2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional in Midnight Lake Blue (a $495 colour possibility)
2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Class: Midsize Crossover
Coloration: Midnight Lake Blue
CG Report Card
Room and ComfortA
Energy and PerformanceB+
Match and FinishA-
Gasoline EconomyB-
ValueA
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus different automobiles in the identical class. Worth grade is for particular trim degree evaluated, and will not mirror Shopper Information’s impressions of your entire mannequin lineup.
Massive & Tall Consolation
Massive GuyA
Tall GuyA
Massive & Tall consolation rankings are for entrance seats solely. “Massive” ranking based mostly on male tester weighing roughly 350 kilos, “Tall” ranking based mostly on 6’6″-tall male tester.
Drivetrain
Engine Specs291-hp 3.8-liter
Engine TypeV6
Transmission 8-speed automated
Drive WheelsAWD
Miles pushed: 281
Noticed gasoline financial system: 17.6 mpg
Driving combine: 60% metropolis, 40% freeway
EPA-estimated gasoline financial system: 19/25/21 (mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed)
Gasoline kind: Common fuel
Base worth: $52,785 (not together with $1335 vacation spot cost)
Choices on take a look at automobile: Particular paint ($495), Terracotta Inside Coloration Package deal ($295), carpeted flooring mats ($210)
Worth as examined: $55,120
Fast Hits
The nice: Premium cabin appointments, beneficiant passenger area
The nice: Loads of energy, first rate gasoline financial system, long-trip consolation, rugged off-road look, some off-road cred
The not so good: Disappointing gasoline financial system
Tom Appel:
Per Wikipedia, Brutalism is a post-war architectural motion centered in the UK that includes robust, easy designs and loads of naked, raw-material surfacing. The motion began within the Fifties, and was principally exhausted by the Eighties. Examples within the U.S. are restricted, although Boston’s Metropolis Corridor is a widely known, and extremely controversial instance.
Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Closely up to date for 2023, I’m making the case that the Kia Telluride—particularly in X-Professional trim—is designed within the Brutalist custom, that includes a robust and easy profile and uncluttered flanks. To rejoice the Telluride’s structure, I photographed the massive Kia in entrance of the one Brutalist construction discovered within the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Inbuilt 1977, the Each day Herald Constructing is difficult to overlook as your journey west out of Chicago on the Jane Addams Expressway.
Put together for a tortured segue…
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
However, for as robust and easy because the Telluride seems, the 2023 lineup is fairly far reaching and considerably advanced. For ’23, the Telluride trim ladder begins with the bottom-rung LX (beginning round $37,000) and ascends via S ($39,000), EX ($43,000), EX X-Line ($47,000), SX ($47,000), SX X-Line ($50,000), SX X-Professional ($51,000), SX Status ($52,000), SX Status X-Line ($53,000), and SX Status X-Professional ($54,000).
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
The brand new-for-2023 X-Line and X-Professional trim ranges, obtainable at quite a few worth factors, convey an off-road look to the up to date Telluride, and within the case of the X-Professional, a little bit of extra functionality as nicely. The X-Line gear group features a new Tow Mode, beefier roof rails, a redesigned grille, and trim-level particular 20-inch wheels. The X-line additionally enjoys roughly half an inch extra floor clearance than different Tellurides.
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
The extra off-road succesful X-Professional trades the 20-inch wheels for 18-inch models shod with all-terrain tires, virtually an inch of extra floor clearance, and 12-volt and 110-volt energy retailers within the cargo space. All X-Line and X-Professional fashions come normal with AWD.
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Kia’s midsize crossover is a step up in dimension and energy from the model’s Sorento, and options three rows of seating on all trim ranges, and locations for 7 or 8, relying on whether or not or not a selected instance options 2nd-row captain’s chairs.
All Tellurides are powered by the identical 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 mated to an 8-speed automated transmission. No matter trim degree, front-wheel-drive Tellurides earn an EPA mix fuel-economy estimate of 23 mpg, whereas AWD fashions are rated at 21.
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Shopper Information not too long ago spent every week with the top-trim SX Status X-Professional in Midnight Lake Blue. We got here away very impressed. As savvy auto consumers may know, the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are shut cousins mechanically, however the two crossovers are styled and tuned otherwise, and particular model affect will be profound. We’ll get again to that in a second.
Our latest analysis of the Palisade Calligraphy left us very impressed, particularly the extent of luxurious the automobile serves up in top-trim Calligraphy guise. Whereas the Telluride is just not meaningfully much less posh, its common décor theme is of a woodsier nature, in line with the X-Professional gear.
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Excellent news: The X-Professional’s elevated journey top doesn’t complicate entering into or out of the Telluride, although the chance to brush your pantleg towards the possibly soiled exterior of the automobile is marginally larger.
Contained in the Telluride the Brutalism theme falls aside. The large Kia is comfy and many roomy within the entrance two seating row. The third row is giant for the category, although most adults will begrudge having to spend an excessive amount of time again there. The management format is typical Hyundai/Kia sensible, which is to say simple to learn, and straightforward to make use of. The big touchscreen is put to good use, and frequently-used local weather and audio controls are principally entrance and heart.
We discovered the front-row seats long-haul comfy, and outward visibility from the motive force’s seat wonderful. There’s loads of energy for around-town driving and on-ramp merging, and the engine makes a pleasing, refined sound when tasked with one thing greater than easy commuting.
Experience consolation is superb, and reality be instructed, we discover the Telluride to be a more-comfortable, better-handling automobile than the Palisade. That mentioned, we strongly advocate that critical consumers take a look at drive each automobiles.
Should you’re spending loads of time attempting to resolve between the X-Line and X-Professional variants of the Telluride, don’t overthink the choice. The X-Professional doesn’t ask a lot in alternate for its typically beefier disposition, and it rides and handles about in addition to any Telluride. And, getting again to the precise tuning Hyundai and Kia apply to their variations of this truck—as famous above–we favor the Kia’s sportier journey and dealing with, and barely quieter freeway expertise.
Considered one of our major issues relating to the Telluride on this trim degree is that buyers are unlikely to recollect their truck’s full correct identify. Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional is rather a lot to recollect. To make issues easier for homeowners, we recommend going with a nickname, Exy or Professional Professional, maybe.
The up to date Telluride was not made obtainable to Shopper Information in time for 2023 Greatest Purchase consideration. Had it been, it appears seemingly this sensible, luxurious, high-value Kia would have made our checklist. And, even when it isn’t a 2023 Greatest Purchase, we strongly advocate you add it to your test-drive brief checklist.
Oh, and if you happen to’re an structure fan, we strongly advocate going with the Brutalist-aligned X-Professional.
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional Gallery
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