2025 Kia Telluride

The 2025 Telluride is a carry-over year of the first generation (2020–2025; 2026 skipped per Wikipedia) and keeps the sole 3.8L Lambda II GDI V6, so the volume trim and range max are the same figure.

Peak torque arrives high in the rev range, typical of a naturally aspirated V6 and behind turbocharged and hybrid three-row rivals that peak much lower.

Instrumented runs of the AWD V6 cluster around 7 seconds — adequate for a three-row family SUV but mid-pack against turbo and hybrid rivals in the low sixes.

The naturally aspirated V6 is smooth and lag-free with linear throttle response, but must be revved to deliver and sounds strained near redline or fully loaded.

The 8-speed torque-converter automatic shifts smoothly and picks gears sensibly without CVT drone, though it can be slow to kick down for a quick pass.

Properly equipped the Telluride tows 5,000 lbs, rising to 5,500 lbs on the X-Pro configuration — strong for a unibody three-row, short of body-on-frame rivals.

AWD is optional across the range and standard on X-Line/X-Pro, with a center-coupling lock and Snow/Mud/Sand terrain modes — sophisticated for a crossover, but no low range.

X-Line/X-Pro raise ground clearance to 8.4 in and X-Pro adds all-terrain tires, making it credible on light trails and in weather, but there are no lockers, no low range and no real underbody protection.

A single 3.8L V6 with an 8-speed automatic is the only powertrain — no turbo, hybrid, PHEV or EV choice; electrification arrives only with the 2027 second generation.

Most Telluride sales are AWD, which EPA rates at 20 MPG combined for 2025 — among the thirstiest in the mid-size three-row class without any hybrid assist.

City is the V6's weakest figure — a heavy three-row with a naturally aspirated engine and no hybrid assist in stop-and-go driving.

Highway economy trails turbo-four and hybrid three-row rivals by a wide margin.

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

At 20 MPG combined the AWD Telluride carries one of the highest EPA annual fuel costs among mainstream mid-size SUVs, though it runs on regular.

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

The 2025 Telluride carries NHTSA's top 5-star overall rating; the only blemish is a 4-star frontal crash result. 2025 is the final carry-over year of the first generation (2026 was skipped), on the same structure as the 2023 facelift.

A 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ under the tougher current criteria, with Good ratings in driver and passenger small overlap, the updated moderate overlap and the updated side test. The one shortfall is an Acceptable rating for rear-seat restraints in the updated moderate overlap test, which keeps it short of the very top of the band.

The base LX includes AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection plus junction turning, lane keeping and lane following, Highway Driving Assist 1.5, full-speed Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance, Safe Exit Assist and Rear Occupant Alert. Only HDA 2, the surround-view and blind-spot view cameras, front parking sensors and reverse parking AEB are held back for SX and above.

The standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist earns IIHS's top Good rating in the current pedestrian front crash prevention test, which includes night runs, and that rating was part of qualifying for TSP+. No result from the updated vehicle-to-vehicle test (higher speeds, motorcycle and semitrailer targets) was confirmed for 2025, so it sits at the top of the middle band rather than in the top band.

Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance (which brakes the car) and Safe Exit Assist are standard on every trim. On the LX the blind-spot system only warns (BCW), and the camera-based Blind-Spot View Monitor is SX-and-up. No trailer-aware coverage is offered.

Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Following Assist (lane centering) are standard across the range. Reviewers generally describe Hyundai/Kia centering as smooth and well calibrated on marked highways, though it hunts on faded lines like most mainstream systems.

Full-speed Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go and navigation-based Highway Driving Assist 1.5 are standard even on the LX, which is unusually generous. HDA 2.0 on SX and up adds assisted lane changes. It is smooth and well integrated but still requires hands on the wheel.

There is no hands-free highway driving system on any 2025 Telluride trim. HDA 1.5 and HDA 2.0 both need hands on the wheel.

IIHS rates the headlights Good, and every trim gets LED projector headlamps with standard High Beam Assist, so the volume trim gets the same good lighting as the top trim.

The upright, boxy body has a low beltline, large side glass and a near-vertical tailgate, so it is easy to see out of and to place for a three-row SUV. Surround View and Blind-Spot View Monitor make up for the size on SX trims, but lower trims get only the rearview camera and rear parking sensors.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Good. Wide rear door openings, an available second-row bench or captain's chairs, and tether anchors in the third row make it easy to carry several child seats.

