Double Black Diamond
Counterculture becomes culture. Culture becomes counterculture. It’s a vicious, ever-repeating cycle in which aesthetic triumphs over intent – and chances are, we’re all guilty of it, especially when it comes to our rides of choice. Canada’s list of best-selling vehicles includes numerous pickups and SUV’s, but urban pot-hole ridden streets might comprise the roughest action they might see. Virtually every brand has a trim level which marries the aggressive looks of performance models with the underpinnings of a less-potent trim level. Kia is taking part too, with the introduction of the X-Pro and X-Line trims of their hot-selling Telluride. So does this surface-level capability go beyond skin deep?
Even in a time of high fuel prices, inflation, low vehicle stock, economic uncertainty and an exhausting series of historic events, Kia’s big 3-row SUV remains a hot seller. It’s not hard to see why. Compared to similar offerings across other brands, the Korean newcomer has a lot to offer, for less. It helps a lot that it’s such a looker. We especially appreciate the class this Jungle Green over Terracotta leather colour combination oozes. Some changes for the 2023 model year include the addition of this very trim (in addition to the X-Line trim), as well as a few cosmetic tweaks like revised front and rear styling and lighting, improved safety features, a larger display on the inside and some high-tech conveniences like a digital key. But prices still remain good – with the base model coming in at $50,195, and this range topper ending at $62,795.
Like its sibling, the Hyundai Palisade, Kia’s Telluride also enjoys power from a 3.8L V6 engine. Though not as economical as the turbocharged 4-cylinder many manufacturers are opting for, the bigger powerplant means the car feels much smoother and less strained. This isn’t an exciting car in terms of performance, but rather, a pleasant one – like eschewing the slopes for a boozy cocoa at the ski resort - that you happened to get for a killer price.. To make that cocoa sweeter – it doesn’t even run on premium. Granted, fuel economy is nothing to write home about, but given the weight and size of this vehicle, our average of 12.4 L/100km isn’t so bad.
Like that lodge, visitors may enjoy the idea of hitting a difficult run, but maybe we just like the scenery of the mountain, rather than trying to conquer it. The X-Pro and X-Line give drivers a hair over 10mm of extra ground clearance vs. other trim levels. You’ll also get exclusive paint and leather colours, like our tester’s beautiful green tone. The X-Pro also gets 500lb more towing capacity over the rest of its siblings. You’ll also lose one point on the passenger capacity, from 8 down to 7, on account of pair of captain’s chairs replacing the bench in the second row. The third row is well designed and surprisingly comfortable for its size but will certainly start to feel cramped on longer journeys.
Refreshingly, like its Palisade pal, the Telluride makes liberal use of physical buttons, in spite of a new, larger digital display. The USB-C-only connection is a little annoying, but cheaply resolved, at least. We also appreciate the standard gear lever, as opposed to Hyundai’s push-button gear selector.
The Telluride has a series of driving modes ranging from eco, comfort, sport and smart. Smart mode purports to select the best mode for any given terrain while managing gear shifts. Sport mode firms up the ride, makes gear shifts more aggressive, while giving the driver a more sensitive throttle. We’d recommend ignoring this mode entirely, as it does not fit the personality of the car at all. Eco mode limits the throttle and climate control performance, which claims to improve fuel economy, but we found the changes quite marginal at best. In addition to the extra ground clearance, we found the inclusion of these modes gave the image that this Kia was a capable off-roader. We’re sure it’ll handle a manicured path just fine, but really, it does its best on asphalt and cottage roads.
It looks great, is priced fairly, packed with features and is capable. So what’s the downside? It’s not so easy to find one in only a week of testing. There are still many buyers who see Hyundai and Kia as newer players who haven’t proven themselves, much like Honda, Nissan and Toyota’s first entry into the North American market. To us, it’s that in spite of its looks and trim additions, like the F-150’s roaming the city streets, Tellurides will likely never see the beaten path. Except this time, maybe that’s for the best. Wearing Jordans doesn’t make you a Baller, but you’ll still be baller.
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