Review: 2021 Kia Telluride SX V6 AWD Night Fall Edition

There was a time when the Kia automotive nameplate was a kiss of death. I remember having a conversation with a good friend of mine around 2010 when he bought a small 4-door compact Kia. I asked him if he had lost his mind. He told me there was a time when a Kia vehicle deserved that type of harsh discussion, but he assured me that was from a time gone by. Fast forward to 2021: I'm now writing about cars, and I have to say that his knowledge and foresight was spot on. Kia is no longer an automaker that should ever be dismissed.

When the all-new Kia Telluride CUV became available in the spring of 2019, it did so to a lot of fanfare. There was a big buzz here in Texas among journalist members of the Texas Auto Writers Association knowing they would be some of the first writers in the North America to drive the new Telluride at the 2019 Spring Auto Roundup held in Denton, Texas. The new CUV did not disappoint because it not only won the Best Mid-Size CUV category that day, but also went on to beat out CUV's in two other categories to win the overall crossover honor as CUV of Texas for 2019. The two awards the Telluride received at the 2019 Texas Auto Writer's event were later shown not to be beginners luck, but the beginning of many awards and accolades the Mid-CUV continues to receive two years later.

In 2020, it won the highly coveted and prestigious World Car of the Year; and this year, the vehicle started off with the Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Award in the 3-Row Midsize CUV category. Fun fact: Telluride was named after the historic mining and ski town located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. It is the largest vehicle Kia has ever produced for North America and has already jumped to the top three in units sold in the Kia lineup. It comes in four trim levels including the base models LX and S, the mid-level EX, and top-of-the-line SX.

New for 2021

For the 2021 selling season, the Telluride will be available in a sporty package they are calling the Night Fall Edition. You can get it in full black stealth mode or chose from a number of color combinations that speak to your personality. For my evaluation week, I had the all-new 2021 SX V6 AWD with the Snow White Pearl finish and black accents. It was a head turner on more than one occasion throughout the week. You can also purchase it in everlasting silver, gravity gray, ebony black, sangria, black copper and dark moss.

The Night Fall package includes:

• 20-inch wheels in black finish with black lug nuts and center caps
• Newly designed radiator grill in black finish
• Gloss black roof rails
• Gloss black skid plates
• Gloss black front bumper side air-duct garnish
• Gloss black emblems including unique Kia logos
• Body color door handles

The Telluride Nightfall Edition offers a new choice to our customers who prefer a more assertive and premium look to their family hauler or weekend adventurer, said Sean Yoon, President & CEO, Kia Motors America, Kia Motors North America.

Classic Clean Interior

In my opinion, the Telluride's interior is one of its biggest strengths. The design engineers have combined classic and simplistic lines with an elegant and luxurious style, so every touch point is intuitive but refined. When someone looks at the interior, they know it will be super comfy and they will also be able to easily find items stored on the dash while driving. The Telluride is considered a mid-size crossover; but as you can see from my interior images, it has the headroom, legroom, and third-row access to make you think it is a full-size SUV. It also comes with dual sunroofs which also give you the feel of riding in a full-size SUV.

CUV or SUV

All 2021 Tellurides, no matter the model, come standard with a 3.8L V6 gasoline direct injection (GDI) Lambda-II engine that produces 291 hp and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. It will also come with an 8-speed automatic transmission and active on-demand all-wheel drive if you decide to purchase that extra option. If you do choose the AWD, you should expect to see a minimum of 19 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway. One thing I have learned over the years from writing about vehicles, the EPA rating is almost always conservative. In the case of the Telluride, I easily exceeded the those ratings with the AWD I had.

What does all that power terminology and transmission talk really mean to the real-world owner? Because the Telluride is a CUV, it is limited to towing only 5,000 lbs versus a traditional SUV on a truck frame that tows upwards of 8,000 lbs. But don't let that tow capability deter you because, at 5,000 lbs, you can still pull a medium-size boat or camping trailer. The crossover will also pull a trailer full of jet skis and quad runners. Because more people are using their Telluride for adventure and towing, the engineers newly upgraded from the 4-pin towing trailer harness system to a 7-pin system making the already robust CUV even more tow ready capable.

Quick Hits

I think the benefit the Telluride has over many of the established competitors is that the Telluride engineers had a fresh sheet of paper to work with. The designers were able to build the production line around the vehicle and not the other way around. What I mean is that there are a number of simple functions the Telluride offers that are not readily available with other mid-size CUVs which is why this CUV with an SUV heart continues to win awards. The Kia Telluride has also put some skin in the North America game with its state-of-the-art assembly manufacturing plant located down the road from Atlanta in West Point, Georgia. This is important because it not only puts its profits back into 2,700 team members, but it also allows Kia to become an integral part of the North America fabric. Finally, Kia is able to back up its pitch of quality and longevity with an industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. If you were an automaker and didn't believe in your product, you would not jeopardize the loss of revenue with in shop repairs after 5 years.

If you're in the market for a luxurious three-row family vehicle that is under $50,000, be sure to find a local KIA dealership and test drive the new 2021 Telluride. For more information or to test drive this vehicle for yourself, stop by a local dealer or visit online at:
Kia | Telluride