Page 74 - Motor Trend (May 2020)

ACURA RDX
Updates on our long-term fleet
MT
Already racking up the miles,
the Telluride is proving to be
a comfortable companion on
all-day photo scouting trips.
ARRIVAL: 2020 Kia Telluride S V6
EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ
20/26/23 mpg
“This isn’t the fanciest Telluride Kia
offers, but even the lower trims come
packed with value.” William Walker
Base price $35,085 As tested $36,015
ny readers unfortu-
A nate enough to have
followed my disap-
pointing year with our long-
term 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
know it was a complicated
one. A cavernous, comfort-
able interior and gutsy V-6
were not enough to overcome
the deficiencies in driving
dynamics and a persistent
steering problem. Although
74 MOTORTREND.COM MAY 2020
my opinion changed for
the better after the steering
issue was remedied, it wasn’t
enough to leave me with a
positive outlook from my year
with the supersized VW.
Say hello to the newest
member of the MotorTrend
long-term fleet, our 2020 SUV
of the Year, the Kia Telluride.
Whether it’s battling all the
new or significantly changed
SUVs during this year’s Of
The Year event or playing one
on one against the Hyundai
Palisade during a comparison
test, the Telluride has thus
far been victorious. I’m just
hoping it will be the salve to
help heal the wounds of frus-
tration left by the Atlas.
On paper, the Telluride and
Atlas look pretty similar.
Three rows of comfortable
seating: Check. V-6 engine
feeding power through an
eight-speed automatic: Check.
Front-drive: Unfortunately,
check. With an MSRP of
$36,015, our Telluride S V6
actually comes in $2,250 less
than the $38,265 commanded
by the outgoing Atlas. With
the spec charts aligning so
well, this year should be full of
comparisons between my old
dog and the new pup.
Starting one step up from the
bottom LX trim, our Telluride
S started at an impressive
$35,085. For comparison, the
base Atlas V6 with FWD will
set you back $36,490.
The S trim gets a few
upgrades from the LX. On
the inside we get a powered
and heated driver’s seat, LED
interior lamps, and a leather-
wrapped shift knob. The most
important upgrades are found
on the outside and include
20-inch wheels, a more premi-
um-looking front grille insert,
a sunroof, dual exhaust tips,
and satin chrome–finished
exterior trim pieces.
It’s not that the LX version
is a bad-looking vehicle, but
the added touches that come
along on the S trim make it
look even better. Likewise,
jumping all the way up to the
top-dog SX trim continues
the visual improvements
with slick black-finished
wheels, dual sunroofs, and
LED headlamps and foglights.
Alas, we will continue to be
envious of those who forked
over the additional $7,500
for the coolest version of the
Telluride.
Our Everlasting Silver
Telluride S is powered by
a 3.8-liter V-6 making 291
horsepower and 262 lb-ft, and
it sends all that power through
an eight-speed transmission
to the front wheels. Does all
of the power going through
the front wheels result in any
torque steer? Yes, it does. Also,