By: Krish Persaud
August 31, 2022
Imagine yourself wandering around the 2019 North American International Auto Show floor admiring the best toys when, to your surprise, you come across a stylish premium mid-size SUV that can comfortably seat eight members of your family. You don’t immediately notice the manufacturer’s badge, but this luxurious SUV is speaking your language, so when you do, the first thing you wonder is, is that really a Kia? Yes, it is. The Kia Telluride and its Hyundai Palisade cousin set out to make a splash in the competitive mid-size SUV market.
For 2022, the strikingly styled first-generation Kia Telluride retains the same look and feel, but with a new Kia emblem and a slightly revised front grill. We contacted Kia Canada to try out this game-changer, and they graciously let us borrow their 2022 Kia Telluride SX for a week. We immediately noticed the 20-inch alloy wheels that complemented the Glacial White Pearl paint upon pickup.
The Telluride is equipped with a 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission that generates 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Although we enjoy the sound of a six-cylinder purr, flooring it is not necessary to reach highway speeds. Power delivery is linear, with good acceleration in both the city and the highway. The transmission also does a great job of smoothly going through the gears.
The 2022 Kia Telluride SX has a 12.7L/100km city rating and a 9.7L/100km highway rating for fuel economy. Over the course of our 600km test period, we recorded a respectable 10.8L/100km with a mix of city and highway driving. If rising gas prices are making you anxious, the Telluride’s 71-liter fuel tank makes it possible to travel farther between stops and, thankfully, only needs regular octane fuel.
We found the Telluride SX’s ride quality to be comfortable while easily absorbing road imperfections. The 20-inch wheels have no significant effect on the ride quality, and although the Telluride appears to be a large vehicle, it does not feel that way behind the wheel. The 360-degree camera makes maneuvering in tight spaces easier than it initially appears. Surprisingly, when we put the Telluride through a corner at a faster speed, there was minimal body movement. We came to appreciate the heavier steering, which gave us a more connected feeling with the Telluride.
If you anticipate taking extended family vacations, the Telluride’s interior is without a doubt upscale and a pleasant place to be. The front leather seats are well padded and provide just the right amount of support to make you comfortable for several hours. The cabin will be kept quiet with barely audible road noise thanks to the sound insulation. The passengers in the second and third rows won’t complain, but on longer trips, it might feel crowded. There are 601 litres of cargo space available with all seats up, or 1304 liters with the third row folded flat.
The Telluride comes with a 10.25-inch infotainment system with Uvo software which isn’t overly challenging to use. It is not at all sluggish to touch, and responds quickly. You can easily integrate Android Auto and Apple CarPlay by connecting your device to the USB port. Get your favorite playlists ready, the high, medium, and low frequencies are reproduced with accuracy through the 10-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system.
There are four different 2022 Kia Telluride trim levels, starting with the EX at $46,995, followed by the SX at $51,995, the SX Limited at $55,695, and the Nightsky at $56,695. All of these trim levels come standard with all-wheel drive. The starting price was maintained for our 2022 Kia Telluride SX test car because it didn’t have any options checked. Among other features, the SX trim adds 20-inch alloy wheels, a dual sunroof, wireless phone charging, second-row sunblinds, and front parking sensors.
The Kia Telluride has held up well over the course of its brief existence on the market; it offers a premium interior and exterior, giving the competition cause for concern. The Telluride comes equipped with every safety feature imaginable right out of the box, including a unique blind spot camera display on your instrument cluster screen, Highway Driving Assist (HDA) that excels at maintaining a safe distance from the lead car and lane centering, a well-tuned suspension that makes long drives much more pleasant, and lots more. We enjoyed our week with the Telluride and we are sure you’ll enjoy it too.
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