Kia’s Answer To The Toyota Fortuner!

The Toyota Fortuner is one of the most desirable SUVs in the market. Despite being an Rs 50 lakh+ car, it manages to outsell much cheaper cars. Automakers like Volkswagen, Skoda and MG have tried to overtake the Fortuner, but to no avail. And now, Kia is trying to come up with its own answer to it.
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Kia Telluride – Kia’s Flagship SUV

The Telluride is Kia’s flagship SUV in the US, and reports suggest Kia is working to bring it to India. It is slightly longer than 5m, making it significantly bigger than the Fortuner, but still shorter than the Majestor. But does it have what it takes to take over the segment?

The Telluride boasts a commanding road presence with its gigantic dimensions. Its design language is quite synonymous with other Kia models, with a distinct grille, vertical headlights and taillights, and alloy wheels. Overall, it is an attractive-looking SUV with the right mix of sportiness and ruggedness.

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What About The Features?

When launched in India, we expect it to be as feature-rich as the US-spec model. We could see features such as a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, level-2 ADAS, powered front seats, a heads-up display, a 360-degree camera, dual wireless chargers, an electric tailgate, tri-zone climate control, ventilated front and 2nd-row seats, and a dual sunroof.

Thanks to its length, the Telluride is quite practical, with roomy 2nd- and 3rd-row seats. It also gets a whopping 631 litres of boot space with all the seats up.

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Kia Telluride – Under The Hood

We expect the Telluride to be offered in India with 2 powertrains – a 2.2-litre diesel and a 2.5-litre hybrid petrol. Gearbox options remain a mystery, but we expect it to get an AWD drivetrain, as any off-roader should.

Thanks to the hybrid technology, the Telluride promises to be a mileage-friendly alternative to the Fortuner, Kodiaq and the Tayron R-line. Kia has big plans for hybrid technology in India, and the Telluride hybrid could follow the Sorento, Sonet, and Carnival hybrids.

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Pricing & Launch

The Telluride is expected to be priced around Rs 60-70 lakh (on-road, Mumbai). It is a tad more expensive than its rivals, but it is a fair price for the features and practicality that it offers.

The Telluride seems a long way off for now, as Kia is currently working on other HEVs like the Seltos, Sonet, Sorento, and the Carnival. We expect it to be launched in the latter months of 2028 or early 2029. The market could change drastically over this period, and Kia could make the Telluride an even better package by then.

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