In the United States they call it a mid-sized SUV.
Here, the Kia Telluride is missing in action, because it’s made in left hand drive only.
Larger than Sorento, it’s built on a modified Sorento platform but has a 20cm longer wheelbase and is 20cm longer than the seven seater at 5.0 metres — an off road version of the Carnival in effect.
It’s powered by a 217kW 3.8-litre V6, with an 8-speed auto and all-wheel drive, and being bigger than Sorento is obviously more spacious.
Imagined in America, designed at Kia’s design studio in California, and assembled in Georgia, the Telluride is billed as the largest Kia ever.
Named after the town in Colorado, the concept version was first introduced at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, with some of the interior components 3D-printed, marking Kia’s first usage of 3D printing technology.
Kia designers set out to make a statement with this one.
It provides comfortable seating for up to eight people, with the use of premium materials, attention to detail and an array of convenient features — some optional, some not.
It’s finished in double-stitched, quilted and extra-padded Nappa leather trim upholstery, simulated brushed metal and matte-finished wood, with heated and ventilated first and second-row seats with ceiling-mounted second-row climate control incorporating HVAC diffusing ceiling vents.
The third row reclines, with clever tech such as Driver Talk that employs a microphone to enhance communication with second- and third-row passengers as well as Quiet Mode that cuts audio output in second and third row so the audio choices of the front occupants are only heard in that row.
Then there’s the infotainment system, with a 10-inch touchscreen and 630-watt, 10-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system.
If you like the look of the Telluride, let Kia know — who knows with Australia’s seemingly insatiable appetite for SUVs it might become a reality.
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