2024 Kia Telluride Review

Kia’s Telluride is a popular three-row midsize SUV. The 2024 model starts at $36,190 and is available in 10 trims. Kia introduced this SUV in 2020 and implemented its most dramatic changes last year. These alterations included increased ruggedness within X-Line and X-Pro trims and upgraded driver-assist technology.

MotoPickers Rating: 9/10

The 2024 Telluride’s three-row setup seats up to seven or eight passengers, and its year-to-year adjustments are minor. All 2024 Telluride trims now receive amber-colored LED daytime running lights, while X-Line and X-Pro variants contain fresh gloss black exterior trim on areas like the grille, window surrounds, and roof rails.

Our review aims to highlight the pros and cons of this model evaluating how it stacks up against the likes of rivals, such as:

• Hyundai’s Palisade
• Honda’s Pilot
• Toyota’s Grand Highlander
• Chevrolet’s Traverse
• Ford’s Explorer
• Jeep’s Grand Cherokee L
• Volkswagen’s Atlas

Kia’s 2024 Telluride boasts a roomy cabin with comfort to match, thanks to ergonomic-shaped seats that offer consistent comfort during extended trips. The base trim offers plenty of value with its wide selection of tech and safety features, which are easy to use. However, our experience behind its wheel revealed certain flaws in areas like handling, which we’ll explore more in-depth during our performance, tech, and safety sections. Learn more about the 2024 Telluride with our findings below.

Exterior spotlight

The 2024 Kia Telluride contains standard LED projector beam headlights and new amber-colored LED daytime running lights. Still, fog lights and LED taillights are available or standard within certain trims, so we’d like to see an increase in standard LED lighting for future iterations.

This SUV’s front grille is dynamic but also understated. Optional design options for the front grille include:

• Black insert with satin chrome surround and vertical designed theme
• Black insert with satin chrome surround and horizontal designed theme
• Gloss black insert with gloss black theme

The 2024 Telluride has a body-colored rear spoiler and an increased ground clearance of 8.4” for improved capability on demanding terrain. Kia equips this SUV with low-profile silver roof rails, low-profile satin chrome (anodized) roof rails, or high-utility roof rails in gloss black. All trims except the base LX contain a twin-tip single exhaust.

Drivers can choose from the following color options:

• Everlasting Silver
• Gravity Gray
• Dark Moss
• Ebony Black
• Midnight Lake Blue
• Dawning Red
• Glacial White Pearl
• Jungle Green
• Wolf Gray

Available 18” all-terrain tires increase off-road capability alongside the elevated ground clearance, while the Telluride X-Line delivers 20” alloy wheels with a sleek gloss black finish. Dual sunroofs are optional and provide a panoramic view. Drivers seeking additional convenience may want to consider a trim with the available Smart Power Tailgate feature, which automatically closes when the smart key fob is out of range.

Competitors like Hyundai’s Palisade include both standard LED headlights and taillights. However, you won’t find certain rugged exterior features for the Palisade like you will for the Telluride, such as standard all-terrain tires and gloss black roof rails on the Telluride X-Line. Toyota’s 2024 Grand Highlander and Honda’s 2024 Pilot also contain standard LED headlights and taillights.

Interior analysis

Kia’s 2024 Telluride offers upper trims with interior configurations mirroring the quality of luxury competitors. Upholstery options include:

• SynTex suede
• Synthetic leather with premium stitching
• Nappa leather with seating trim in five-color configurations

Grades like the Telluride SX Prestige have Nappa leather in addition to heated and ventilated first/second-row seats. Drivers can equip the 2024 Telluride with heated and ventilated second-row captain’s chairs, providing best-in-class second-row legroom. Passenger comfort is enhanced by a quiet zone interior design, which prevents outside noise from invading the cabin through elements such as sound-absorbing windshield glass and sound-absorbing front door window glass.

