Kia said on the 21st that it unveiled the new model of the Telluride, the all-new Telluride, a North America-only sport utility vehicle (SUV), at the 2025 LA Auto Show held at the Los Angeles (LA) Convention Center on the 20th (local time).
The new Telluride is a full-change model that Kia is introducing for the first time in six years since launching the first-generation model in 2019. Kia said it is a strategic model developed by taking into account the needs and preferences of North American consumers as well as local road conditions. The Telluride will be produced at the West Point plant in Georgia and is scheduled to go on sale in the first quarter of next year.
The Telluride is Kia's representative model in the North American market. Since the first-generation model came out, 654,667 units have been sold in the United States alone through October this year. Vice President Yun Seung-gyu, head of Kia's North America regional headquarters, said, "The Telluride is a model that has completely changed how the auto industry, local media, and customers think about the Kia brand," adding, "Global sales of the Telluride are now over 120,000 units, which shows trust in the Kia brand."
The new Telluride features best-in-class space utilization and convenience and safety features. Kia also enhanced its appeal by applying a next-generation hybrid system with improved power performance and fuel economy. The exterior shapes Kia's design star map signature lighting with its distinctive vertical lamps and double lines.
Inside, dual 12.3-inch panoramic wide displays and soft mood lighting have been applied around the crash pad, center console, and doors. Kia said it improved headroom and legroom, which determine the sense of space for occupants, to best-in-class levels, and that cargo space with the rear seats folded is about 2,460 liters (L).
The biggest feature of the new Telluride is that it is equipped with a hybrid powertrain. The 2.5L turbo gasoline hybrid system delivers a combined maximum output of 329 horsepower and a peak torque of 46.9 kgf·m. While reducing displacement by more than 30% compared with the existing 3.8 GDI gasoline engine, maximum output rose by about 13% and peak torque by about 29%. The hybrid model achieved a high combined fuel economy of up to 35 MPG (Kia's own estimate, about 14.9 km/L). Maximum driving range is 965 km.
Kia also unveiled the new Telluride X-Pro model. The X-Pro model features a black matte radiator grille and wheels. It also features orange front and rear tow hooks and an interior with carbon panels. For driving, specialized features such as an X-Pro model-only terrain mode tailored for mountainous terrain and a dedicated suspension were applied to make it easier and safer to traverse rough roads.
Meanwhile, during the LA Auto Show, which runs through the 30th of this month, Kia exhibited a total of 23 vehicles, including the new Telluride hybrid model and the X-Pro model with off-road specialized features.