Kia Telluride SX V6 Reviewed By Automobile Mag as “Friendly as a Golden Retriever, and Astoundingly Good”

Arthur Antoine of Automobile mag got his chance to test drive the 2020 Kia Telluride last week and admitted wholeheartedly that he was very excited when the fully-loaded SX model arrived on his doorstep. His colleague Jamie Kitman just the week before had said that the SUV was “astoundingly good”, and he was eager to see if the vehicle would live up to its promise and prestige. He began the ride in Comfort mode and noticed right away that the glide was similar to that one would experience in a Range Rover.

Once on the highway, he also claimed that the engine barely made its presence known, and thanks to the gearing of the standard 8-speed automatic, the 3.8-liter twin-cam V6 that cranks out 291 horsepower hums along pleasantly while cruising at highway speeds. When Arthur made the switch to Sport mode, the quicker throttle and steering response were noticed right away. During cornering the brake-based torque-vectoring system helps to rotate the chassis, and ultimately make you feel as if the Telluride is not as big as it is.

Everyone on staff here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis does pay homage to the ways how other SUV makers flaunt the go-anywhere capabilities of massively-rigged components and very advanced off-road systems. With the Telluride, our engineering team focused heavily on what we fell the majority of SUV owners who don't take flight from paved roads often want. An 8-passenger version with a second-row bench is available, and the second-row twin's captain chairs that come standard on the SX were ranked by this testing crew as incredibly comfy. The Telluride's towing rating is 5,000 lbs, and the driver's seat is leather-trimmed, ventilated, heated, power-operated, and within proximity to all pertinent controls.

Safety and convenience features have been knocking it out of the park as far as Kia is concerned: The Telluride SX sports smart cruise with stop and to go rear cross-traffic alerts, forward-collision alert, park-distance warning, lane-keep assist, and much more. The onboard blind-spot view monitor allows for the driver to access a live camera view to see if oncoming cars are right next to you or one lane over. The blind-spot monitor that appears on the head-up display provides you with a useful icon that lights up if any other vehicle is in your blind spot.

You don't even have to move your head to make it useful, and it is great for highway incidents where someone flies past your left. The final verdict for this test drive was that the SX is a value-rich vehicle with solid moves, and a character as friendly as a Golden retriever: Come to visit us this fall and see for yourself how punchy yet practical this SUV is, and go for a thorough spin!