2021 Kia Telluride

2021 is the second model year of the first-generation (ON) Telluride, a carry-over year that keeps the only engine offered, the 3.8L Lambda II GDI V6 at 291 hp. With no optional engine, the volume trim and the range maximum are the same figure.

Peak torque arrives high, at 5,200 rpm, as is typical of a naturally aspirated V6. That trails turbocharged rivals, which make their peak low in the rev range.

About 7 seconds to 60 is adequate for a three-row family SUV but mid-pack against turbocharged rivals.

The naturally aspirated V6 is smooth and free of lag, with linear throttle response. It has to be revved for real thrust, though, and feels merely adequate when fully loaded.

The 8-speed torque-converter automatic shifts smoothly and picks gears sensibly, with no CVT drone or hunting, though kickdown for passing can be a beat slow.

A 5,000-lb rating is competitive for a unibody three-row SUV. The 5,500-lb X-Line/X-Pro rating did not arrive until 2023.

AWD is available on every trim from LX to SX, with an AWD lock and Snow/Mud/Sand terrain modes. That is sophisticated for a unibody crossover, though there is no low range.

8.0 in of ground clearance and terrain modes handle gravel and snow, but there was no off-road trim for 2021: no all-terrain tires, skid plates, lockers or low range.

A naturally aspirated 3.8L V6 with an 8-speed automatic is the only powertrain on every trim. There is no turbo, hybrid, PHEV or EV option.

The AWD V6 that most buyers choose is rated 21 MPG combined. That is typical for a naturally aspirated three-row SUV.

City economy is modest for a heavy three-row SUV with no hybrid assist in stop-and-go driving.

The 8-speed automatic helps on the highway, but 24 MPG with AWD is still modest for the class.

The large 18.8-gallon tank partly offsets the thirsty V6, giving respectable touring range.

At 21 MPG combined, the AWD Telluride's EPA annual fuel cost is among the higher figures for a mid-size SUV, though it runs on regular.

The 3.8L V6 runs on 87-octane regular with no premium recommendation and no charging to arrange. That is the simplest and cheapest fuel requirement.

NHTSA rates the 2021 Telluride 5 stars overall in both FWD and AWD form; the 4-star frontal and rollover sub-ratings are typical for a tall three-row SUV.

The 2021 Telluride earned a Top Safety Pick (not TSP+, and only with specific headlights) with Good ratings in every then-current crashworthiness test, but IIHS's new updated side test rated it Marginal with a Poor driver-pelvis measure.

Kia Drive Wise is standard from the base LX: forward collision-avoidance with pedestrian detection, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance, lane keeping and lane following assist, driver attention warning, Safe Exit Assist and Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go. Highway Driving Assist, surround view and Blind-Spot View Monitor are trim-gated.

IIHS rated both the vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime pedestrian front crash prevention Superior, avoiding collisions in all tests; no nighttime pedestrian rating exists for this model year, so the strongest band is not proven.

Blind-spot and rear cross-traffic systems intervene with braking rather than only warning, are standard from the LX, and are joined by Safe Exit Assist; SX adds the Blind-Spot View Monitor camera. No trailer-aware coverage.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist (centering) are standard on every trim and reviewers find them smooth on marked highways, with typical hunting on faded lines.

Full-speed Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go is standard and well regarded; Highway Driving Assist (combined ACC + lane following, with navigation-based speed adjustment) is reserved for upper trims, and the system is hands-on.

No hands-free highway driving is offered on any 2021 Telluride trim; Highway Driving Assist requires hands on the wheel.

The halogen lamps on the volume LX, S and base EX trims are rated Poor by IIHS for inadequate curve illumination, and even the premium LED projectors on EX Premium/SX only reach Acceptable — the reason the TSP applied only to specific headlights.

The upright, boxy body with large side glass and a near-vertical tailgate gives good sightlines for a three-row; surround-view and Blind-Spot View Monitor on SX fill remaining gaps, though lower trims get only a rear camera.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Acceptable, though three rear positions carry full LATCH hardware plus two tether-only positions, and wide rear doors and a roomy second/third row make multiple car seats practical.

2021 is a carry-over year of the first generation, which went on sale as a 2020 model. The volume EX keeps the 60/40 second-row bench, which seats 8 and is the top of the SUV band.