2025 is a carry-over year of the first generation (2020 launch, 2023 refresh), with 8-passenger seating on bench-equipped trims and 7-passenger with captain's chairs. Eight seats is the top of the SUV band.

The boxy roofline gives generous front headroom. The prompt asks for the no-sunroof figure; sunroof-equipped trims give up 1.4 in.

The published 41.4 in is ordinary for the class, because the wheelbase is spent on rows two and three. Kia also lists 44.1 in at maximum seat travel, so tall drivers fit in practice.

Second-row headroom of 40.2 in is class-leading and at the top of the SUV band. That comes from the upright roof. The dual sunroof on upper trims cuts it to 38.8 in.

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 SUV. The second row also slides, so space can be shared with the third row.

With 31.4 in of legroom and 38.1 in of headroom, the third row takes teens and average adults on shorter trips. One-touch slide-and-fold makes access easy. Consumer Reports still judges it best for children, and the Grand Highlander and Traverse are roomier for adults.

46.0 cu ft behind the second row is mid-pack for a three-row SUV. The 21.0 cu ft behind the third row is a real strength when every seat is in use.

87.0 cu ft with both rear rows folded is solid for a mid-size three-row. It trails the stretched rivals (Traverse, Grand Highlander) by about 10 cu ft.

Everyday storage is competitive rather than inventive. There is a large console, big door bins, an underfloor bin behind the third row, five to six USB ports, and second-row seats that fold at the push of a button in the cargo area. Nothing here, such as a giga-console or onboard power at volume trims, would push it into the top band.

Reviewers praise the wide, comfortable front seats. The second row slides and reclines and is equally good, and ventilation arrives at EX. The low third-row cushion keeps the score out of the upper end of the band.

The suspension absorbs bumps well without floating. It is one of the Telluride's best traits, and self-leveling rear suspension is available. The X-Pro's all-terrain tires add some patter.

Quiet for a mainstream three-row SUV, and Consumer Reports lists quietness as a highlight. The V6 becomes audible when revved hard, and the cabin is not luxury-grade silent.

Every trim gets dual-zone automatic climate with automatic rear climate control and vents in all rows. Heated front seats come from S and ventilated front seats from EX, which covers the volume trims. Heated and ventilated second-row seats are limited to SX-Prestige.

The 2025 Telluride LX FWD starts at $36,390 plus a $1,545 destination charge, keeping entry pricing in the low-$38k range for a three-row V6 SUV.

The EX AWD is used as the representative volume configuration; CarEdge's 'typically equipped' transaction figure (~$49,400) suggests buyers often step into X-Line/SX trims above it.

Industry estimates put Telluride upkeep well below the average SUV over the first five years, aided by the long factory warranty covering repairs.

Projected 51% five-year depreciation is about average for a mainstream three-row SUV; the Telluride's strong demand supports residuals (J.D. Power/ALG Residual Value Award for 2025).

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty is among the longest bumper-to-bumper coverages in the mainstream market.

Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for the original owner leads the segment, double what most rivals offer.

Kia includes no complimentary scheduled maintenance in the US, but adds 5-year/60,000-mile 24-hour roadside assistance and a Kia Connect trial — basic perks only, behind Toyota's ToyotaCare.

$45,635 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (49% retained, or about $22,361) leaves about $23,274 in depreciation. Add the projected $2,796 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $26,070 in total.

J.D. Power rates the 2025 Telluride 'Great' (85/100) and placed it first in its class for initial quality, but Consumer Reports predicts only average reliability for this final first-generation year — mixed but leaning positive.

Kia sits solidly mid-to-upper pack: better than industry average in J.D. Power IQS and VDS, and ninth of 22 brands at Consumer Reports — good, but not consistently top-5.

The first-generation Telluride carries a heavy recall record, including a 'park outside' fire recall for 2020–2024 power-seat motors; 2025 itself has three recalls, one of them a safety-relevant seat-back frame defect.

The 3.8L Lambda II V6 (291 hp) with 8-speed automatic is a naturally aspirated, non-turbo layout shared with the Palisade and used across Hyundai/Kia for years, with no systemic failure pattern on this generation — solid, though not a Toyota-grade high-mileage benchmark.

Reviewers consistently cite the Telluride's cabin as upscale for its price, with soft-touch surfaces, available Nappa-style leather and dual 12.3-inch screens after the 2023 refresh.

