2027 Kia Telluride First Look

The all-new second-generation Telluride intensifies the original's successful midsize SUV recipe.

Manuel Carrillo III | 

Nov 10, 2025 | 3 min read

Kia

Kia has come a long way from the budget brand that entered the United States in the mid-1990s. The Telluride is an example of how the Korean automaker has moved upmarket over the decades, and the all-new 2027 Kia Telluride shows no signs of slowing down in offering a premium-looking midsize SUV for the mainstream segment.

Kia

The 2027 Kia Telluride's Striking Exterior Design

Kia has bumped up the Telluride's overall length by 2.3 inches, its height by 1 inch, and its wheelbase by almost 3 inches. The increased dimensions provide a larger canvas for an overall design that appears bolder and more imposing than before, befitting a rugged SUV.

The Telluride's blacked-out front grille and bumper provide a memorable first impression. The fascia expertly hides the headlamps at the edges of the grille, which are then framed by the amber vertical-bar LED running lamps, lending the face a distinctive look.

Kia

I'm a sucker for wide, pronounced fenders — the kind you see on classic rally cars — and the 2027 Telluride leaves me deeply satisfied in this regard. Kia presents these broad body sections using triangular creases inspired by diamond facets. Fancy. The result is a confident stance, dripping with status. The new Telluride looks as though it's commanding the terrain beneath it, rather than just sitting upon it.

Out back, the vertical-bar theme continues to the taillamps, but here, the look is more derivative, reminding me of the luxury market's Land Rover Range Rover.

Manuel Carrillo III

Experiencing the 2027 Kia Telluride X-Pro

Kia invited me to the Kia Design Center America in Irvine, California, to check out the new Telluride in the flesh. The X-Pro variant is a looker in person. Its wraparound interior is just as impressive as its exterior, with a cabin offering abundant comfort and space. The X-Pro I had the opportunity to sit inside featured high-quality, upscale materials and an attractive overall design.

It seems as though Kia's engineers paid special attention to the feel of the door-release handles, which they smartly integrated into the armrests. The releases offer a dampened, substantial tactility, lending a sensory sense of occasion every time you exit the SUV.

Manuel Carrillo III

While sitting in the front passenger seat, I gave the extending leg rest a whirl. The best thing about this feature is that you can show it off and brag to your friends. In practice, however, it's a gimmick. I'm 5-foot-10, and the leg rest isn't long enough to feel supportive for my lower legs, but people around 4-foot-11 might find it useful.

I was much more impressed with the second-row captain's chairs' seat bottoms. Calling them comfortable is an understatement. It was more like an ongoing backside caress. Moving to the third row, all you need to do is press a button, and the captain's chair moves up and forward to reveal a spacious third row. There's enough legroom and headroom back there for 6-footers, but the floor height means your knees will be sitting higher than ideal.

Kia

The New Kia Telluride, Coming Soon to a Trail Near You

The all-new 2027 Kia Telluride is expected to make its worldwide debut at the 2025 Los Angeles Auto Show and go on sale in the first quarter of 2026. Pricing and engineering specs have yet to be announced, but they are likely to be revealed closer to the SUV's on-sale date.

My first impression is that this second-generation Telluride looks to be a worthy follow-up to the award-winning original. If it ends up driving as well as it appears, then Kia may have another winner.

Manuel Carrillo III

Manuel's passion for cars began at birth, when he was delivered home from the hospital in his parents' 1977 Porsche 911 S. He's been fortunate enough to channel his intense automotive enthusiasm into a successful media career as a writer, editor, photographer, and presenter. He's also a Hollywood actor. Manuel's byline has appeared in CNET, DUB Magazine, J.D. Power, Motor1, and Robb Report, and he's also cohosted MotorTrend's Seduced by Speed. That 911 S never left the family, thankfully, and is now under Manuel's ownership. He continues to enjoy and maintain it, working toward restoring it to the condition it was when his father purchased it brand-new.