The upright roofline gives generous front headroom. The no-sunroof figure is used per prompt guidance. The volume EX's power sunroof costs 1.4 in.

Front legroom of 41.4 in is adequate but in the lower third of the SUV band. The wheelbase goes to rows two and three.

With the EX's front-only sunroof, the second row keeps the full 40.2 in of headroom, the top of the SUV band.

At 42.4 in, second-row legroom is above the top of the SUV band and among the best of any mid-size three-row.

The third row seats teens and average adults on shorter trips, with 31.4 in of legroom and 38.1 in of headroom. One-touch slide-and-fold second-row seats ease access, but the low cushion gives a knees-up posture.

The 46.0 cu ft behind row two is mid-pack. The 21.0 cu ft behind row three is a real strength with every seat filled.

87.0 cu ft is solid for a mid-size three-row, and the load floor is nearly flat.

Everyday storage is competitive: a deep console with a pass-through tray, big door bins, an underfloor bin behind the third row, and USB ports in all three rows. The 110V inverter is an SX-only option, so the volume EX goes without.

The front seats are widely praised for long-trip support, and the volume EX has power-adjustable, heated and ventilated leather-trim fronts. Thigh extension, memory and heated/ventilated second-row seats are SX-only, and the low third-row cushion caps the score.

The well-damped, absorbent ride is a Telluride signature, and self-leveling rear suspension is available on EX/SX. Compliance on the volume trims stays at or near the top of the class.

The cabin is quiet for a mainstream three-row. The V6 becomes audible when worked hard, and some wind noise reaches the cabin at speed.

The EX has automatic climate with rear automatic control, vents for all rows, and heated and ventilated front seats. A heated steering wheel is optional on EX/SX. Heated and ventilated second-row seats are SX-only options.

The 2021 LX FWD is the entry point of the pre-refresh first-generation Telluride. That price undercut most three-row rivals with a V6 as standard.

Telluride volume concentrated in the EX/SX band with a high AWD take-rate, so EX AWD is the representative configuration. The MSRP was retrieved; choosing EX AWD as the volume trim is a judgement call.

The naturally aspirated 3.8L V6 and conventional 8-speed automatic have no turbo or hybrid hardware, and Kia's long warranty absorbs most early repairs. Published estimates diverge, so this uses a midpoint between the CarEdge figure and broader class data.

A 2021 Telluride is now about five years old, so observed used-market values are available. They show roughly 55% of the original price retained, well above the Kia brand average. The gen-2 redesign for 2027 adds only mild pressure.

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty covered the 2021 Telluride. That beats the mainstream norm of 3 years/36,000 miles.

Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage is the segment benchmark, though it drops to 5 years/60,000 miles for second owners.

Kia included no complimentary scheduled maintenance in the US, unlike the sibling Hyundai Palisade (3 yr/36k mi) or ToyotaCare on the Highlander. The 2021 Telluride did get 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance and a UVO link connected-services trial, which puts it in the roadside-only band.

$40,815 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (56% retained, or about $22,856) leaves about $17,959 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,200 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $22,159 in total.

Both main sources call the 2021 Telluride average. J.D. Power gives it 79/100 ('Average') for Quality & Reliability, and Consumer Reports rates it about average among 2021 models. Owners mainly report problems with the self-leveling rear shocks and other suspension parts. That puts it mid-band, just above the segment median and below the class reliability leaders.

Over this period Kia was one of the strongest mass-market brands in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study, which it led outright in 2020. It sits in the upper-middle of the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study and Consumer Reports brand rankings. It is not consistently top-5, and the Hyundai/Kia group carries a heavy recall load, so it lands in the upper part of the mid-pack band.

This is the 2021 model's weakest area. Five NHTSA campaigns cover this model year, and three of them carry park-outside fire advisories. Two cover the front power-seat motor; the second was needed because the first fix was inadequate. The third covers the tow-hitch harness. A fourth covers a driveshaft engagement roll-away risk affecting 427k units. Repeated fire-risk campaigns put it in the framework's 'major or repeated recalls' band.

