wheels for smaller 18-inch units, and pairs them with chunkier all-terrain tyres.
Significant changes have been made in the cabin, where the upper half of the dashboard has been completely redesigned in order to accommodate a curved slab of plastic that houses a 12.3-inch instrumentation display and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Other changes include a new steering wheel, slimmer central vents, and new colour packages. High-end models now also feature a digital rear-view mirror, a larger head-up display, and a powered tailgate with automatic closing.
Wi-Fi hotspot is now standard across the entire range, and the Telluride now supports digital key functionality on various Apple and Samsung devices.
There are no changes under the bonnet with the Telluride still powered solely by a 3.8-litre V6 generating 217kW and 355Nm. The V6 is hooked up to an eight-speed automatic, and drives either the front wheels or all four wheels.
While the related Hyundai Palisade is made in South Korea in both left- and right-hand drive, the Telluride is “designed specifically for the US” and manufactured exclusively at Kia’s factory in Georgia.
As such, it has been ruled out for sale in Australia.
