NAIAS 2016: Kia Telluride Concept Just Wants To Make Sure You're Feeling Okay (Are You Sure? Let Me Check Your Forehead.)

Chris Tonn
by Chris Tonn

Kia teased a new large SUV concept last week, the Telluride, and we were able to see more of the new, uniquely styled luxury SUV today.

Clearly, the deep metallic green paint is applied to attract football fans, timed perfectly a couple weeks before the Super Bowl and the resulting guacamole gorge.

Kia notes that its concept is based on an existing platform (Sedona, perhaps?) and has suicide doors to ease access into the second row captain’s chairs. Those seats, incidentally, have built-in sensors that monitor the passenger’s health. The LED lights below the panoramic sunroof can generate a pattern of therapeutic light to counteract jetlag.

The concept is powered by a 400 horsepower, gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

Discuss this story on our Kia Telluride Forum

Kia also teased another hybrid SUV concept, the Niro, to be unveiled in Chicago in February.





Chris Tonn
Chris Tonn

Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.

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  • Shaker Shaker on Jan 13, 2016

    Looks pretty "Jeepish" to me, with the largest possible interpretation of the "tiger-nose" grille. It's OK

  • PentastarPride PentastarPride on Jan 13, 2016

    The whole thing tries way too hard to look too nouveau and futuristic and it fails. It's hard to put into words. It's too blocky on the front. It looks as if they copied the front clip of a Rolls-Royce on to this thing and modified the grille to fit the Kia look. The overall shape of the body resembles the Porsche Cayenne (which isn't an eyesore). The entire rear end is so bad that seeing it is a great alternative if for some reason there's a need to induce vomiting and syrup of ipecac isn't readily available. No words for that at all. The interior, on the other hand, isn't too space-age in looks but it's not sleek either. The GL-Class, specifically the X164, is simple yet still pretty nice--which is why I refer to it as a luxury SUV that was well-executed. The seating in this thing resembles avant-garde furniture. There's a missing B-pillar which should be very interesting as far as crashworthiness if this atrocity ever makes production. I have to admit that Kia did a decent job on the Sorento. This, however, should be crushed and put in the past.

  • El scotto No rag-top, no rag-top(s) = not a prestigious car brand. Think it through. All of the high-end Germans and Lexus have rag-tops. Corvette is really its own brand.World-leading engines. AMG, M, S and well Lexus is third-world tough. GM makes one of the best V-8s in the world in Bowling Green. But nooooo, noooo, we're GM only Corvettes get Corvette engines. Balderdash! I say. Put Corvette engines in the top-tier Cadillacs. I know GM could make a world-class 3.5 liter V-6 but they don't or won't. In the interior everything that gets touched, including your butt, has to feel good. No exceptions.Some think that those who pay above MSRP and brag about it are idiots. Go the opposite direction, and offer an extended 10-year 100,000-mile factory warranty. At a reasonable price. That's Acura's current business model.
  • Carrera 2014 Toyota Corolla with 192,000 miles bought new. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, 1 coolant flush, and a bunch of air filters and in cabin air filters, and wipers. On my 4th set of tires.Original brake pads ( manual transmission), original spark plugs. Nothing else...it's a Toyota. Did most of oil changes either free at Toyota or myself. Also 3 batteries.2022 Acura TLX A-Spec AWD 13,000 miles now but bought new.Two oil changes...2006 Hyundai Elantra gifted from a colleague with 318,000 when I got it, and 335,000 now. It needed some TLC. A set of cheap Chinese tires ($275), AC compressor, evaporator, expansion valve package ( $290) , two TYC headlights $120, one battery ( $95), two oil changes, air filters, Denso alternator ( $185), coolant, and labor for AC job ( $200).
  • Mike-NB2 This is a mostly uninformed vote, but I'll go with the Mazda 3 too.I haven't driven a new Civic, so I can't say anything about it, but two weeks ago I had a 2023 Corolla as a rental. While I can understand why so many people buy these, I was surprised at how bad the CVT is. Many rentals I've driven have a CVT and while I know it has one and can tell, they aren't usually too bad. I'd never own a car with a CVT, but I can live with one as a rental. But the Corolla's CVT was terrible. It was like it screamed "CVT!" the whole time. On the highway with cruise control on, I could feel it adjusting to track the set speed. Passing on the highway (two-lane) was risky. The engine isn't under-powered, but the CVT makes it seem that way.A minor complaint is about the steering. It's waaaay over-assisted. At low speeds, it's like a 70s LTD with one-finger effort. Maybe that's deliberate though, given the Corolla's demographic.
  • Mike-NB2 2019 Ranger - 30,000 miles / 50,000 km. Nothing but oil changes. Original tires are being replaced a week from Wednesday. (Not all that mileage is on the original A/S tires. I put dedicated winter rims/tires on it every winter.)2024 - Golf R - 1700 miles / 2800 km. Not really broken in yet. Nothing but gas in the tank.
  • SaulTigh I've got a 2014 F150 with 87K on the clock and have spent exactly $4,180.77 in maintenance and repairs in that time. That's pretty hard to beat.Hard to say on my 2019 Mercedes, because I prepaid for three years of service (B,A,B) and am getting the last of those at the end of the month. Did just drop $1,700 on new Michelins for it at Tire Rack. Tires for the F150 late last year were under $700, so I'd say the Benz is roughly 2 to 3 times as pricy for anything over the Ford.I have the F150 serviced at a large independent shop, the Benz at the dealership.
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