The case for the Kia Telluride in India
Just yesterday, the Kia Telluride became the 2020 World Car of the Year. A mean feat indeed. It is about the size of a Fortuner and does everything that all-three row SUVs do, just far better. Sadly, its only for the US of A. And will not come to India - the left hand drive only Telluride will require significant reengineering for our market. But, we wish that it does arrive here. Here's why.
The Telluride is one of the largest cars that Kia makes globally. 5000mm long with a width of 1990mm, it stands 1750mm tall, and has a 2900mm long wheelbase. It has a butch, brawny appearance and has oodles of road presence. Up front, the Telluride features Kia’s signature Tiger Nose with chunky vertical headlamps that integrate LED DRLs in them. The grille gets a chrome garnish and Telluride is spelled out in big bold letters just above it. The Kia insignia is positioned at the center of the grille. The rear sports L shaped LED tail lamps, along with a dual-tone bumper that features a skid plate. The Telluride lettering can be seen in the middle of the tailgate, under the Kia logo. The 20-inch wheels add immensely to the muscular aesthetic of the Telluride and fill up the wheel wells nicely.
On the inside, the Telluride gets the option of a seven or an eight seat configuration. All of those seats are covered in quilted, double stitched Nappa leather with brushed metal and matte wood inserts all around the cabin. There's a 12 way seat adjust for the driver, ventilated seats, automatic high beams, dual sunroofs, blind spot monitoring, head up display and rain sensing wipers by way of features. It also gets an 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a Harman/Kardon audio system. Oh and did I tell you about the acres of space inside. The Kia Sorento which sits below the Telluride(and is coming to India) is much smaller and still has comfortable three row seating. This is far roomier and gets far more premium materials.
Under the hood it gets a V6 petrol motor that produces 291hp and 355Nm of torque which puts it way above what the competition offers. On the whole, it is unlike anything else in India and surely would capture the attention of the India buyer who's forever obsessed with large, macho SUVs. You can option it with lots of chrome - perfect for Indian SUV buyers - and is huge. Wait, did I say that before. Either way, it looks like the right size for India - Extra Large.
So what are you waiting for. Write Kia Motors India that email/tweet/letter and let them know. Of course, the Telluride will have to be manufactured locally in India for there to be a business case for it here. But even if Kia decides to bring it to India. It has its hands full right now with the Sonet and the Sorento set to arrive soon - don't forget their overflowing order books. Here's to wishful thinking though.