KIA Telluride is a front- or all-wheel-drive SUV of a full-size category, which is not only the “undisputed flagship” of the KIA crossover line, but in general the largest model in the entire history of the South Korean automaker ... A car that combines a truly brutal design, high-quality and spacious interior and high-performance equipment, focused primarily on well-to-do family men with one or more children, for whom the level of comfort and safety in a vehicle is especially important ...
The world premiere of the serial off-road vehicle KIA Telluride, named after a small town in Colorado, took place in January 2019 at the stands of the North American International Auto Show ... while in the conceptual guise of a five-door at one time it was first demonstrated in the same place in Detroit in January 2016, and after and in September 2018 at New York Fashion Week.
Exterior
The car, which became the nominal successor of the Mohave frame SUV and developed in the brand's California design center, distinguished itself with obvious Americanism in appearance, tried on a modern seven- or eight-seater saloon, "armed" with a powerful gasoline engine and received a wide range of innovative options.
Outside, the KIA Telluride makes you draw attention to itself, and not only due to its gigantic size - the crossover looks really attractive, deliberately brutal, impressive and balanced, and there is a touch of premium coolness in its appearance. The front of the car is decorated with a monumental chrome grille with a large-mesh pattern, which occupies almost the entire area between the expressive headlight units, and a massive bumper, and its stern contains a huge tailgate, stylish boomerang lights and a neat bumper with a double exhaust pipe located closer to to starboard.
In profile, the SUV exudes self-confidence and harmonious proportions, accentuated by a long bonnet, a slightly sloping roofline, a powerful shoulder line, embossed sidewalls and hefty flourishes of wheel arches.
Size and weight
In terms of its dimensions, KIA Telluride is a full-fledged representative of the full-size segment: it is 5001 mm long, 1989 mm wide, 1750 mm high (including roof rails - 1760 mm). The SUV has a wheelbase of 2901 mm, and its ground clearance ranges from 200-203 mm.
Depending on the modification, in the curb condition the car weighs from 1865 to 2033 kg, and its gross weight is from 2620 to 2684 kg (while it is also capable of pulling trailers weighing up to 2268 kg).
Interior
Inside, Telluride meets its inhabitants with a beautiful and stylish design, ergonomics verified to the smallest detail and ostentatious luxury (just ostentatious because all the “polished metal” and “matte wood” are made of plastic). In the driver's workplace there is a weighty multifunctional steering wheel with a four-spoke rim and a modern "toolkit" that combines several dial gauges of the main instruments and a color display of the onboard computer. A “tablet” (8 or 10.25 inches) of the infotainment complex protrudes from the massive front panel in the center, under which the keys and knobs of the audio system, air conditioning and other auxiliary functions are lined up in several rows.
The standard KIA Telluride salon has an eight-seat layout, that is, it boasts a full-fledged "gallery" that can accommodate three passengers.
At the same time, for the front riders, in any case, there are ergonomically profiled seats with well-pronounced lateral support, a large number of electrical adjustments and heating (in the "top" versions - also ventilation).
As for the second row, a comfortable three-seater sofa is installed by default, which is optionally replaced by two separate seats that move back and forth using an electric drive.
To match the size of the "Telluride" and the trunk - even with an eight- / seven-seat layout, its volume is 595 liters according to the American EPA method. The seats of the third and second rows fold into a flat area, significantly increasing the useful capacity of the "hold" - up to 1302 liters and 2464 liters, respectively.
Characteristics
Under the hood of the KIA Telluride is a six-cylinder gasoline "aspirated" GDI of the Lambda II family with a working volume of 3.8 liters, operating according to the Atkinson cycle, with a V-configuration, a direct injection system, an aluminum head and a cylinder block, variable valve timing and a 24-valve timing, generating 291 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 355 Nm of torque at 5200 rpm.
As a standard, the car relies on an 8-speed hydromechanical "automatic", capable of switching to parking mode without interference when opening any of the doors or turning off the engine, and the drive wheels of the front axle.
For a surcharge, the crossover is equipped with an all-wheel drive transmission with an electro-hydraulic rear wheel clutch, which has six operating algorithms - Eco, Smart, Comfort, Snow, Sport and Lock. Under normal conditions, the front wheels consume 100% of the traction, however, up to 50% of the potential can be thrown back, depending on the selected driving mode.
How dynamic and fast the full-size SUV is is not yet reported. At the same time, its passport fuel consumption varies from 10.2 to 11.2 liters for each “hundred” of the mileage in the combined mode (in favor of front-wheel drive versions).
Telluride is based on the front-wheel-drive architecture, also familiar from the KIA Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe, which includes a transverse powerplant and a monocoque body made up of nearly 60% high-strength steel grades. The car is equipped with fully independent suspensions with passive shock absorbers, steel springs and anti-roll bars: McPherson type at the front, a multi-link system at the rear.
The full-size crossover features rack-and-pinion steering with integrated active electric power steering. Disc brakes are used on all wheels of the five-door: ventilated on the front with a dimension of 340 mm, and on the rear - the usual 305 mm.
Prices and equipment
In the US, the KIA Telluride is offered in four trim levels - "LX", "S", "EX" and "SX". It is worth noting that the car must also reach the Russian market, but the exact dates have not been announced.
- A basic crossover with front-wheel drive will cost from $ 31,690 (~ 2 million rubles), and its functionality includes: seven airbags, 18-inch alloy wheels, ABS, ESP, media center with an 8-inch screen, electronic "Handbrake", dual-zone climate control, an audio system with six speakers, power windows for all doors, monitoring of traffic lane, cruise control and the darkness of other modern equipment.
- The car in the "top" version costs at least $ 41,490 (~ 2.7 million rubles), and its privileges are: three-zone climate control, monitoring of blind spots, heating, electric drive and ventilation of front and rear seats, wireless charging for smartphones, multimedia system with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, all-round cameras, full LED optics, head-up display, Harman / Kardon audio system with ten speakers and other "chips".
