Kia’s largest model in North America, the Telluride mid-size SUV, is getting a mid-cycle facelift for the 2023MY. Making its world premiere alongside the refreshed Hyundai Palisade at the New York International Auto Show, the eight-passenger SUV gets a modestly revised design, additional tech features, and two new rugged trim levels named the X-Line and the X-Pro. Starting outside, the Telluride retains much of its design but gets new vertical headlights with standard LED bulbs and available fog lamps, updated taillights, revised bumpers, a new grille, reworked rear fascia, revised lower door garnishes and side sills, plus new wheel designs for every trim. It also gets extra colors for 2023: Midnight Lake Blue, Dawning Red, and Jungle Wood Green.
Inside, the model gets Kia’s latest dual
12.3-inch display screens for the gauge cluster (which is optional) and the
infotainment system. With that, the dashboard has been redesigned to
accommodate the massive screen, as has the steering wheel. The model will also
get new interior color packages. Buyers will additionally be able to opt for a
full display digital mirror that can connect to HomeLink. A new power liftgate
with an “Auto Close” function is also present. Owners will also be able to turn
their smartphone or smartwatch into a Digital Key to lock and unlock the
vehicle through Kia Connect. An in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect up to
five devices to 4G LTE-based internet is also available.
Kia Connect also introduces navigational
benefits. Both the infotainment system and the maps will be capable of being
updated over the air. The map will also benefit from “connected routing,” which
Kia says uses real-time and predicted road information to calculate the optimal
directions to your location. To keep you safe, the facelifted Telluride adds
speed limit sign recognition and “Forward Collision Avoidance – Junction
Turning” as standard, as well as navigation-based smart cruise control and a
series of other additional collision avoidance technologies that aim to prevent
accidents when drivers are turning left, going through intersections, changing
lanes, and more.
Powertrains, meanwhile, will be carried
over for the 2023 model year. The Telluride is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 GDI
engine that produces 291 hp and 355 Nm of torque.
An eight-speed automatic transmission is the only option, while all-wheel-drive
is optionally available unless you get one of the two new trims, in which case
it comes as standard. The new X-Line and X-Pro models seek to add a little
off-road spice to the Telluride lineup. Starting with the former, it gets its
own grille design, bridge-type roof rails, body-color door handles, “X-Line”
badging, and exclusive 20-inch wheels. Inside, meanwhile, it gets “X-Line”
embossing on the front seats and exclusive color packages.
It’s not all aesthetic changes, though.
The trim, which replaces the Nightfall Edition, comes with 10mm of
added ground clearance, improved approach and departure angles, a tow mode for
optimized trailering, an upgraded traction control system, and downhill brake
control. The Telluride X-Pro, on the other hand, gets many of the same
modifications plus some even more aggressive off-road features. That means exclusive
18-inch black wheels that come wrapped in 18-inch all-terrain tires from
Continental. It also gets “X-Pro” badging and embossing on the front seats, as
well as a 110-volt inverter outlet, and 5,500 lbs of towing capability, up from
5,000 lbs.
Pricing has not yet been announced for the
updated model. As before, the 2023 Kia Telluride will be built at the brand’s
Georgia manufacturing facility alongside the K5, the Sportage, and the Sorento.
