The SUV That Quietly Raises The Standard For Mainstream Brands

Mainstream brands have been making strides over the years in premium feel, refinement, and driving dynamics. Sometimes, there are even mainstream cars that are so nice, they truly beg the question whether it’s even worth splurging on a vehicle that’s from a premium brand. Case in point, today’s SUV raises the bar on what you should expect from a mainstream brand. Granted, this isn’t a cheap SUV, but you’ll be amazed at how much you get for your money, even in the base model.

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As a bit of a spoiler, this SUV comes from Kia—a brand that, for the past decade, has been innovative when it comes to design and premium feel. That level of ingenuity is even more apparent in today’s SUV, which not only raises the bar on what to expect from a Kia or even just SUVs, but also from mainstream vehicles in general.

Kia’s Innovative Design Choices

Kia Media

The Korean brands, particularly Hyundai and Kia, have pushed the boundaries of design over the past decade. Striking and unique design used to be exclusive to luxury models, but it is arguably Korean brands that have made striking design a must-have, even in mainstream segments. Design, after all, already gives buyers a solid first impression of what they should expect from a vehicle.

The Tiger Nose Era

Kia

Kia began hitting its design stride when the famous Peter Schreyer was at the helm of the brand’s design studio. Before Kia, he worked for Volkswagen Group, including Audi. He was partly responsible for the iconic TT’s design. This alone signals that the executive knows how to create design icons. Indeed, by the time he entered Kia, he was responsible for turning the brand from creating dull cars to one that finally had a design identity through the Tiger Nose Grille.

Perhaps the most iconic designs he created for Kia are the Soul and the Stinger sports sedan. The Stinger, in particular, also pushed the boundaries of what you should expect from the brand. For once, Kia now had a reputation for not just strikingly designed cars, but also for creating truly fun and exhilarating vehicles. The iconic Tiger Nose grille continued to be used until the mid-2020s, when its design elements were incorporated into the current Opposites United design language.

The Opposites United Era

Kia

In 2021, Opposites United became Kia’s design language going forward, as Peter Schreyer retired from the brand. The design idea is led by Karim Habib, Head of Kia Global Design. Opposites United likewise continues Kia’s forward-thinking designs. Today, this has led to even the most affordable models having a striking look versus their contemporary rivals.

Opposites United works best, in our opinion, with the brand’s two-box vehicle body styles—namely, SUVs, crossovers, and hatchbacks. The Kia K4 hatchback, the Sportage, the broad range of EVs, and even the SUV for today’s article have all been recognized and awarded for their striking designs. Admittedly, past Kia interiors have not always kept pace with their stylish exterior designs, but Opposites United also takes a bold approach to interior materials and color selection. After all, the interior is where you spend most of your time, so why not design a space that’s just as pleasing to the eye as the exterior?

Explore The Sumptuous 2027 Kia Telluride

Kia

Now, the SUV that we think is pushing the boundaries of what you should expect from mainstream brands is the new 2027 Kia Telluride. This three-row midsize SUV has been fully redesigned from the ground up, alongside the equally new 2027 Hyundai Palisade. We’ll also elaborate on why we chose the Telluride over the Palisade.​​​​​​​

Distinct Design Comes Standard

The Hyundai Palisade offers a more elegant approach to its exterior, thanks to its generous satin silver trims and elegant proportions. The Telluride, meanwhile, has a more rugged design, and this pays dividends to the lower trims. In our opinion, the Palisade looks its best with larger wheels. Meanwhile, the slightly more rugged orientation of the Telluride means that having smaller wheels works just as well as having bigger wheels.

As for the rest of the design, the front end features a large grille that is neatly integrated into the overall design. The signature Star Map LED daytime running lights are in an amber shade, while the main LED headlight clusters are cleverly concealed within the grille pattern. The side profile also features bulging wheel arches emphasized by a triangular shape, while flush door handles add a futuristic touch. Lastly, the rear end has a thick D-pillar and an upright shape, while the clean tailgate mirrors the LED daytime running lights up front.

Premium Interior With Genuine Materials

Kia

The distinct design of the 2027 Kia Telluride doesn’t end there. Inside, the Telluride has a pleasant lounge-like atmosphere. As usual in a Kia, a 12.3-inch screen running the connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) operating system comes as standard, while the SX trims and above get an additional 12.3-inch full digital gauge cluster. Truly sumptuous features are available on higher variants, such as a Meridian sound system, dual sunroofs, LED ambient lighting, heating and cooling for the first and second-row seats, power adjustment for the second-row captain’s chairs, acoustic glass on all windows, and even massaging front seats.

But where the Telluride shines is the premium build quality that you get, even in the base LX. Soft-touch materials and an absence of cheap gloss black plastics define the tasteful interior of the Telluride, complemented by brushed satin silver trim. A mix of fabric and synthetic leather is used in the LX, but higher trims get synthetic leather upholstery, or a combination of synthetic leather and suede. If you can splurge for the SX Prestige or X-Line SX Prestige, the cabin elevates further with the “Engineered Wood” interior trims, while for a more aggressive touch, “Engineered Carbon” is used in the X-Pro SX and X-Pro SX Prestige, and these are complemented by genuine metal accents.

Indulgent Driving Is Standard

Nicole Wakelin | TopSpeed

The 2027 Kia Telluride is already in dealerships, and if you’ve reached this far into the article, you’re probably already considering getting this model. To help you decide if this is the right vehicle for you, we’ll share our thoughts on the driving experience, as our team has already taken this vehicle for a quick drive.

Hybrid Option Adds Power And Efficiency

Kia

There’s no doubt that the 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder paired with an electric motor mounted in the six-speed automatic offers the best of both efficiency and power. With 329 horsepower and an EPA-estimated fuel efficiency of 35 MPG in mixed driving conditions for the most efficient variant, the Telluride Hybrid is definitely hard to resist. It is a drivetrain shared with the Palisade, and our team has nothing but praise for its performance and efficiency. That extends to the Telluride Hybrid we drove, whose punchy drivetrain delivers responsive and smooth acceleration.

Ride and handling are also another Telluride strong suit. The body is well controlled, even through the twisties, and that’s despite the comfort-biased tuning of the suspension. It’s also mighty refined. We also drove the 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder version with 274 horsepower and at most 22 MPG in mixed driving conditions, but this was limited to the off-road section. It seems Kia wanted to focus on the hybrid version’s on-road strengths, but the Telluride’s off-road capability isn’t what you’d call hardcore. It has just the right amount of ruggedness that a family would need for an occasional off-road excursion, while still preserving a high degree of on-road comfort.​​​​​​​

Spaciousness Is Also Standard

Kia

Regardless of which trim you choose, all versions of the 2027 Kia Telluride come with a spacious and versatile interior space. In fact, Kia explicitly states that with the second-row bench seat, it can seat eight people in total. Yes, the third row is designed to accommodate three people, but that’ll be dependent on how much shoulder room they’re willing to compromise. Sit in the second row, however, and you will appreciate the generous legroom it offers. There’s as much as 41.4 inches of legroom for the second-row occupants, and that airy feel is even more emphasized when you opt for versions with captain’s chairs, the dual sunroofs, or both.\

Meanwhile, at the front, the Telluride makes excellent use of its interior space through a generous number of cubby spaces. The center console area has a large storage bin as well. Keeping the cabin serene for all occupants is the standard acoustic windshield glass, while higher trims add acoustic glass to the front doors or all the way to the rear doors.

Sources: Kia