Strong initial-quality showing (class leader in 2025 JDP IQS) is tempered by the door belt molding delamination recall, a visible assembly/finish defect across 2023–2025.

Kia has a nationwide network of roughly 750+ US dealers, adequate coverage though thinner than Toyota/Ford/Chevrolet, with average service-satisfaction standing.

Platform and powertrain sharing with the Hyundai Palisade and other Lambda V6 Hyundai/Kia models keeps parts reasonably available and repair costs typical for a mid-size three-row SUV.

Since the 2023 refresh, a 12.3-in touchscreen with navigation is standard from LX up. On the volume trim it is therefore the same screen as the top trim.

Consumer Reports calls the system user-friendly and quick to respond, and it keeps physical volume and tuning knobs. Two things hold it back: the screen is a long reach from the back of the seat-travel range, and the touch-sensitive bar that toggles between climate and audio controls draws reviewer complaints.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every trim, but only wired. The 12.3-in navigation unit fitted to all 2023–2025 Tellurides does not offer wireless projection. Universal wired support keeps it just below the middle band.

Native navigation with over-the-air map updates is standard on every trim, which is useful. Voice recognition is Kia's older command-based system rather than a natural-language assistant, so most owners use phone projection instead.

The volume EX keeps the basic 6-speaker system. A 10-speaker Harman Kardon system with subwoofer and external amp comes only from SX up; it is a solid upgrade but not a class benchmark.

The crisp, configurable 12.3-in digital cluster, which also shows the Blind-Spot View Monitor feed, comes on SX and up. For 2025 it is also standard on X-Line and X-Pro. LX, S and EX keep analog gauges around a 4.2-in TFT, so a full-digital cluster is upper-trim only.

Kia's own feature list shows only map and navigation over-the-air updates. This generation has none of the whole-vehicle OTA that Kia's ccNC/E-GMP models get, which puts it at the bottom of the 'maps/infotainment OTA only' band.

The Kia Connect app covers the core remote functions: remote start with climate, lock/unlock and vehicle finder. Digital Key 2 Touch is available from SX up. Some services require a subscription after the trial period, and the app is competent rather than outstanding.

The cabin has five to six USB ports spread through the rows, and wireless charging comes from the S trim up. A 115V outlet is available only on upper trims. Coverage is generous, but not the 'AC power everywhere' loadout of the top band.

Smart-key proximity entry, push-button start and fob remote start are standard. A smart power liftgate comes from S, and Digital Key 2 Touch phone-as-key from SX. Phone-as-key is missing on the volume EX.

A rear camera and rear parking sensors are standard. The 360-degree Surround View Monitor and Blind-Spot View Monitor are reserved for SX and up, so the volume EX buyer goes without them. That fits the 'rear camera + sensors standard; 360 on top trims' band.

A head-up display is offered, but only on the top SX-Prestige and SX-P X-Pro trims. It cannot be added to the volume trims at any price.

Family logistics are the Telluride's core strength. Big square rear doors, 42.4 in of second-row legroom, a one-touch sliding second row for third-row access, and 21.0 cu ft behind the third row for a stroller make daily duty easy. IIHS also rates its LATCH hardware Good.

This is a top-tier safety package on the trims families buy. The car is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with an NHTSA 5-star overall rating, and for 2025 Kia made second-row side airbags and Highway Driving Assist 1.5 standard from LX. Rear Occupant Alert and Safe Exit Assist are standard too. The 4-star frontal sub-score is the only blemish.

It is excellent for long trips with every row filled. Automatic rear climate control with vents in all rows, USB ports throughout, a quiet cabin and a sliding, reclining second row keep everyone comfortable, and 46.0 cu ft behind row two holds luggage for five. There is no factory rear entertainment, and Driver Talk (the intercom to the back rows) comes only from SX up.

It is relaxed in traffic. The naturally aspirated V6 and smooth-shifting 8-speed pull away cleanly, visibility from the square glasshouse is excellent, and stop-and-go adaptive cruise with lane centering is standard for 2025. Its sheer size is the main daily cost.

Commuting cost is the weak spot. The volume AWD version is rated 20 MPG combined, with no hybrid available for 2025, which puts it well behind the 34–36 MPG hybrid three-row rivals. Regular fuel and Kia's long warranty soften the per-mile hit only slightly.

