Page 40 - Motor Trend (January 2020)

SUV OF THE YEAR
adults will fit, and smartly located seat-
fold buttons and grab handles to get in
and out of the rear doors offer better
functionality than the comparably sized
Mercedes and BMW SUVs. Then there’s
the detail stuff, like both the second and
third rows getting their own USB ports
to keep all the family’s devices happily
charged and functioning.
“Kia shames many luxury automakers
offering vehicles costing twice as much,”
Seabaugh said. “Fit and finish are superb,
materials are excellent, and the color
mixture is wonderful.”
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
The Telluride shares its platform and
mechanicals with the new Hyundai
Palisade, but carrying far different states
of tune. There’s only one powertrain
offered—the 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6 with an
eight-speed automatic—but buyers can
upgrade from the standard front-drive to
all-wheel drive on all four available trims.
It’s a $2,000 option.
Although the V-6 engine could use a
little more than its 262 lb-ft of torque
in the 4,460-pound SX AWD model, the
fully loaded Telluride is still quicker to
60 mph and over the quarter mile than
an entry-level Mercedes-Benz GLE 350
4Matic, which costs $10,000 more without with due regard to its 8.0 inches of ground
options. The Telluride also comfortably
punches above its price point in terms of
ride, refinement, and low noise levels.
And while most behemoth SUVs
must sacrifice steering and handling for
comfort, “It drives so much smaller than
it is,” Seabaugh said. “It feels like a good
two-row crossover, with crisp turn-in
and feel, excellent ride quality, and great
body control.” Its suspension is just a tad
40 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020
ON THE GNARLY, GRAINY,
CHATTERY, CHUNKY SURFACES
OF OUR 28-MILE TEST LOOP, THE
BIG KIA REALLY IMPRESSED US.
bouncy, but gusting crosswinds hardly The Telluride’s EPA fuel consumption
fazed the Telluride when driving at 100 numbers—20/26/23 mpg city/highway/
mph on our high-speed oval. combined for front-wheel-drive models
But it was on the gnarly, grainy, chattery, and 19/24/21 mpg city/highway/combined
chunky surfaces of our 28-mile test loop for all-wheel-drive models—are right on
outside Tehachapi where the big Kia really average for the segment.
impressed the judges. Editor-in-chief Ed Kia engineers have worked to control
Loh praised its “exceptional quietness and the Telluride’s overall weight, without
smoothness,” and de Nysschen noted that resorting to expensive lightweight
“suspension compliance and ride comfort materials. The loaded SX AWD weighs 196
are its strengths.” pounds more than the two-row Honda
A rotary controller on the center Passport Elite and 265 pounds less than
console—which allows drivers to switch the Cadillac XT6 Sport AWD 400.
between Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart
modes, the latter of which lets the onboard SAFETY
computers figure out the best combination All Telluride models come with an
of efficiency and response— also has impressive complement of passive and
a Snow mode, which adjusts throttle, active safety features, with technology
transmission, and traction control settings such as active cruise control, lane keeping
to suit low-friction surfaces. assist, rear cross-traffic alert, a forward
A button in the center of the controller collision alert system that also recognizes
locks the center differential for ultimate pedestrians, and torque vectoring by
traction in challenging conditions. Driven brake standard even on the base LX.
The SX comes equipped with Kia’s
clearance, 17.0-degree approach and 20.9- camera-based blind-spot monitor, which
degree departure angles, and 114.2-inch shows a high-def, wide-angle image of
wheelbase, the Telluride will comfortably the appropriate side of the vehicle on the
cope with bad roads and worse weather. digital instrument panel when the turn
signal is activated. It’s a great feature for
EFFICIENCY a quick extra check when changing lanes
Even with a standard eight-speed on the freeway and invaluable in crowded
automatic, a large three-row SUV with cities where cyclists can suddenly
a 3.8-liter V-6 engine under the hood materialize alongside while you’re making
will never be a paragon of fuel efficiency. a right-hand turn.