2023 KIA Telluride: What We Know So Far
2023 KIA Telluride – Kia has had success with its SUVs, with strong sales of models in the US, Sorento, Sportage, and Telluride.
For example, given how capable this vehicle is, Kia Telluride ranks #1 in the Best 8-seater SUVs and Best V6 SUVs today.
However, the similarity of all these models is the unibody construction. Kia doesn’t offer SUVs with ladder frame construction, but it seems vehicles like this – which have the potential to compete with the mighty Toyota Land Cruiser – could now be on the cards.
This isn’t the first time Kia has hinted at producing more off-road-focused vehicles.
2023 KIA Telluride
It’s an exciting move for Kia, which has a solid reputation for comfortable crossovers that excel on the road but have nothing to match the Land Cruiser and Land Rover worlds.
The move toward tougher vehicles such as large SUVs follows news that Kia also develops pickup trucks to replace the Ford Ranger.
Hyundai did the same, and its Santa Cruz pickup has been tested. Although both truck and rugged, the large SUV segment will be uncharted territory for Koreans, we’ll see from behind our shoulders whether we’re Toyota or Ford.
It’s safe to say Hyundai and Kia are on target with their new Palisade and Telluride. This three-line mid-range SUV has received a lot of praise from the automotive media, and its sales are strong in North America.
Given consumer appetite for large SUVs and low gasoline prices, can we see full-size models joining the ranks at some point? Is there room for rival Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Toyota Sequoia?
Over at Kia, some company executives have expressed their wishes quite clearly. Damien Meredith, COO of the Australian brand division, said he wanted “one or two bigger SUVs earlier this year.”
The vehicle will be based on future Kia pickups and use body-on-frame construction, not unibody structures.
Their idea was to create something tougher and more capable in off-road driving than Palisade and Telluride, two SUVs that know their way in a variety of different conditions but are primarily urban and family-oriented.
KIA Telluride Release Date
Of course, we can speculate about an engine that might be under the hood (turbo? Hybrid?), But it is still too early at this point because its development has not even begun.
Realistically, full-size SUVs coming to North America from Hyundai and/or Kia probably won’t be ready until the 2023 or 2024 model years.