The 2021 Telluride uses the naturally aspirated 3.8L Lambda II V6 (291 hp) and Kia's in-house 8-speed automatic, shared with the Hyundai Palisade. This family has no systemic failure pattern like the Theta II four-cylinder engines had. The driveshaft recall concerns assembly, not wear. Scattered oil-consumption and shift-quality complaints keep it below the top of the band.

The Telluride's cabin is widely praised as near-luxury for the price. It won 2020 World Car of the Year and MotorTrend SUV of the Year, partly on interior quality, and the SX offers Nappa leather. The volume EX/S trims use more hard plastic low in the cabin, and the pre-refresh car has analog gauges with a small 7-inch cluster screen, so it sits at the top of the competitive band rather than class-leading.

Assembly at Kia Georgia (West Point) is generally solid, and Kia scored strongly on J.D. Power initial quality in this period. However, the driveshaft engagement recall is an assembly defect, and owners report windshield cracking and paint/trim complaints. That places it mid-band in 'generally solid with scattered complaints'.

Kia has roughly 750–775 US dealers, which gives practical nationwide coverage. J.D. Power rates the dealership experience for this model 'Average' (72/100), and the network is thinner than Toyota's, Ford's or Chevrolet's.

The Telluride is a high-volume three-row SUV whose powertrain and platform are shared with the Palisade, so parts are plentiful and reasonably priced. Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty also protects original owners. Aftermarket support is good but thinner than for domestic SUVs, and the self-leveling rear shocks are a costly item to replace.

The volume EX gets the 10.25-in navigation touchscreen, which is also the largest offered. LX and S make do with an 8-in unit.

The 10.25-in system has a widescreen split view, responds quickly and keeps physical volume/tune knobs and climate buttons. Reviewers called it one of the easier systems in the class. It looks dated next to later 12.3-in setups.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every trim, but wired only. No 2021 Telluride offers wireless projection.

The volume EX has embedded navigation and UVO link connected services. Voice recognition is the older command-style engine rather than a natural-language assistant. LX/S have no native nav.

The volume EX has a basic 6-speaker system. The 10-speaker Harman Kardon surround system is a solid upgrade, but it is limited to the SX.

The volume EX has analog gauges with a small 3.5-in TFT segment display. Even the SX gets only a 7-in supervision display between analog dials. No full-digital cluster is offered until the 2023 refresh.

There is no meaningful over-the-air capability. Map and infotainment updates for the 10.25-in unit are done by USB or at a dealer, and map OTA arrived only with the 2023 unit.

UVO link telematics on EX/SX adds app-based remote start with climate, lock/unlock, find-my-car and diagnostics. There is no digital key, and connected services become a subscription after the trial.

There are USB charging ports in all three rows, including second-row seatback ports, and the volume EX has a wireless charger. The ports are USB-A, and the 110V inverter is an SX-only option.

Smart key with push-button start and fob remote start are standard on every trim, and the EX adds a hands-free smart power liftgate. No phone-as-key is offered.

A rear camera and parking sensors cover the volume EX. Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor are SX-only, which is a real gap on a vehicle this large.

A head-up display is offered only on the top SX (via the Prestige package). The volume EX cannot get one.

Family logistics are the Telluride's core strength: large rear doors, 42.4 in of second-row legroom, a one-touch sliding second row and 8 seats on the volume EX. The 21 cu ft behind row three holds a stroller with every seat up.

Standard safety is strong on every trim: forward collision avoidance, lane keeping, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts, Rear Occupant Alert and Safe Exit Assist. It carries a 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick and NHTSA 5-star overall. Surround view and Blind-Spot View Monitor are SX-only.

On the volume EX: automatic climate with rear control and vents in every row, Driver Talk intercom, Quiet Mode, USB in all rows, and 46 cu ft behind row two. Heated and ventilated second-row seats are SX-only, and there is no rear entertainment.

Easy to live with: a smooth V6 and 8-speed, a commanding driving position, good sightlines, and Highway Driving Assist on the volume EX. Its size is the main daily tax.

This is the weakest use case: about 21 MPG combined for AWD on a V6, with no hybrid offered. Regular fuel and Kia's long warranty only partly offset it.

At 196.9 in long with a roughly 38.8 ft turning circle, tight urban parking takes care. The volume EX has only a rear camera and sensors, since surround view is SX-only. The big glass area helps.

