Page 54 - Motoring World (January 2020)

SHORT SHIFT

KIA TELLURIDE

ALONG FOR

THE TELLURIDE

Kia’s biggest and most plush
vehicle is a hit in the USA – but will

it ever come to India?

By Pablo Chaterji Photographs Kia

Is Kia on a roll? A better question On a recent trip to Kia’s American
might be ‘Does ice melt?’ or ‘Are headquarters in California, I had
Boomers quite often annoying?’ In the opportunity to briefly drive the
India, within just over four months Telluride. Like some other cars I
of its launch, the Seltos has blazed can think of, it looks a lot better
its way to the very top of the sales standing in front of you than it does
charts, becoming the top-selling in photographs (where it looks a
SUV in the country. Similarly, in little… overdone). In the flesh, it still
them thar Yoonited States, the looks the size of a studio apartment,
brand has been growing from but there are enough design
strength to strength, with models flourishes on it to keep things
like the Sportage and Soul forming a interesting — the vertically stacked
solid foundation for a sales figure of headlights, for example (with
over half a million vehicles last year. halo-like rings around them), the
The one segment of the pie that chrome grille, the apostrophe-like
the Korean brand didn’t have a tail-lamps, the enormous blacked-
finger in until recently was the full out 20-inch wheels, the clean and
fat, get-out-of-my-way, tarmac- unpretentious profile, and the
crushing SUV that Americans can’t imposing rear three-quarters. It’s
seem to get enough of — but that clear that Kia’s designers stepped
changed last January when Kia away from their otherwise European
unveiled the Telluride at the North cues with the Telluride because it
American International Auto Show simply had to look like it belonged
in Detroit. Since then, the bruiser in this category. I can just imagine
in the lineup has racked up sales the conversation between the design
of over 50,000 units which is an team and the suits:
impressive number given the kind ‘Just how old-school, massive
of competition it faces in the USA and, well, massive should we make
from well-established brands in that this thing?’
space; it has also managed to win a ‘Yes.’
few awards, so clearly it began doing The Telluride’s cabin has received
a lot of things right straight out of a lot of praise for being well built,
the blocks. premium-looking and filled with

54 MOTORING WORLD | JANUARY 2020