Kia Considering The Telluride SUV For India?

Kia has had quite a successful introduction in India. In July 2019, Kia officially launched its first car for India – the Seltos SUV. Ever since its launch, the Kia Seltos has been topping the sales charts across the country with amazing consistency…Hyundai’s sister brand Kia couldn’t have asked for a better market reception! After the success of the Seltos Kia went on to launch the Carnival MPV, with the Sonet compact-SUV to follow suit soon (expected launch in mid-2020). Kia is now considering the launch of the larger Telluride SUV for the Indian market.

The Kia Telluride is the largest SUV Kia has made. The Telluride is a 3-row mid-size SUV that can seat up to 8 passengers. The Telluride SUV was launched in 2019 in the USA and is currently the only market in the world where it is being sold. The Kia Telluride shares a lot in common with its Hyundai sibling the Palisade SUV including the platform, engine, transmission, and wheelbase. Kia has a very good track record of getting the design of its cars perfect having produced some amazing looking cars…the same can be said with the Telluride. At the front, the Telluride gets a bold, muscular stance with Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille. This gives the car a great road presence. The well-designed headlamp cluster with circular DRLs gives a great modern look. At the rear, the Telluride gets nicely designed and sharp looking L-shaped LED taillights. Step inside the Telluride and you will be pleased to know that there is ample space at your disposal. The second row of seats come with an option of either 2 individual captain seats or a bench seat. The third row is decently sized as well allowing for comfortable seating. With good a decent boot for luggage storage, the Telluride does not compromise. The Telluride is a car designed for families and fits the bill well with a nice, spacious and practical cabin layout. At the front, the Telluride has a well laid out dashboard with a large 10.25-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system. Kia’s UVO Connect infotainment system does duty on the Telluride which comes loaded to the brim with features and tech.

Powering the Telluride is a 3.8 L V6 petrol engine producing 291 bhp of max power output and is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. There is no diesel engine option available at the moment. The car comes in equipped with multiple drive modes (sport, comfort, eco) and also has active-AWD (all-wheel drive) on demand. The Telluride if launched in India would likely have a smaller petrol engine and probably a diesel engine too. However, this is only speculation and will be confirmed once Kia makes it official. The Telluride SUV retails in the USA $31,800 onwards, this is an approximate price of around Rs.25 lakh in India. The Telluride might not be in India yet, but it surely ticks all the boxes to make for a great family SUV in India.