The staff at Autoweek
have long been experts at describing the good, bad, and the ugly regarding any
vehicle that is rolling off onto lots for success or scrutiny. All of us here
at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis were
excited this past week to see that they were providing an up-close look
at the Telluride and that they were not only satisfied after driving it, but
lamented that its ruggedness is so true that it is “confidence inspiring”. They
immediately took note of how fantastic the electronic all-wheel-drive system
is, as well as its other large array of smart technology.
With electronic
all-wheel-drive, a very advanced electro-hydraulic coupling sends the power of
the big V6 to the front wheels and provides more traction when it is needed
most. If there is any sudden loss of grip, sensors will instantly channel up to
half of the available power to the rear. It's so revolutionary because it can
keep shuffling the power between the front and rear axles as gripping changes.
One tap of the center console drive mode control takes you into “AWD Lock”,
where the central clutch in the system locks in the power evenly between the
front and rear axles.
The Telluride
also boasts the very intuitive traction control system: it grabs the brake
rotor on any wheel that is suddenly slipping, instantly sending the torque to
the side with the traction. It is game-changing in inclement weather conditions
and imitates the action of more complex front and rear locking differentials.
We saw our fair share of snow right here in St Louis last year, and the
Telluride has another feature to help when the powder begins to stick in the
form of “Snow” mode. Snow mode directs 80 percent of the engine's power straight
to the front wheels, and 20 percent to the rear to deliver optimum traction for
these conditions. Also a big help in loose sand or gravel, it actually works to
soften the throttle action of a heavy foot to avoid drastic grip loss.
Added to all this
is nearly 8 inches of clearance, and this becomes an SUV that can keep going
over many challenging surfaces that competitors like the new Chevy Blazer could
not even fathom. The V6 on duty here inside the Telluride is a 3.8-liter GDI
unit, with Atkinson cycle technology, and direct fuel injection. It cranks out
291 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, which provides for aggressive off-the-line
acceleration, strong mid-range response, and very relaxed high-speed cruising.
The four drive
modes are Smart, Eco, Comfort, and Sport, and as expected the Autoweek
team enjoyed the amped-up responsiveness and steering in Sport mode. It's
large, proud, and designed right here in America: make sure to check out the
Telluride's massive capabilities and tech features this fall, and take note of
just how much you'll be able to conquer when you give in to the call of the
wild!