A 196.9 in × 78.3 in footprint and a 38.8 ft turning circle take some care in tight lots. The upright shape and big windows help, but the surround-view and blind-spot cameras that would help most start at SX, above the volume EX.

It suits light-to-moderate work only. It tows 5,000 lb when properly equipped (5,500 lb on the 2025 X-Pro) and has 87 cu ft of enclosed cargo space. As a unibody family SUV with a V6 that must be revved under load, it is not a work truck.

The 3.8L V6 and 8-speed are a proven pair, and the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty backs them. The Telluride has no fleet or trades role, however: there are carpeted floors throughout and no work-grade trim.

Provisions are basic: cargo tie-downs, roof rails, a tow package and a 115V outlet on upper trims. There is no bed, no upfit ecosystem and no washable cargo floor as standard.

It is a strong highway car: comfortable seats, a quiet and absorbent ride, and lane-centering adaptive cruise now standard. Range is only about 376 miles on the AWD version, and a fill-up comes sooner than in a hybrid rival.

AWD with a center-lock mode, Snow/Mud/Sand settings, roof rails and a 5,000 lb tow rating handle gravel roads and trailered toys well. The 2025 X-Pro adds 8.4 in of ground clearance, all-terrain tires and a 5,500 lb tow rating. It remains a unibody crossover rather than a trail rig.

It handles bulky gear well. Both rear rows fold flat to 87.0 cu ft, the second row folds from a button in the cargo area, and there is an underfloor bin, roof rails and an available hitch. Longer rivals carry about 10 cu ft more.

Handling is secure and composed but not sporty: body roll is noticeable in turns. Measured results are still solid, with 0.82 g of skidpad grip and a strong 53.5 mph through Consumer Reports' avoidance maneuver.

The steering is accurate, evenly weighted and easy to place. It transmits little road texture, and the extra weight in Sport mode is artificial.

A 177 ft stop from 70 mph is within class norms for a 4,300–4,450 lb three-row. The pedal is firm and the brakes are fade-free, but none of it stands out.

The naturally aspirated V6 and conventional 8-speed are smooth and lag-free, with crisp shifts and no CVT or turbo hesitation. It is slow to kick down, and peak torque arrives high at 5,200 rpm.

The V6 is hushed at cruising speed and sends no vibration through the controls. It turns coarse and audible when worked hard at high revs, which hauling a full load requires.

At 38.8 ft curb-to-curb on a 114.2-in wheelbase, the turning circle is mid-pack within the SUV band. Tight garages need a deliberate three-point turn.

The commanding, upright seat gives excellent sightlines through big square windows, and the controls are straightforward, with physical knobs kept. Front seat travel extends to 44.1 in for tall drivers. The touchscreen is a stretch from rearward seat positions.

It is satisfying in the way a well-built, upscale-feeling family hauler is: solid, quiet and unflappable. With numb steering and comfort-first damping, nobody takes the long way home for the drive.

Even the $36,390 LX carries a 291-hp V6, eight seats, full driver-assist suite and, new for 2025, standard second-row side airbags and Highway Driving Assist 1.5 on every trim — content rivals often reserve for mid trims.

A fully loaded SX-Prestige X-Pro tops out near $55k with near-luxury cabin, 5,500-lb towing and the segment's longest warranty, making the Telluride a standout bang-for-buck three-row SUV.

Ten trim/drivetrain combinations (LX, S, EX, SX, SX-P, plus X-Line and X-Pro variants) with FWD or AWD span roughly $36k–$54k in evenly spaced steps, though there is only one powertrain.

The Telluride remained one of the best-selling three-row mid-size SUVs, setting Kia sales records into its final first-generation year despite its age.

Kia's image has risen sharply on the back of the Telluride itself, which earned dealer markups in its early years, though the brand still lacks the resale halo of Toyota or Honda.

With the redesigned 2027 model arriving, 2025 Telluride buyers saw meaningful offers — low-APR financing and $2,000–$3,000 cash — a sharp turn from the model's early above-MSRP era.

2025 is the final year of the first generation launched for 2020 (refreshed 2023); Kia skipped MY2026 and revealed the all-new 2027 Telluride with a hybrid in November 2025, so replacement is imminent.

One of the most decorated vehicles of its era: 2020 World Car of the Year, MotorTrend SUV of the Year, and Car and Driver 10Best every year since launch, routinely winning three-row comparisons.