Kia says 2020 Telluride is its largest SUV ever

Kia is pushing for a bigger piece of the U.S. market with a vehicle that embraces all that sets SUVs apart from sedans.

Two years after the South Korean brand brought it to Detroit as a prototype, the 2020 Kia Telluride is making its debut at the North American International Auto Show, the official name of the Detroit event, on Monday.

Billed as the “largest Kia ever,” the three-row Telluride — still described as midsize by Kia — can carry eight passengers in a vehicle powered by a 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 engine, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

“Telluride is the first Kia designed specifically for the U.S. and is a product of the Kia Design Center in Irvine, (Calif.),” according to the company, which built a special course for the Telluride at the Detroit show. "From the first pencil stroke it was meant to convey the kind of presence associated with the original legendary SUVs — big, bold and boxy — and the go-anywhere, do-anything attitude their square, burly shouldered shapes suggested."

Executives at Kia and sister brand Hyundai have been hoping to better capitalize on the U.S. fascination with SUVs. Whether the Telluride is the vehicle to push Kia over the top is unclear, but it should certainly help it compete. Kia’s U.S. sales in December were up about 10 percent compared with the same month in 2017, but for the year, the brand was basically flat at 589,673.

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Much as it did when it was promoting the 2019 Sorento at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, Kia has been stressing the capability of its SUVs as it pushes for more sales. In that case, Kia showed off a Sorento it said had “crushed” the legendary Moab, Utah, off-roading site. But Kia and Hyundai have also had to contend with concerns raised by safety advocates in recent months about a rash of fires in some of their vehicles.

The Telluride unveiling aims to focus the conversation on a handsome new vehicle.
The SUV, which is assembled in West Point, Ga., will be available in four trim levels — LX, EX, S and SX — and offer front- or optional all-wheel drive when it goes on sale later this year, according to the company. Pricing has not been released.

In its press materials, Kia says the Telluride is “brimming with technology” and “born for adventure in luxury.” The company highlights a list of standard and optional features, everything from an available 10.25-inch color touchscreen with rearview monitor and parking guidance to downhill brake control and reclining third-row seats.

The company also lists several firsts for a Kia, including blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, lane following assist, safe exit assist, highway driving assist, head-up display and rear occupant alert.

That last item could be a big selling point for safety-conscious parents. The alert system “uses ultrasonic sensors designed to detect child or pet movement in the second and third row after the car’s doors have been locked and then can issue audible alerts to the driver.”

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kia says 2020 Telluride is its largest SUV ever