Optional interior mood lighting is available in 64 colors, and upholstery colors include:

• Black Syntex seat trim
• Gray Syntex seat trim
• Black Leather seat trim
• Gray leather seat trim
• Mahogany leather seat trim
• Terracotta leather seat trim
• Sage green leather seat trim
• Black Nappa leather seat trim
• Gray Nappa leather seat trim
• Mahogany Nappa leather seat trim
• Terracotta Nappa leather seat trim
• Sage green Nappa leather seat trim
• Gray and navy interior with gray leather seat trim
• Gray & navy Interior w/ gray Nappa leather seat trim

Like most vehicles within its segment, the 2024 Telluride’s heated steering wheel is an upgrade. This mid-size SUV’s cargo capacity is impressive with 21 cubic feet (cu. ft.) of storage behind the third row, 46 cu. ft. behind the second row, and 87 cu. ft. with the second and third rows down. Drivers fold the second row in a 60/40 or 50/50 split-folding configuration. Third-row seats are 60/40 split folding and reclining.

While the 2024 Telluride boasts solid rear cargo space, it’s less equipped to store small items, and heated seats are unfortunately not included in the base trim. If you’re seeking the highest amount of cargo space, Honda’s 2024 Pilot may be a better choice with its 111.8 cu. ft. of storage.

Power and performance

The 2024 Telluride contains a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. Drivers can equip a Telluride with front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional all-wheel drive (AWD), which works alongside an 8-speed automatic transmission. Heavy-duty cooling technology increases the 2024 Telluride’s capabilities by optimizing heat management during demanding situations like off-roading or towing.

Drive Mode Select supplies the 2024 Telluride with Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Smart drive modes. Snow mode is standard within AWD grades. This Kia’s towing capacity ranges from 5,000 lbs to 5,500 lbs, and the suspension is self-leveling.

The 2024 Telluride contains torque vectoring corner control, which helps maintain stability by detecting excess under-steering during cornering and applying targeted braking to individual wheels while adjusting torque distribution. However, its handling feels a bit restrained and can produce an uneven throttle or choppy response during acceleration. This Kia also isn’t as fuel efficient as some competitors, with 18-20 MPG in the city and 24-26 MPG on the highway, and no hybrid powertrain is available.

Hyundai’s 2024 Kia Telluride mirrors the Telluride’s powertrain with a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing the same horsepower, torque, and towing capacities. Those seeking a hybrid powertrain may benefit from considering a 2024 Toyota Highlander, which offers a 2.5-liter hybrid with 36 combined MPG. While the 2024 Highlander exceeds the 2024 Telluride’s combined MPG, it lacks rear storage with 16 cu. ft. behind the third row and a cramped third row.

Ford’s 2024 Explorer holds its own in the performance category, with powertrains delivering 300 to 400 horsepower, including a hybrid version with 318 horsepower. Performance enthusiasts will find satisfaction with a 2024 Ford Explorer ST variant. Honda’s 2024 Pilot slightly trails the 2024 Telluride at 285 horsepower, and Jeep’s 2024 Grand Cherokee offers better off-roading, but it comes at a higher starting price of $38,035.

Tech overview

One of the 2024 Telluride’s most attractive tech feature is its 12.3” touchscreen display with navigation, which is standard across all trims. A 4.2” instrument display comes standard, but many trims contain a 12.3” instrument display forming a dual 12.3” panoramic configuration. The base audio system has six speakers, and upgrading to the Harman Kardon premium system means you’ll receive 10 speakers.

Apple CarPlay and Android are standard but aren’t wireless. A wireless smartphone charger is standard in all trims besides the base variant, and standard USB-C fast charging points are present in all three rows. Kia’s Connect app offers many of the same features as competitors, such as remote vehicle and cabin temperature control. However, Kia Connect goes above and beyond with handy features like digital key sharing, vehicle locating, and Amazon Alexa for voice command capabilities.

You can enhance your environmental awareness behind the wheel of a 2024 Telluride with the optional full-display mirror producing a digitally-generated rear view. Drivers frequently utilizing a trailer will benefit from opting for the available Tow Mode with trailer stability assist, which optimizes engine and transmission settings to foster consistent power delivery and heightened control during trailering. When Trailer Stability Assist detects swaying, it’ll apply braking to select wheels and adjust engine torque for a driver to regain stability.

