By Peter Perrotta
Two of the hottest and hard to get three-row SUV’s over the past couple of years have been the highly popular Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisades.
This week’s On The Road takes a look at the 2023 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-line. I recently spent one week behind the wheel of this South Korean import.
First off, the 2023 Telluride gets a styling refresh that includes an updated grille, redesigned headlamps and a rugged new front bumper.
On the inside the Telluride has blended an all-new digital instrument panel into the front dash by incorporating dual 12.3-inch screens that serve as infotainment and gauge displays.
Moreover, navigation is now standard across any trim level as is an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot.
I must say I was quite impressed with the changes Kia made for 2023 inside and out. The Telluride continues to present itself as a “hot” mid-sized crossover.
Moreover, the Telluride also continues to receive rave reviews from the automotive press as well.
The folks at Car and Driver gave the 2023 Telluride an extremely impressive 10 out of a possible 10 rating in its overall review.
Car and Driver tabs the Telluride as “stylish and comfortable family transport with a long list of standard features. Top models offer near luxury experience.”
In its final verdict Car and Driver states the Telluride is “well-priced, nicely equipped and unquestionably refined. The Telluride is a complete package.”
I wholeheartedly agree. The Telluride is certainly a complete package.
There are seven different trim levels of the Telluride, so choosing which one is right for you might be a bit confusing.
The base model LX has a starting MSRP (Manufactured Suggested Retail Price) of $37,025 and the top-of-the-line SX-Prestige (which is what I drove) has a base price of $51,785.
The bottom-line sticker price on the SX-Prestige X-Line model I drove came in at $54,120.
Additional options included: $495 for Wolf Gray paint; $295 for a Terracotta interior color package; $210 for carpeted floor mats and $1,335 for freight and handling.
All of the Telluride models come equipped with a naturally aspirated V-6 engine that puts out 291 horsepower at 262 pound feet of torque.
The V-6 is paired with an eight speed automatic transmission on an all-wheel-drive drive train.
The Telluride does the 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) test in reasonable, but not overly impressive, 6.8 seconds.
Overall, I felt like the Telluride was adequately powered and offered a very comfortable ride, especially over rough roads or terrain.
I think adding a turbo or a battery EQ (equalizer) to give it some extra power when needed would be a good idea for this Telluride.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel consumption rating on the 2023 Telluride comes in at a less than spectacular 21 mph overall – 18 mpg in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway.
The EPA estimates that the average consumer will spend about $2,100 per year in fuel costs as it averages 4.8 gallons of gas consumed per every 100 miles.
The Telluride has not been given the government’s 5-Star crash test rating yet.
Of course, the Telluride is covered by one of the best new car warranty programs you can get. It comes standard with a 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty; 5 year/60,000 mile bumper to bumper limited warranty and five years or 60,000 miles of roadside assistance.
Overall, if you are in the market for a mid-sized, three-row crossover, the Telluride should be given serious consideration.
Peter Perrotta’s On The Road column appears every other week. For questions or comments he can be contacted at pperrotta@comast.net.
On The Road is sponsored by Capital Motor Cars of Sprindfield, N.J one of the leading car leasing brokers in the Tri-State area.