It suits light-to-moderate work: 5,000 lb towing and 87 cu ft of enclosed cargo. It is a unibody family SUV with no bed, and its high-revving V6 has to work under load.

The 3.8L V6 and 8-speed are proven and carry a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Carpeted, suburban-spec interiors suit families, not abuse, and there is no fleet trim.

Work provisions are basic: roof rails, cargo tie-downs and an available hitch. The 110V inverter is an SX-only option, and there is no bed and no upfit ecosystem.

A good mile-eater: about 395 miles per tank, supportive seats, a calm ride, and Highway Driving Assist lane-centering cruise on the volume EX. Mid-20s highway MPG means more stops than a hybrid rival.

AWD with a center lock and Snow/Mud/Sand modes, 8.0 in of ground clearance, roof rails and 5,000 lb towing handle gravel roads, snow and toys. There was no rugged trim in 2021: no all-terrain tires, skid plates or low range.

Very flexible, with 21/46/87 cu ft, a flat-folding third row, an underfloor bin, roof rails, an available hitch and a hands-free power liftgate on EX. Segment leaders offer about 10 cu ft more maximum volume.

It is tuned for calm: secure and composed, with less float than a Pilot or Ascent, but it rolls in quick transitions and has modest grip. Confident rather than engaging.

The steering is accurate and consistently weighted, so the Telluride is easy to place, but it is numb. Sport mode adds weight artificially.

Four-wheel discs give adequate, fade-free stops with a firm pedal. Stopping distances are class-average for a 4,100–4,500 lb three-row.

The naturally aspirated 3.8L V6 and conventional 8-speed are smooth and linear, with no turbo lag or CVT drone. Kickdown is a beat slow, and the engine must be revved to deliver.

It is hushed at a steady cruise with no driveline vibration, but the V6 turns coarse near the top of its rev range under load.

Kia quotes a 19.4 ft turning radius for the first generation, about 38.8 ft curb-to-curb. That is mid-pack in the SUV band for a 114.2-in wheelbase.

A tall, commanding seat, a big square greenhouse with excellent sightlines, wide doors and a logical dash full of physical buttons and knobs. The only drawback is a small, dated gauge display on non-SX trims.

It is satisfying in a solid, premium-feeling way, but numb steering, comfort-first damping and a V6 that needs revs keep it from being engaging.

The $33,415 LX came with a 291-hp V6, 8 seats, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, tri-zone climate and the Kia Drive Wise suite (forward collision avoidance, lane keeping, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic, smart cruise). Rivals at that price typically offer less. The pre-refresh base car lacked the later dual 12.3-in screens and navigation, and heated/ventilated seats and the power liftgate required EX and above.

At sticker, the 2021 Telluride was the three-row content-per-dollar benchmark: a near-luxury SX cabin for about $45,600 AWD, an adult-usable third row and a 10-year powertrain warranty. Chip-shortage dealer markups, which began in 2021, eroded that advantage for many buyers.

Four core trims (LX, S, EX, SX) each come with FWD or AWD, plus 7- or 8-seat layouts, the SX Prestige package and the 2021 Nightfall Edition. That is a sensible spread, but narrower than after the 2023 refresh added X-Line/X-Pro, and the V6 is the only powertrain.

US sales reached 93,705 units in calendar 2021, up 24.7%, despite supply constraints. Demand outran production, and the Telluride was a fast riser among mid-size three-row SUVs.

The Telluride was Kia's halo product, cross-shopped against luxury three-rows and widely credited with lifting the brand, and 2021 brought Kia's new logo and identity. The Kia brand still trailed Toyota and Honda in default-choice status and brand-wide residuals.

Early in the 2021 model year some incentive and APR support was still available. From spring 2021 the chip shortage put the Telluride at or above MSRP, with widespread dealer markups and little national incentive money.

2021 was the second model year of a generation that launched for 2020, so the platform was current. The mid-cycle refresh came for 2023 and the second generation not until MY2027, so a 2021 buyer faced no imminent replacement.

This was the most decorated three-row SUV of its era. It carried the 2020 World Car of the Year, NACTOY Utility and MotorTrend SUV of the Year titles, was named a Car and Driver 10Best for 2021 (its second straight year) and was an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2021.