Which competitors have smaller displays?

Honda’s Pilot, Toyota’s Highlander, Ford’s Explorer, and Nissan’s Pathfinder are all comparable 2024 model year Telluride competitors with smaller standard displays.

Safety capabilities

The 2024 Kia Telluride has received the IIHS’ (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) and the NHTSA’s (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) top passenger crash protection scores of Top Safety Pick+ and Five Stars, respectively. Let’s take a closer look at the standard and available safety features helping form these ratings.

Standard safety

You’d be equipped for a safe ride even if you stick with the 2024 Telluride’s standard safety offerings. Blind spot detection provides visual and auditory alerts of hazards, similar to forward collision warning predicting an impending crash with another car.

The 2024 Telluride also offers rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, which is an optional feature within some competitors’ standard models. Rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist detects cars, motorcycles, or bicyclists approaching this SUV’s side during reverse driving with audio and visual alerts before implementing automatic braking when necessary.

Park distance warning-rear builds on rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist’s capabilities by recognizing and warning you of obstacles in your reverse driving path. Lane departure warning and lane keeping assist keep you centered with corrective steering in addition to audio and visual alerts signaling lane drifting, while the driver attention warning notifies you of distracted driving patterns to avoid instances like drifting altogether.

Navigation-based smart cruise control with stop and go uses navigation data to predict upcoming curves, which will generate an automatic speed adjustment for entering the curve at an optimal pace before automatically bringing you back up to speed.

Intelligent speed limit assist provides road sign detection capability by recognizing and communicating current posted speed limits. Rear occupant alert reminds you to check back seats so nothing is left behind, and safe exit assist warns of approaching vehicles from either side.

Available safety

Optional safety features for the 2024 Telluride include:

• Blind-spot collision warning – parallel (park) exit
• Forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian, cyclist, junction turning, junction crossing, lane change oncoming, lane change side, and evasive steering assist detection
• Park distance warning – front
• Parking collision-avoidance assist-reverse
• Surround view monitor system
• Smart cruise control with stop-and-go and machine learning (adapts to your personal driving style)
• Head-up display 10”
• Highway driving assist 1.5 (controls highway driving steering, acceleration, deceleration)
• Highway driving assist 2

Highway driving assist 2 offers all the functions of 1.5 plus automatic lane changing and machine learning capabilities.

Trim price guide and owner considerations

Below are the starting prices for all of the 2024 Kia Telluride’s 10 trims:

• LX ($36,190)
• S ($38,090)
• EX ($41,790)
• SX ($45,990)
• EX X-Line ($46,085)
• SX X-Line ($49,485)
• SX X-Pro ($50,485)
• SX Prestige ($50,890)
• SX Prestige X-Line ($52,385)
• SX Prestige X-Pro ($53,385)

Kia’s warranty coverage is competitive for the 2024 Telluride. Buyers receive five years or 60,000 miles of basic protection, whichever comes first, and 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage. While the 2024 Telluride has a plethora of standard and available driver-assist features, more systems can increase the likelihood of something going wrong. Some drivers of this mid-size Kia report instances where certain systems work intermittently, while others complain of excess alerts.

Final verdict

Kia’s Telluride remains one of the market’s best mid-size SUVs with its 2024 model. It excels on all fronts and offers several trim levels that don’t force buyers to opt for more expensive trims to gain access to the select upgrades they’re seeking.

While the fuel efficiency could improve, this drawback doesn’t overshadow its 291 standard horsepower, roomy cabin with solid cargo space, extensive driver-assist features, and quality rear-row passenger specs. The outside is slightly conservative, but this design philosophy will likely appeal to many drivers who prefer exterior simplicity over the dramatic flair of certain rivals like Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. Kia’s 2024 Telluride gets a 9/10 overall rating.