Kia has cemented itself as a top five brand in Australia with a line-up that covers most bases from the Picanto light hatchback to the Tasman ute… it’s difficult to imagine that there are products it makes but doesn’t sell locally. However, that’ i’s true of the Kia Telluride large SUV, which has been one of its most successful products with over 500,000 produced since 2019.

Sharing the same platform and drivetrains as the Hyundai Palisade, the Telluride recently entered its second generation and has just gone on sale in North America. Produced only at Kia’s Georgia plant in the US – unlike the Palisade, which is produced in South Korea – the Telluride is an upper-large SUV that seats up to eight.

In the US, two drivetrains are available: either a 205kW 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine or a hybridised version making 245kW of power, the latter of which features in the Palisade in Australia and is rated for 35mpg (6.8L/100km) fuel consumption in its home market. Both front- and all-wheel drive layouts are available in the US-spec Telluride, as well as a more off-road models like the X-Line and X-Pro that feature lifted suspension, more off-road styling and off-road driving modes.

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On the outside, the Kia Telluride is a handsome and bold brute with boxy styling, funky vertical LED lighting and wheels up to 21-inches in size. A cool range of colours is available for the Telluride too, from a lovely deep green to a matte beige that’s on trend right now.

The interior of the Telluride closely resembles the electric EV9 that is sold locally with dual 12.3-inch screens, horizontal air vent across the dashboard and high quality materials throughout. However, there’s a lot more character in the Telluride’s cabin compared with the EV9 thanks to the available colour options that include the purple and beige option seen in these press pictures, navy blue/orange, black/brown and all-black as well.

In the US, pricing for the Telluride line-up starts at US$39,190 (A$56,700 at current exchange rates) for the entry-level Telluride LX and extend to US$57,790 (A$83,700) for the top-spec X-Line SX Prestige.

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As you’d expect for a Kia, standard equipment levels are healthy across the Telluride range with the base LX featuring dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 18-inch alloy wheels, tri-zone climate control, synthetic leather and cloth upholstery and safety features like autonomous emergency braking with junction turning assistance, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control.

Move up the range to the X-Line SX Prestige Hybrid and you get 21-inch wheels, suede and synthetic leather trim, dual sunroofs, heated/ventilated front and second row seating, power steering wheel adjustment, a digital rear camera, self-levelling rear suspension, ambient lighting, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, dual wireless phone chargers and a 12-inch head-up display.

The Telluride sounds like a great package that we think would sell well in Australia. However, despite its cousin being made in right-hand drive in South Korea, the Telluride will remain left-hand drive and only produced in North America, making it unavailable for Kia Australia. To us, that’s a shame, because the Telluride’s funky styling sure would look good on our roads.