It’s a good looking thing in a sort of butch, boxy way. First Impressions Of The 2021 Kia Telluride SX? With 213kW and 358NM of torque it’s adequate but definitely could use some extra boost. There’s only one engine available, a naturally aspirated 3.8-litre petrol V6 mated to smooth shifting 8-speed auto.

My test car came with pretty much every option you’d want including the Prestige Package which adds Nappa leather seats, heated and ventilated seats for the first and second row, premium headliner, heads-up display, and AWD. Prices in America start from US$32,720 ($45,900 approx) for the base trim LX while the range topping SX trim starts from US$42,690 ($59,000). That said, even in America this is only classed as a ‘midsize SUV’ rivalling the likes of the Ford Explorer, Mazda CX-9, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Traverse, Subaru Ascent, Volkswagen Atlas, and its Hyundai twin, the Palisade. It’s bigger than the Sorento SUV and Carnival minivan. The Telluride is the biggest car Kia has ever made, so it’s no surprise they had to build it in a country as big as the US. From a 5-hour drive back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas to driving it around central LA, I did more with the Telluride than most would. I wanted to see what all the hype for what’s basically a family hauler was about. After spending a week or so with the Stinger, Kia USA very kindly swapped it out for the top of the line Telluride SX with the Prestige Package. It was received with critical acclaim and demand for these cars meant cars on the used market have held their values remarkably well. So why write a review on it? Well, for starters I’ve been curious about this car since it was launched in 2019.

That’s a shame because the Kia Telluride does so many things well. It’s a North America market only model, it’s not even sold in South Korea as it’s made in the US so buying one in New Zealand is going to be difficult. Yes, I mean you literally can’t go into your local Kia dealer and buy a Telluride.

2021 kia telluride review