The 2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Line V6 AWD SUV
You Are What You Drive — A Bottom Line Review
The Bottom Line: What is a Telluride? The Telluride is a midsize crossover SUV with 3 row seating, sold by Kia and built in the West Point, Georgia, assembly plant. Positioned above the smaller Sorento, the Telluride was viewed as a concept SUV in 2016. The Telluride has been a sales success from the first day it became available as a 2020 model.
The award winning Kia Telluride midsize SUV is back and better than ever. With more passenger seating, best in class cargo space, and available AWD, the Telluride is packed with capabilities, comfort, convenience and innovation.
Today the 2023 Kia Telluride is loaded with updates that offer redesigned exterior elements, with new wheels, new headlights, new color options, new interiors, new touch screen digital displays, new trim options, up to 8 passenger seating capacity, and the off road X-Pro model has an increased towing capacity to 5,000 pounds.
How much will the Kia Telluride cost? The 2023 Kia Telluride S has a base price of $35,890, which is the average starting price in the midsize SUV class. The Kia Telluride EX starts at $41,290, the Kia Telluride SX starts at $45,490, and the 2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige starts at $50,390. The fully loaded SX Prestige X-Pro starts at $52,785.
This week Kia sent me a 2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Line V6 AWD SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this X-Line AWD model is $51,785.
The options on the test SUV are: the special paint for $495, the Terracotta interior color package for $295, and a set of carpeted floor mats for $210. The MSRP manufactures suggested retail price, including the $1,335 destination charge, is: $54,120.
After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your garage total purchase price came to: $60,885. Whatever your budget is, and if you’re looking to buy a midsize crossover SUV, the Kia Telluride is the best way to go. From $35,000 to $55,000, there is a price point for everybody in the midsize SUV class.
You can buy the basic Telluride SUV, or go all the way up to the SX Prestige X-Pro Edition. To give the 2023 Telluride some added off road capability, Kia introduced the X-Line and X-Pro packages. Both raise the suspension nearly half an inch, increasing maximum ground clearance to 8.4” inches, while improving the approach, breakover, and departure angles.
A styling refresh for 2023 updates the Telluride to make it even more attractive, with a refreshed grille, redesigned headlamps, and a new front bumper. Inside, Kia has a new all digital instrument panel with dual 12.3” inch touch screens, serving as infotainment and gauge displays. The Telluride wins the interior spaciousness battle too, finishing with the third row that offers 38.1” inches of headroom along with 31.4” inches of legroom.
Power comes from a 3.8L liter direct injection V6 gas engine that makes 291 HP horsepower and has 262 poundfeet of torque. This motor is bolted to an 8 speed automatic transmission, and then routed into an Active On-Demand AWD all wheel drive traction control system. Then Kia adds a drive wise driver assist technology package.
To protect everybody this package includes: forward collision avoidance, blind spot collision warning, rear cross traffic collision avoidance assist, safe exit assist, safe highway driving assist 2, parking distance warning in forward and reverse, smart cruise control with stop and go, and parking collision avoidance assist. The parking assist package stops the vehicle by applying the brakes before you can, and avoids bumping the car behind, or in front of you. This is a very nice option to have when parallel parking.
My favorite feature is the optional Terracotta interior color package for only a $295 upgrade. The seats, door panels, trim and dashboard are all Terracotta coordinated hues that make the interior look so upscale that it would cost thousands of dollars more from any European manufacturer. And you can get it all from Kia for less than $300 bucks!
So, when you’re ready to buy a new midsize SUV, the 2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Line AWD SUV should be on your ride and drive list, as it’s one of the best, and award winning, crossover SUV’s for sale in the entire midsize SUV class.
Call, click or visit your local Kia dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review, on the 2023 Kia Telluride SUV. And remember that the base price for a new Telluride starts at only $35,890. Kia - Movement that Inspires.
Be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, “You Are What You Drive” And maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should “Drive one, Buy one, Today”.
This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a “Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense” editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. “Tony the Car Guy” is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net