Video: 2020 Kia Telluride: First Drive

And on paper, it seems to have all the goods to go up against vehicles like the Volkswagen Atlas and Ford Explorer for the hotly contested family crossover segment. It's got a decently sized V6, you have optional seating for up to eight people. There's tons of technology inside and a long list of standard safety equipment as well. So we've come here to the absolutely gorgeous high plateaus of Western Colorado, not far from the namesake town of Telluride to see it's any good. It certainly looks the part of a proper full sized SUV. The Telluride is big sitting on a heavily modified Sorento platform that's been stretched in every dimension. It shares its underpinnings with the upcoming Hyundai Palisade but it looks nothing like Hyundai's big SUV. It's definitely the more rugged looking of the two with the styling that's a mix of Volvo, Range Rover and sort of traditional Kia elements like that tiger nose grill. The vertical LED taillights are pretty dramatic. And the overall look of the big SUV is stylish and modern without being overdone. Out on the road, the new Telluride is solid, surefooted and very stable. The ride quality is excellent even with the larger 20-inch wheels and tires, absorbing bumps and road imperfections without transmitting any harshness into the cabin. The Telluride is powered by a 3.8 liter Atkinson cycle V6 engine making 291 horsepower and 292 pound feet of torque. It sends that power to the ground through an eight speed automatic transmission and either front or all wheel drive. Acceleration and passing power is more than acceptable even at the higher elevations we drove in through the canyons of Western Colorado. It's also a very quiet motor with little powertrain noise, making it into the cabin except under the hardest foot to the floor acceleration. The Telluride handles well too especially considering its size and heft. There is somebody rolling corners and sweepers but the suspension always feels well controlled. And the steering field is excellent. Suffice it to say for the family duties that will comprise the vast majority of the Telluride's daily chores, Kia has crafted a solid, steady, comfortable, big SUV that performs beautifully. Inside, the new Telluride looks fantastic. This is the top of the line SX trim done up in Napa leather hides and astonishingly realistic looking wood and metal trim. The first and second row seats are big and comfortable with plenty of support and excellent adjustability. There are standard seating for eight with a three passenger second row bench in the LX and EX trim or room for seven people with the standard captain's chairs in the upmarket S and SX trims. The third row actually features adequate room for two full-sized adults, thanks to adjustable sliding second row seats. Kia has put enough seat belts in the third row for three people however but they're going to have to be little people as squeezing three full-sized adults back there would be quite unpleasant. One touch tilt and slide second row is standard on all models making getting into and out of the round much easier. Kia's big SUV is loaded with all of the latest technology as well with either an eight-inch or optional 10 and a quarter inch touchscreen front and center. It's clear and easy to use just like the rest of the Telluride's interior. I love that both Hyundai and Kia use big buttons everywhere, filling up the available dashboard real estate. The gauge cluster is simple but complete and features a digital central screen that shows vehicle data and switches to the blind spot view monitor cameras whenever you activate a turn signal. The Telluride features a couple of neat features as well like quiet mode that deactivates the rear speakers and turns down the volume on the front lines in case the kids in the back have fallen asleep and driver talk which mutes all audio and broadcast the driver's voice to the backseat by a built-in microphone. A high level of safety equipment has been included as standard in all Terrurides including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, automatic cruise control with stop and go, lane keep assist, automatic lane centering, blind spot detection with braking and steering intervention, rear cross traffic alert and intervention and the safe exit assist for the rear seats. That function uses the rear facing radar to detect oncoming traffic and can prevent a rear door from opening if an approaching vehicle or bicycle is detected. I found the addition of most of these features quite welcome, but the lane centering function is a bit intrusive and the lane keep assist is really over-sensitive. After the first few miles of feeling the wheel constantly shifting in my hands, I switched it off and never looked back. So the Kia includes this as standard equipment when many other automakers charge big bucks for it is really praiseworthy. We're looking at you Chevrolet. What does the Telluride not have the competitors do? Well, there is no automatic parking function either parallel or perpendicular. And frankly, no Kia actually features this ability. There is no rear seat entertainment system which is especially curious in a vehicle that's looking to be a popular family wagon. There are no rear screens, no seat back DVD system, nothing that drops from the ceiling to keep the kids entertained. There's also no power third row. The seat backs are raised and lowered manually. If you want power to third row, you're gonna have to wait for the upcoming Hyundai Palisade which should be along later this year. The new 2020 Kia Telluride is on sale right now at Kia dealerships across the country. It starts at about $32,000 on a loaded one like this SX trim can tap out at around $48,000. Now that's significantly less than a lot of competitors and represents really an astonishing value for the amount of equipment and safety stuff that you get in the brand new 2020 Telluride. If you'd like to find out more about the new 2020 Telluride or maybe find one at a dealership near you, come look us up on cars.com.