What a fun trip it would be to visit Telluride, CO in a Telluride vehicle. Road trips go from just a good idea to the highway with the new 2021 Kia Telluride SX V6 AWD. It’s ready wherever your travels take you, and its 291-horsepower, 3.8L gasoline direct injection V6 engine and sporty, ultra-responsive highway and street performance, will get the driver and passengers to their destination in style and efficiency. The 8-SPEED automatic transmission gives you a greater range of gears for seamless acceleration — along with Sportmatic® shifting for a sportier, more engaged driving experience. There are also multiple drive modes that include a Sport mode that adjusts the settings for powertrain, drivetrain, and steering effort to provide an optimal driving experience with ISO-Structure construction made from 59% advanced, high-strength steel, that’s stronger and lighter than regular steel, with enhanced rigidity, body control, that offers a more quiet ride at the end of the day or night.
The latest Telluride features standout craftsmanship within its spacious interior. It’s a beautiful, intelligent design, with quality materials, and meticulous attention to detail. There’s premium seating materials like the Nappa leather trim that’s detailed with padded, double-stitched quilting. Next, there’s the simulated brushed metal accents and matte-finished wood trim, which adds modern, elegant ambience. The surrounding surfaces feature soft-touch materials, blended all together, it creates a beautiful clean ergonomic design.
There’s also a 12 -way power memory driver’s seat that lets you customize and set the perfect seating position for two drivers, that includes power seat-extension settings for additional thigh support. The heated and ventilated from and 2nd row seats provide that perfect boost of warmth or cooling, with three modes in each setting to let you customize your comfort. Plus, there’s mood lighting that allows drivers to choose from a range of colors to accent key areas throughout the cabin. The acoustic glass on the windshield and front doors reduces road noise for a quieter ride. And the Driver Talk feature allows the driver’s voice to be played through the rear speakers at the touch of a button, making it easier for second- and third-row passengers to experience the quiet mode feature in the rear. This feature lets you mute the speakers in the second and third rows to accommodate sleeping passengers. Whether it’s a long road trip or a quick jaunt around Music City, Telluride’s ultra-comfortable cabin features class-leading total legroom, especially in the third-row area. The cabin is designed with standard 8 – passenger seating, or if you prefer, there’s an available 7-passenger seating with reclining second-row captain’s chairs. Plus, reclining seatbacks in the third row for added relaxation on long rides. And as an added helpful feature, especially for parents, even pet parents, Telluride has Rear Occupant Alerts. These helpful alerts utilize ultrasonic sensors that are designed to detect children or pets in the second or third row and give visual and audible alerts if it detects movement inside, before and after the vehicle has been locked USB charge ports in every row provide easy access for front and rear passengers to charge their devices. To further mention passenger safety, Kia’s Safe Exit Assist is designed to help prevent rear passengers from exiting the vehicle when the system detects potential hazards approaching. In this case, the system will engage the child locks, plus give an audible and visual alert
When you’re ready to finally make that trip to maybe Colorado, Telluride’s second-row seats fold flat at the touch of a button to provide abundant cargo space. With the seats in their upright position, rear passengers can easily get in and out of the vehicle thanks to a wide step, enlarged walk-in space, and the one-touch slide-and-fold feature which slides and folds the second-row seat forward to give third-row passengers’ easy access.
For the last 3 weeks most of the country has experienced arctic weather temps that have created dangerous driving conditions. When encountering challenging rocky road roads, the Telluride is prepared. Its body frame is constructed with Ring-Shaped Reinforcements around the B and D pillars, for enhanced torsional stiffness and Structural Stability — which translates to greater control and confidence tackling rugged terrain. Telluride also features Hill-Start Assist Control, designed to automatically hold the brake pressure for two seconds after you take your foot off the brake pedal when starting on a steep hill. For inclement snowy, icy weather which frequently visits Nashville, Telluride’s Active On-Demand AWD system is ready for those challenging road conditions. The system is designed to actively distribute torque between the front and rear wheels to help improve performance depending on the driving situation and features two custom modes: Snow Mode is engineered to help reduce wheelspin and give you enhanced control in snow. And the AWD Lock Mode gives drivers full-time all-wheel drive at the touch of a button to help conquer sand, mud, and other difficult terrain. Whether you’re driving in the city or the highway, the remote access feature via a smartphone, is a driver’s new best tech friend. The UVO link is Kia’s smart connectivity system that lets you integrate your compatible smartphone via an embedded modem to perform an array of impressive functions. Just activate UVO link and download the Kia Access with UVO link app from the App Store® or Google PlayTM3 Store.
THE NUMBERS: MSRP/ From $32,190 MPG: Up to 20 city / 26 highway