Is The Telluride Better Than Land Rover?
I had the keys to this Telluride for a little under a week. Here are my thoughts.
Kia started production of the Telluride and put it in showrooms this year. Designed to compete against the well-known Land Rover Discovery. Both cars are meant to be luxurious for the driver and its passengers. But there can only be one winner. Is the all-new Telluride the winner? Or is it a mere phony of what it wants to be?
Styling
"...really put their work..."
Compared to the Land Rover Discovery, the Kia Telluride blows it out of the park when it comes to exterior design. The Telluride stands more poised like it has something to lose. It is majestic to look at from all angles. Kia really put their work in on designing the Telluride and it shows on every body panel. Land Rover seems to suffer from "Porsche Syndrome" because there is not much of a difference in how the lineup looks. The Telluride makes this all look refreshing as a glass of lemonade on a hot summer's day.
Interior Design
"...function smoothly..."
Not only did Kia focus on the exterior design of the Telluride, the work on the interior was not missed either. The paneling, trim, and even the infotainment system all form the type of luxury some people believe only big name manufacturers can only make. The dials and buttons function smoothly and with such ease. Not only that, but there is so much space for everything needed for anything that may arise. One last plus side of what Kia has done is how comfortable the seats are. Speaking of seats, there is enough room for a third row.
Options and Pricing
So, how much does a Telluride like this cost? Well, this model can be priced at almost $47,000. What does that mean? Well, for safety that means a plethora of airbags, stability control, surround view and blind spot monitors, back up camera, lane assist, forward collision avoidance assist, adaptive cruise control, and park assist. For comfort and convenience, the Telluride comes with a wireless phone charger, infotainment screen with Android Auto an Apple CarPlay, satellite navigation, heads-up display, heated and ventilated seats in the first two rows and powered front seats, heated steering wheel, two sunroofs, and side window curtains.
Performance
"...as soft as..."
The Kia Telluride is powered by a 3.8L V6 motor that is backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission that turns all 4 wheels. Fuel economy was not bad whatsoever since my driving habits gave me around 20 miles per gallon. But that is not what matters the most. What matters is ride comfort on a car that is supposed to be luxurious. Steering is light as air. Suspension is as soft as cotton candy. No SUV in this price range could match the quality Kia put into the Telluride.
Conclusion
So, is the Telluride better than the Land Rover? Yes, it really is in every aspect. The Telluride has so much to offer for its price. Ride comfort, space, design, and luxury is all anyone could wish for in a brand that dedicates itself to striving for better and Kia out-did themselves on this. If anyone should be stuck in deciding on whether or not to get the Telluride or Land Rover, they should go with the Kia. Plain and simple.
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Comments (96)
This reads like an ‘advertorial’ not an independent review. I’m a big admirer of Peter Schreyer and his team’s achievements at Kia but I’m afraid this ‘review’ blurs the lines between the subjective and objective to such a point I had to check it didn’t contain ‘paid promotion’....
No doubt the tech and reliability will be superior to JLR but the sense of subjective bias undermines what I presume was the original intent: ie. to be taken seriously.
Next time: avoid subjectively ‘dissing’ one of the most successful design team’s in current operation: ie Gerry McGovern/Massimo Frascella. If it’s not too much to ask.....?
I write my reviews based on experience. I used to work at a dealership where I saw a lot of cars and drove them too. So my comments are based on that.
I had same feeling reading this review after " Majestic from all angles" because it really looks a mix of copies from another models.
You can cover it in as many bells and whistles as you like it’ll always be a Kia
As true as that is, it is also surprising that it's a Kia.
So what? I have 3 friends with Kia cars and they never had any issue with them.
It's easy for a brands such as KIA to mimic and therefore compete with existing brands from the premium sector, which often happens, as it has in this case.
For instance, whilst the exterior is attractive enough, it's generic and looks like an amalgamation of Lincoln/Cadicallac/Ford SUV products. To the interior; the centre console looks very last-gen VW/Audi, whereas the dash and steering wheel look like they're lifted from the current-gen BMW & Audi. The seats look like a Land Rover product too.
Kia is not showing innovation, only copying what already exists in the marketplace. Premium brands spend hundreds of millions of pounds (dollars or euros) on development for new models, only for KIA to buy a few so they can essentially replicate their work. This is why their new models are often seemingly a generation behind. In turn, it means that they'll never beat the competition, let alone match it, and it'll only ever be a cheap alternative.
The practice of copycat design has gone on for years; see how the Toyota 2000GT and Datsun 240z was a rip-off of the 1965 Jaguar E-Type. Now they've matured with their own brand identity, maybe KIA will do the same.
Makes sense. But it seems KIA making it all better. Why? Maybe the price and the overall feel of the car. Pictures are one thing. Being in it is another thing.
True. It's when you get in the car and discover a dated media system, hard plastics, lesser performance, etc, etc.
I'm not saying it's a bad car, it might be very good; my point is copying trends is relatively easy and costs little, whilst...
Read moreHere’s the problem though, it’s a Kia not a Land Rover. Branding and it’s mark precede the analysis of value and at this juncture Kia is still an awakening Asian cheap car maker attempting to make an offering that seems to be higher end but isn’t when you compare it to others in the price point.
True. But since Land Rover is the competitor of the Telluride I have to make the comparison. As for Kia, most people started trusting the brand for the reliability as well as Hyundai. Plus some names from other manufacturers have put in work...
Read moreno
Why?