Telluride is Kia’s full-size SUV, shares underpinnings with the Hyundai Palisade.
12 Nov 2025 | 2630 Views | By Akbar Merchant
Kia has released the first set of official images of the all-new Telluride SUV that will make its North American Debut at the upcoming LA Auto Show 2025. The new SUV's styling, highlighted by a bold and potentially divisive grille design is an instant design highlight and is expected to ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
Kia has released the first set of official images of the all-new Telluride SUV that will make its North American Debut at the upcoming LA Auto Show 2025. The new SUV's styling, highlighted by a bold and potentially divisive grille design is an instant design highlight and is expected to be seen in upcoming Kia SUVs like the new Seltos that will see a global debut in December.
Kia will reveal full specifications and feature details of the new Telluride at the LA Auto show in the coming days. For now, these images give us a detailed look at both the standard Telluride and the rugged X-Pro trim, which returns with an even more assertive presence.
The new Telluride SUV is now 58mm longer, 25mm taller, and rides on a 75mm longer wheelbase compared to its predecessor. It adopts a squarer, more upright design with cleaner surfaces and subtly flared fenders. It gets vertically stacked LED headlights and taillights provide continuity with the outgoing model, but the new grille design is a major talking point. On most trims, it features partially blanked vertical bars, while the rugged Telluride X-Pro gets a more aggressive, block-style grille, exposed tow hooks, chunky roof rails, and off-road tires. Ground clearance has also been increased to 9.1 inches (231 mm) for this variant.
Kia has yet to confirm powertrain details, but reports suggest the old 291hp naturally aspirated V6 will be replaced by two new options. The first is expected to be a 3.5-litre V6 producing 287hp and 352Nm, while the second will be the Telluride’s first plug-in hybrid (PHEV), pairing a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder with electric assistance for improved performance and efficiency.
While the Telluride is not on sale in India and there is no news of the SUV headed here, it rivals the likes of the Toyota Grand Highlander, the Honda Pilot and a few other similarly sized SUVs sold abroad. For India, Kia is readying the market launch of the second-gen Seltos that will see a global debut on December 10 followed by an India launch sometime next year.