- Kia reveals the all-new 2027 Telluride ahead of its LA Auto Show debut.
- Three-row SUV grows 2.3 inches in length with a 3-inch longer wheelbase.
- North American sales, including the rugged X-Pro trim, begin early 2026.
Kia’s excellent Telluride was never what you’d call handsome, but it has looked particularly frumpy ever since the brand’s EV9 electric SUV appeared. That’s no longer the case.
Related: Kia Suddenly Pulls Its Tesla Model 3 Rival Right Before US Launch
After teasing a disguised version a few weeks back, Kia has just dropped the first clear images of the all-new 2027 Telluride and it’s just as sharp and confident as its EV cousin, but has a look that’s all its own – including what might prove to be a very controversial grille.
How Different Is It, Really?
We’ll have to wait until the full debut at this month’s LA Auto Show to get all the technical details about the second-generation Telluride, but these images show both the stock version and the (gold-colored) rugged X-Pro grade SUV inside and out.
They reveal a much squarer-looking SUV with clean surfaces and gently flared fenders, but without the kink in the D-pillar or transverse light bar that are some of the EV9’s calling cards.
Vertically-mounted LEDs front and rear offer some continuation with the old Telluride, but the grille is a major departure, and is sure to be one of the big talking points.
On most trims it’s partially blanked and contains a series of vertical bars, but the trail-themed X-Pro trim gets a much more aggressive (and divisive) block grille as well as exposed tow loops and higher-profile roof rails.
Other features of the X-Pro, a trim that first appeared on the Telluride for MY23, include off-road tires and 9.1 inches (231 mm) of ground clearance.
What’s Changed Inside?
Inside, the Ford Explorer rival does take some major inspiration from the EV9. The structure holding the twin 12.3-inch screens is perfectly rectangular this time around, the four- (or is it three?) spoke steering wheel is much more modern than the one in the outgoing Telluride.The old console-mounted gear shifter has also been replaced with a column-mounted unit, just like in the EV.
Interior space in all three rows should be improved thanks to a bigger footprint. The mk2 SUV is 2.3 inches (58 mm) longer, 1 inch (25 mm) taller and rides on a 3-inch (75 mm) longer wheelbase than the outgoing truck.
What’s Powering It Now?
Kia hasn’t shared what’s lurking beneath the new Telluride’s hood just yet, keeping that detail under wraps until the LA Auto Show. First-gen Tellurides all came with a 291 hp (295 PS) naturally-aspirated V6, but as we reported last month, that old stager is being dropped for a two-pronged and more high-tech approach.
One option is reported to be a 3.5-liter V6 making 287 hp (214 kW / 291 PS) and 260 lb-ft (352 Nm) of torque, and another should be the Telluride’s first PHEV option featuring a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline four.
EV powertrains definitely won’t be offered – that’s the EV9’s job. Kia says it’ll start delivering new Tellurides in the first quarter of 2026, with more technical details to come when it officially debuts at the Los Angeles Auto Show running from November 21 to 30.
