Is the 2023 Kia Telluride Still Top of the Heap?
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Since Kia unveiled the Telluride three several years in the past, it has been one of the most attractive three row crossovers on the market, combining capability, luxurious, type, and value in an attractive package that’s just the right dimension for people. The factor that has limited the Telluride most has been its availability in the sector, with Kia declaring an average of 4 times in between shipping and product sales at the dealership.
Moreover, Covid-19 production stoppages and supply chain problems limited the quantity of available cars in the earlier two decades. Despite this, the Telluride has ongoing to be a top pick by automotive journalists and buyers alike.
However, the business can change quickly and brands want to adapt to keep up. Kia, for its aspect, has now taken the covers off the refreshed 2023 Telluride, which is a really slight update to its winning offer. Is this facelifted Telluride plenty of to keep it on top of the significant crossover segment?
From the outside, this is clearly a delicate modify: the front and rear bumpers have been chiseled by Kia’s layout workforce to seem far more upright with better outlined and more built-in details. For example, the front air intake underneath the grille is now much better integrated into the confront of the car. The grille itself has also been a little bit squared off on the edges to give a beefier appearance. The Telluride’s headlights have been entirely updated, dropping the halo effect daytime functioning lights and including a much more upright linear concept that seems far more fashionable but has sparked a great deal of criticism from men and women who liked the amber halos of the pre-facelift design.
The taillights have been revised as very well, showing extra purposeful and continuing the LED sample into the tailgate when shifting the reverse lamps to the lessen bumper. Some new colors and new wheel variations have been added, and the well known Nightfall version has been replaced by the X-Line trim stage which arrives in a styling-only X-Line version and an X-Pro trim that includes scaled-down wheels and bigger all-terrain tires with some other small mechanical updates to make the X-Pro a little bit far more capable off-highway (just don’t confuse this included ability with a genuine body-on-frame off-roader).
On the inside, the former more standard dashboard has been replaced by a two-display screen setup with 12.3” displays for equally the gauge cluster and the infotainment interface. This delivers the Telluride in line with other new Kia designs which contain this dual-screen setup, and would make the Telluride’s inside really feel extremely substantially like an Escalade on a finances. Beyond the dash, the seating styles are extra rugged for 2023, but almost nothing else actually changes on the within.
From a powertrain point of view, the Telluride remains unchanged with at 3.8L by natural means aspirated V6 delivering an sufficient but not too much 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. This engine also nets the Telluride an typical gas financial state of 23 miles for each gallon. Having said that, this is a single of the regions the place the Telluride is really setting up to clearly show its age in comparison to the market. The powertrain is neither highly performant nor extremely fuel productive, meaning that all those who have the hard cash to dismiss promptly increasing gasoline rates could discover it underpowered and these who are more frugal will discover it exceedingly thirsty.
In comparison to competition who have entered the sector because Telluride 1st went on sale, this powertrain just isn’t quite aggressive. For example, Jeep’s new Grand Cherokee L matches the Telluride in conditions of luxury and has an arguably more attractive badge, but offers a 5.7L V8 with 357 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque (albeit with a lessen 17mpg normal). On the other side of the spectrum, a Toyota Highlander Hybrid may well be a bit significantly less desirable than a Telluride general, but sees a 35mpg normal gasoline economic system, which starts to appear very interesting with gasoline prices spiking.
Additionally, Telluride could start off looking at far more competitiveness coming from the growing popularity of full-size SUVs, primarily the new Toyota Sequoia which delivers a greater bundle with a lot more electrical power and improved fuel performance for not substantially far more revenue than a Telluride. Kia does not but have an providing in this section and I’m positive they will begin to sense this growing competitors as the Telluride ages.
Finally, Kia wants to consider level of competition from inside of its company umbrella, as the 2023 Hyundai Palisade has undergone a a lot much more sizeable redesign and now functions a much much more rugged glance. Although the Telluride was certainly the a lot more appealing motor vehicle in advance of the redesign, Hyundai could pull a couple buyers about the fence with the newest Palisade.
Regardless of these issues, the Kia Telluride however has a powerful situation in the market as of these days, and it enjoys the ongoing momentum of its good track record. The alterations for 2023 do hold the motor vehicle fresh, but can it hold on to its crown till a comprehensive redesign, which is absolutely a good 2 or 3 a long time in the long term? We’ll see, but at minimum for me, I feel it’s apparent that Kia will need to have to address its lackluster powertrain, maybe by adding a twin turbo, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid solution, and enhance the Telluride’s dimension, or at minimum give a lengthy wheelbase version, if it wishes to hold up with shifts in the marketplace. And if Kia gets the impending EV9 huge electric crossover ideal, we might even see a different choice within just the Kia lineup that could steal back again some of those who may well be swayed by the current and upcoming opposition but want the positive aspects of the all-electric powered E-GMP platform.
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