2023 Kia Telluride Piles On New Off-Road Trims, Safety Tech

Competes with: Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas

Looks like: The current Telluride with a facelift

Powertrains: 291-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 engine; an eight-speed automatic transmission; front- or all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Late 2022

Since its arrival for the 2020 model year, the Kia Telluride has made a name for itself as a family vehicle with heaps of value. The three-row SUV’s comfortable ride, spacious cabin and advanced safety tech landed it our Best Family Car of 2022 award, and its generous towing capacity and mild off-road capability earn it bonus points among adventure-oriented shoppers. Now, a freshened 2023 Telluride is on its way as Kia is set to reveal more at the 2022 New York International Auto Show. Highlights include two new off-road-leaning trims, plus a slew of new tech and driver-assist features.

Related: More 2022 New York Auto Show Coverage

X-Line, X-Pro Trims Join the Family

Telluride shoppers will have two additional trims to choose from when the 2023 model arrives at dealerships later in the year in the form of the X-Line and X-Pro trims, which look to offer more capability for road trips and outdoor excursions. The pair come with standard all-wheel drive, unique grille designs, trim-specific badging, higher ground clearance, and improved approach and departure angles.

The X-Line replaces the outgoing Nightfall Edition and offers raised roof rails, 20-inch wheels, a tow mode with sway control, and upgraded traction control. The X-Pro adds capability by increasing the Telluride’s towing capacity from 5,000 pounds to 5,500 pounds, swaps the X-Line’s 20-inch wheels for 18-inch black wheels with all-terrain tires, and inside adds a household-style 110-volt outlet to the cargo area.

New Front and Rear Styling

The 2023 Telluride retains its recognizably boxy exterior. The most noticeable changes are found in the front and rear, including a new grille, new front and rear bumpers, updated vertical LED headlights and redesigned taillights. The bold “Telluride” badging on the front and rear of the current model is gone for 2023. Additionally, each trim gets new wheel designs, and three new paint colors will be offered: Midnight Lake Blue, Dawning Red and Jungle Wood Green.

The Powertrain Soldiers On

The Telluride’s powertrain carries over unchanged from the outgoing model. A 291-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission powers all trims, including X-Line and X-Pro variants. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available on all but the X- trims, where it’s standard. Five drive modes — Smart, Eco, Sport and Comfort, plus Snow and AWD Lock for AWD-equipped versions — determine how power is distributed between the front and rear wheels. New for 2023 is a Downhill Brake Control feature that Kia says steadies descents on steep roads.

Interior Tweaks, Tech Gains

The Telluride’s interior gets minor updates that mainly impact the driver, including a new dashboard and steering-wheel design. The biggest change is a new standard 12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation, up from the 10.3-inch screen in the outgoing model, and an available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster panel. An available head-up display with turn-by-turn navigation, smart cruise control and blind spot warning grows from 8.5 to 10 inches. An optional full display mirror can replace the SUV’s standard rearview mirror, and a power liftgate with an auto-close function is also freshly available.

As for passenger connectivity, a Wi-Fi hot spot that connects up to five devices now comes standard, and like its predecessor, the 2023 Kia Telluride offers standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, as well as available wireless phone charging. Five USB ports are standard, and up to six USB-C charging ports are available.

Driver-Assist Features

The 2023 Telluride’s appeal as a value-packed family vehicle is enhanced with the addition of new advanced driver-assistance technologies that top off the SUV’s safety suite. New standard features include an intelligent speed limit assist that alerts the driver and can slow the vehicle based on road sign recognition, and standard emergency braking with junction turning.

The SUV’s emergency braking system is upgraded with a handful of available features, including junction crossing, lane change assist and evasive steering assist. An enhanced Highway Driving Assist 2.0 with lane change assist is also newly available; it builds on the current system that maintains a set following distance from traffic directly ahead and helps steer the SUV to keep it in its lane.

The new features join the SUV’s robust safety suite that packs automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane keep assist, lane-centering steering, blind spot detection with braking and steering intervention, and rear cross-traffic alert and intervention. Another family-oriented feature in the Telluride is the rear occupant alert that notifies the driver if a child or pet has been left behind after the doors are locked.

Pricing and Release Date

According to a Kia spokesperson, the 2023 Telluride will go on sale late in 2022, and pricing is expected to be announced closer to its arrival. For 2022, the Telluride carries a starting price of  $34,385 (including a $1,295 destination fee) for the base LX model and $44,285 for the range-topping SX.

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