
2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional in Midnight Lake Blue (a $495 colour possibility)
2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Class: Midsize Crossover
Coloration: Midnight Lake Blue
CG Report Card | |
---|---|
Room and Consolation | A |
Energy and Efficiency | B+ |
Match and End | A- |
Gasoline Economic system | B- |
Worth | A |
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus different automobiles in the identical class. Worth grade is for particular trim stage evaluated, and should not mirror Client Information’s impressions of all the mannequin lineup. | |
Massive & Tall Consolation | |
Massive Man | A |
Tall Man | A |
Massive & Tall consolation rankings are for entrance seats solely. “Massive” score primarily based on male tester weighing roughly 350 kilos, “Tall” score primarily based on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
Drivetrain | |
Engine Specs | 291-hp 3.8-liter |
Engine Kind | V6 |
Transmission | 8-speed computerized |
Drive Wheels | AWD |
Miles pushed: 281
Noticed gas financial system: 17.6 mpg
Driving combine: 60% metropolis, 40% freeway
EPA-estimated gas financial system: 19/25/21 (mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed)
Gasoline kind: Common fuel
Base value: $52,785 (not together with $1335 vacation spot cost)
Choices on check car: Particular paint ($495), Terracotta Inside Coloration Package deal ($295), carpeted ground mats ($210)
Value as examined: $55,120
Fast Hits
The good: Premium cabin appointments, beneficiant passenger area
The nice: Loads of energy, respectable gas financial system, long-trip consolation, rugged off-road look, some off-road cred
The not so good: Disappointing gas financial system
Tom Appel:
Per Wikipedia, Brutalism is a post-war architectural motion centered in the UK that includes robust, easy designs and loads of naked, raw-material surfacing. The motion began within the Fifties, and was principally exhausted by the Eighties. Examples within the U.S. are restricted, although Boston’s Metropolis Corridor is a widely known, and extremely controversial instance.

Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Closely up to date for 2023, I’m making the case that the Kia Telluride—particularly in X-Professional trim—is designed within the Brutalist custom, that includes a robust and easy profile and uncluttered flanks. To rejoice the Telluride’s structure, I photographed the massive Kia in entrance of the one Brutalist construction discovered within the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. In-built 1977, the Each day Herald Constructing is difficult to overlook as your journey west out of Chicago on the Jane Addams Expressway.
Put together for a tortured segue…
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
However, for as robust and easy because the Telluride appears to be like, the 2023 lineup is reasonably far reaching and considerably advanced. For ’23, the Telluride trim ladder begins with the bottom-rung LX (beginning round $37,000) and ascends by way of S ($39,000), EX ($43,000), EX X-Line ($47,000), SX ($47,000), SX X-Line ($50,000), SX X-Professional ($51,000), SX Status ($52,000), SX Status X-Line ($53,000), and SX Status X-Professional ($54,000).
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
The brand new-for-2023 X-Line and X-Professional trim ranges, obtainable at plenty of value factors, convey an off-road look to the up to date Telluride, and within the case of the X-Professional, a little bit of extra functionality as effectively. The X-Line gear group features a new Tow Mode, beefier roof rails, a redesigned grille, and trim-level particular 20-inch wheels. The X-line additionally enjoys roughly half an inch extra floor clearance than different Tellurides.
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
The extra off-road succesful X-Professional trades the 20-inch wheels for 18-inch models shod with all-terrain tires, nearly an inch of extra floor clearance, and 12-volt and 110-volt energy shops within the cargo space. All X-Line and X-Professional fashions come commonplace with AWD.
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Kia’s midsize crossover is a step up in dimension and energy from the model’s Sorento, and options three rows of seating on all trim ranges, and locations for 7 or 8, relying on whether or not or not a selected instance options 2nd-row captain’s chairs.
All Tellurides are powered by the identical 291-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 mated to an 8-speed computerized transmission. No matter trim stage, front-wheel-drive Tellurides earn an EPA mix fuel-economy estimate of 23 mpg, whereas AWD fashions are rated at 21.
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Client Information lately spent per week with the top-trim SX Status X-Professional in Midnight Lake Blue. We got here away very impressed. As savvy auto customers would possibly know, the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are shut cousins mechanically, however the two crossovers are styled and tuned otherwise, and particular model affect might be profound. We’ll get again to that in a second.
Our current analysis of the Palisade Calligraphy left us very impressed, particularly the extent of luxurious the car serves up in top-trim Calligraphy guise. Whereas the Telluride just isn’t meaningfully much less posh, its basic décor theme is of a woodsier nature, in line with the X-Professional gear.
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2023 Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
Excellent news: The X-Professional’s elevated experience top doesn’t complicate stepping into or out of the Telluride, although the chance to brush your pantleg in opposition to the doubtless soiled exterior of the automobile is marginally better.
Contained in the Telluride the Brutalism theme falls aside. The large Kia is comfy and many roomy within the entrance two seating row. The third row is giant for the category, although most adults will begrudge having to spend an excessive amount of time again there. The management structure is typical Hyundai/Kia good, which is to say simple to learn, and simple to make use of. The massive touchscreen is put to good use, and frequently-used local weather and audio controls are principally entrance and middle.
We discovered the front-row seats long-haul comfy, and outward visibility from the motive force’s seat glorious. There’s loads of energy for around-town driving and on-ramp merging, and the engine makes a nice, refined sound when tasked with one thing greater than easy commuting.
Journey consolation is superb, and reality be informed, we discover the Telluride to be a more-comfortable, better-handling car than the Palisade. That mentioned, we strongly suggest that critical customers check drive each automobiles.
Should you’re spending quite a lot of time making an attempt to determine between the X-Line and X-Professional variants of the Telluride, don’t overthink the choice. The X-Professional doesn’t ask a lot in change for its typically beefier disposition, and it rides and handles about in addition to any Telluride. And, getting again to the precise tuning Hyundai and Kia apply to their variations of this truck—as famous above–we choose the Kia’s sportier experience and dealing with, and barely quieter freeway expertise.
Considered one of our main issues concerning the Telluride on this trim stage is that customers are unlikely to recollect their truck’s full correct identify. Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional is so much to recollect. To make issues easier for house owners, we propose going with a nickname, Exy or Professional Professional, maybe.
The up to date Telluride was not made obtainable to Client Information in time for 2023 Finest Purchase consideration. Had it been, it appears seemingly this sensible, luxurious, high-value Kia would have made our checklist. And, even when it isn’t a 2023 Finest Purchase, we strongly suggest you add it to your test-drive quick checklist.
Oh, and when you’re an structure fan, we strongly suggest going with the Brutalist-aligned X-Professional.
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional
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Kia Telluride SX Status X-Professional Gallery
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