Kia unveils 2020 Telluride SUV for the US market

MANILA: Kia has unveiled the 2020 Telluride at the ongoing 2019 Detroit Auto Show. The car has been specially designed for the US market and purposely made big, bold, and boxy. The off-road concept behind the car was displayed last September at the New York Fashion Week. This eight-seater SUV is Kia’s flagship model and is expected to boost the company’s US sales.

The Kia Telluride is described as a mid-size SUV, and is designed in California and assembled in Georgia. The giant SUV looks very different from the Korean model as it is only made for America.

Starting with its design, the new Kia Telluride does not look so loud. It comes with wide chromed ‘Tiger Nose’ grille and a long, broad bonnet. The projector headlights are surrounded by LED DRLs. Both the tailgate and the front edge of the hood get the “Telluride” lettering.

Inside the cabin, the flagship SUV comes with all high-quality materials. There will be extra padded Nappa leather, matte-finished wood, brushed metal, and a very spacious setting all the passengers. The first and second-row seats will be optionally heated and ventilated, while the reclining third-row seats can be controlled according to the climate.

There will also be a 10.25-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Buyers can also add a 10-speaker Harman Kardon Audio system with Quantum Logic Surround Sound.

Moving on to its technical configuration, under the hood, the Telluride SUV gets a 3.8-litre Lambda II V6 GDI engine, which can churn out 295 PS of power and a peak torque of 355 Nm. The power will be channelled through an automatic eight-speed transmission to all four wheels. There will be four driving modes - Smart, Eco, Sport. and Comfort. In the Sport mode, the power will be divided into 65 per cent for the front wheel and the remaining 35 per cent for the rear. However, in the Eco and Smart mode, the power will be routed entirely to the front wheels.