The Kia Telluride is a family hauler to the core, but just how far can you push it?
Ever since the automaker introduced its own three-row flagship SUV to the market, it’s carried a more rugged look and attitude than, say, its Hyundai Palisade counterpart. With this model year’s facelift, the 2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Pro takes things a step further, and not just by carry a tongue-twisting name. In this video, Tommy takes what is ostensibly Kia’s largest and most capable rig to put it through the TFL Slip Test. After that, it’s time to put the Tellride through its paces on the onX Offroad course through “Andre’s Pit”.
So, just what is the 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro, anyway? At its heart, you still get the same powertrain as before. Namely, the Telluride’s sole method of propulsion is a 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 with 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The available power makes its way to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Hill descent control is a new addition to the model, regardless of whether you buy an all-wheel drive Telluride like this, or a front-wheel drive model.
The X-Pro drops the standard SX Prestige’s 20-inch wheels down to a set of 18-inchers, while fitting more rugged tires for good measure. Now, it is still a family rig at heart, so we’re not talking about Rubicon-tackling capability. Nonetheless, it proves surprisingly capable on the TFL Slip Test, showing its mettle as a good all-weather vehicle to cart the family to Telluride.
Now, you can get the X-Pro with either of the two top-end trims: the SX or the SX Prestige.
We have the fully loaded version, yet the 2023 Kia Telluride still packs some serious value for the money. All-in, this Midnight Blue version rings in at $54,845, while a few accessory options can inch the price just over the $55,000 mark.
That is still a fair chunk of change, I’ll grant you, but that also gets you most options you could ever want in your big family bus. Not only that, but to get something with some dirt-worthy cred as well? It’s definitely worth a look.
Here’s how the Telluride fared in the slip test and on our off-road course:
