2024 is mostly a carryover from the previous model year for the Telluride. But that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t hold up and still isn’t modern and appealing. Quite the contrary in fact.
While the Telluride isn’t flashy (let’s be honest minivans aren’t flashy either) the looks are still distinctive. The Telluride doesn’t just look like all the other SUVs on the road as it has a distinctive grille that accentuates other styling elements on the front fascia. On profile, the Telluride is rather lanky with a strong sloped A-pillar and a much more upright C-pillar. This gives it a stout profile. Not boxy, but not all rounded and bubbly like many other SUVs.
Completing the look is the back end with attractive taillights that take the shape of a quotation marks. These taillights flank, and box in the new Kia logo and the clean Telluride name in a simple but elegant font. Near the rear fascia is a design element that mirrors that which is found on the front fascia. This ties it all together in a subtle and simple way.
There is only one engine option for the Telluride and it’s a capable one. The Telluride is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine which generates 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard, but my tester came with all-wheel drive (AWD). An eight-speed automatic transmission does a wonderful job of keeping all the horses revving up and down.
The AWD version has an EPA rating of 18 mpg/city and 24 mpg/highway. In a week’s worth of mostly suburban driving I averaged 20 mpg.
Inside is where the Telluride gave me the warm fuzzy feeling about minivans. The large interior cabin felt great for a family. But further, the touchpoints and small design elements gave it a refined feel.
Kia’s infotainment system is intuitive and is one of my favorite systems in the industry. It’s clean, responsive and has all the technology you need plus wireless charging, smartphone integration and a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
The one area where minivans are still superior is in the third-row comfort. The third-row of the Telluride is small and best suited for children, and not adults. However the second row is spacious and comfortable with ample legroom and headroom.
There’s 21 cubic feet of space behind the third row and that expands to 46.1 cubic feet with the third row folded down. The maximum cargo area with all seats folded is 87 cubic feet.
The trim offerings for the Telluride are numerous. With only one engine there’s less decisions for a consumer to have to make, although you would have to choose between AWD and FWD. The trims available are LX, S, EX, SX and EX. Then amongst those top trims there’s options that include X-Pro, X-line and Prestige. My tester was the SX-Prestige X-Pro. That’s a lot of letters but what it translates to is a loaded Telluride with nearly every option available at an MSRP of $53,185. With a few extra niceties as well as the attractive and special Wolf Gray exterior paint color, my tester had a final price tag of $55,540.
Do I miss minivans? Yes I do, even though my daughter is all grown up and I don’t have a big family tote around. There was something that felt safe, comfortable and spacious about minivans. The 2024 Kia Telluride gave me some of those vibes and for that I appreciated.
Jimmy Dinsmore is a freelance automotive journalist. Email him at jimmydinsmore73@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @driversside.
2024 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Pro
Price/As tested price................................................ $53,185/$55,540
Mileage.......................................... 18 mpg/city; 24 mpg/hwy
Engine............................................. 3.8-liter V6
Horsepower................................. 291 hp/262 lbs./ft.
Transmission................................. 8-speed automatic
Drive Wheels................ All-wheel drive
Final Assembly Point................ West Point, GA
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