Buzz Awards: Kia Telluride Hybrid Named Best Family Vehicle For 2027
In October 2025, I stomped the accelerator and hurtled down a deserted road in rural Texas so quickly that I forgot I was in a three-row family SUV. I was one of the first journalists to test the 2026 Hyundai Palisade, with its new turbocharged, four-cylinder, hybrid powertrain. The redesigned crossover sipped fuel like a sedan and boasted a third row adults could actually use. I thought, This one will be hard to beat! Little did I know, Kia was lining up a redesigned Telluride to take down its Hyundai cousin.
Using the same platform, Kia managed to improve on the Palisade’s cargo room, add 500 pounds to the towing capacity, and bump AWD fuel economy from 29 to 31 mpg combined. The resulting crossover is cheaper than some of the runners-up, genuinely useful for family life, and has impressive safety features baked into even entry-level trims. The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid easily walked away with our pick for Best Family Vehicle of the year for this year’s Buzz Awards.
Why We Picked The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid
Three rows aren’t very helpful if you have to fold a teenager in half to use the last one. Kia made the redesigned Telluride roomier in its second and third rows, and easier to get into. Our 6-foot-5 reviewer even managed to climb into the third row. The hybrid’s upgrade to captain’s chairs for its second row improves access to the third row bench, but limits total seating to seven.
The Telluride Hybrid offers 21.3 cubic feet for cargo behind the third row, compared with 19.1 in the Palisade Hybrid. Fold the third row down, and you get 47.7 cubic feet of storage. Fold both rows down and that climbs to 88.3 cubic feet. Properly equipped, the Kia can also tow 4,500 pounds.
The turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder and electric motors deliver 329 hp and 339 lb-ft in the Telluride, paired with a six-speed automatic. That’s 55 hp more than the gas-only version.
“Two aspects of this Kia’s hybridization stand out. First, the powertrain is exceptionally quiet. Also, while the Telluride Hybrid is rated at 30 city/32 highway, you seldom see “actual” mileage stand up to the EPA’s figures. Then there’s the fact that this hybrid often shuts off the gas motor even at highway speeds. I’d hit a flat or downhill section while cruising at 70 MPH and the gas motor would go to sleep for a 20-second stint of shut-eye. The already-quiet Telluride would whisper along like an EV, and you could see the battery still being recharged (this isn’t a PHEV, so the battery is only charged by the Telluride’s motion). Cantankerous prior-gen hybrids would whine and shudder, as if the gas engine were being tortured. This hybrid never feels taxed or overwrought. It’s simply lovely to drive” Michael Frank, TopSpeed
Best of all is the fuel mileage. AWD trims earned an EPA fuel efficiency rating of 30 city/32 highway mpg (31 combined). The best rating went to the EX FWD trim: 34 city/36 highway mpg (35 combined). That’s more than twice the combined mpg of a 4WD Chevrolet Tahoe with the 6.2-liter V8 (14 city/18 highway mpg; 16 combined).
Hyundai/Kia’s secret sauce is hiding two electric motors inside its six-speed automatic: one starts the gas engine and helps generate power, while the other drives the wheels and recovers energy during braking. It’s clever packaging that gives a three-row family SUV a healthy dose of electric torque without requiring a thirsty V6.
I’d like to applaud Kia’s choice not to reserve the important safety hardware for a fully loaded $61,000 configuration. Even the entry-level Telluride Hybrid EXs get ten airbags, including one between the front occupants. Forward collision avoidance, blind-spot warnings, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, lane-keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control are standard, too. The bells and whistles don’t end there: radar-based rear occupant alert detects movement in the second and third rows after parking. Safe Exit Assist is like a blind-spot warning for the kids: It alerts passengers if another vehicle is approaching as they open a door.
What Almost Made The Cut?
2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid
The previously mentioned 2026 Hyundai Palisade won our Family Vehicle of the Year award last year. Its higher trims are genuinely luxurious, while the base hybrid actually costs less than the Telluride. Better yet, a bench-equipped Palisade seats eight, while Kia’s Hybrid only seats seven. If your family needs that eighth seatbelt, buy the Hyundai. But Kia’s extra cargo room, 500-pound towing advantage, and better AWD mileage won it the throne for 2027.
2027 Rivian R2
The Rivian R2 is a clever five-passenger adventure SUV. It has 28.7 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear bench. AWD models can tow up to 4,400 pounds with the optional towing package, though towing can significantly reduce the EV’s range. Furthermore, the planned R2 Standard AWD Long Range starts at $53,485 delivered, versus $50,035 for the Telluride Hybrid EX AWD.
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