Photo: The Korean Car Blog
Remember the Telluride Concept from the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit? The Sorento-based concept is now testing as a prototype on the roads of South Korea, as this spy photo from The Korean Car Blog confirms. And boy, does it look massive for a Kia!
Believed to go into production in 2019 as the replacement for the Mohave (a.k.a. Borrego), the Telluride is named after the most populous town in San Miguel County. Or more to the point, after the Telluride Ski Resort in the southwest corner of Colorado, which has 2,000 acres of skiable area.
Although it remains to be seen if Kia will classify the Telluride as a mid-size or large SUV, one thing is certain. And that is, the newcomer will slot above the seven-seat Sorento. Given these circumstances, it’s not a stretch to expect the Telluride to offer seating for seven occupants.
The proportions of the prototype, along with the wheelbase and rear-end design, are indicators the Telluride rides on a lengthened Sorento platform, itself based on the third-generation Carnival minivan. To this effect, the Telluride will be offered with front- and all-wheel-drive as a competitor to the likes of the Volkswagen Atlas.
As opposed to the Telluride Concept, the production model doesn’t feature suicide rear doors. The B-pillars are also easily noticeable, as are the square headlights and upright front grille. All in all, Kia went for the most macho look it could come up for the road-going version of the Telluride.
Developed with the United States and Australia in mind, the Telluride might not make it to Europe because there’s no demand for such large SUVs in this part of the world. Something else that might not make it to production is the plug-in hybrid powertrain of the concept, combining the automaker’s transverse-mounted 3.5-liter V6 with an electric motor.
The concept’s powertrain would be interesting as the range-topping choice if Kia could make a business case for it, for it provides 400 horsepower in total (270 from the V6 and 130 from the e-motor) while achieving more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway. On that note, here’s an excerpt from the press release for the Telluride Concept: “Kia has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear strong resemblance to preceding concepts, and Kia's large SUV is anything but a utopian fantasy.”
Although it remains to be seen if Kia will classify the Telluride as a mid-size or large SUV, one thing is certain. And that is, the newcomer will slot above the seven-seat Sorento. Given these circumstances, it’s not a stretch to expect the Telluride to offer seating for seven occupants.
The proportions of the prototype, along with the wheelbase and rear-end design, are indicators the Telluride rides on a lengthened Sorento platform, itself based on the third-generation Carnival minivan. To this effect, the Telluride will be offered with front- and all-wheel-drive as a competitor to the likes of the Volkswagen Atlas.
As opposed to the Telluride Concept, the production model doesn’t feature suicide rear doors. The B-pillars are also easily noticeable, as are the square headlights and upright front grille. All in all, Kia went for the most macho look it could come up for the road-going version of the Telluride.
Developed with the United States and Australia in mind, the Telluride might not make it to Europe because there’s no demand for such large SUVs in this part of the world. Something else that might not make it to production is the plug-in hybrid powertrain of the concept, combining the automaker’s transverse-mounted 3.5-liter V6 with an electric motor.
The concept’s powertrain would be interesting as the range-topping choice if Kia could make a business case for it, for it provides 400 horsepower in total (270 from the V6 and 130 from the e-motor) while achieving more than 30 miles per gallon on the highway. On that note, here’s an excerpt from the press release for the Telluride Concept: “Kia has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear strong resemblance to preceding concepts, and Kia's large SUV is anything but a utopian fantasy.”
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