Forecasting the Future of the Telluride
When Team USA took home gold at the games in Paris this month, it was 35-year-old Stephen Curry who sealed the deal with a barrage of golden daggers. The late-game heroics shouldn’t have come as a surprise; it was the type of shooting display that just netted Curry the Kia Clutch Player of the Year award for the 2023-’24 NBA season.
While Curry represented Kia with the hoops honor, the brand’s personal MVP has to be the Telluride. Introduced in 2019, the three-row SUV has become one of Kia’s most consistently popular vehicles. It’s racked up awards and accolades along the way… much like the future Hall of Famer Curry has continued to do. But unlike the decorated sharpshooter, the Telluride is likely only at the beginning of what promises to be a long and storied career.
While we eagerly await this fall’s updated 2025 Kia Telluride, it’s the 2026 model that will officially commemorate the second generation of Kia’s mid-size crossover. Today, Raceway Kia of Freehold ponders what the future could potentially hold for the Telluride.
Same Fresh Style, Different Package
Even as the inaugural second-generation Telluride, it’s unlikely the 2026 edition receives a dramatic visual overhaul. After all, Kia just recently gave the SUV a styling refresh with its 2023 model, which implemented a redesigned grille, headlamps, and front bumper.
But while the 2026 Telluride likely won’t be a top-to-bottom redesign, early public sightings of the SUV suggest some sort of aesthetic reimagining is indeed in the works. It’s notable that Kia is keeping the lower body draped in OEM camouflage during street testing. Could this be a hint that the Telluride’s next styling update will bring it more in line with its popular EV siblings, such as the EV9 or EV6?
What these early shots appear to confirm is the Telluride’s new “four-square” wheel design, adding more heftiness to the already imposing SUV. The brief look into its interior also confirms a new steering wheel – hopefully an indicator of further dashboard and tech upgrades to come.
An Engine Built for Two?
We fully expect the current Telluride’s 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6 (and its accompanying eight-speed automatic transmission) to carry over into the next generation. The larger question might be: will it have company?
Kia has floated the idea of a hybrid Telluride in the past, and the recently refreshed Kia Carnival has set a precedent for SUV hybridization within the Kia fleet. If the Telluride travels this blueprint, the revamped 2026 model would seem to be its logical entry point to improved sustainability. For drivers used to short commutes to Old Bridge, this is surely a welcome development.
But if Kia decides to draw a line of demarcation between its flagship SUV and its EVs, the V-6 could share hood space with the 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder that powers the Sorento line. Whatever strategy Kia ultimately takes with the Telluride’s engine(s), expect this already powerful SUV (with 5,500 pounds of current towing capacity) to become more versatile.
The Countdown Begins
It may seem too early to focus on the 2026 Telluride, considering the 2025 edition hasn’t even hit our showroom floor yet. And yet the Telluride’s second generation is more imminent than the 2028 games in Los Angeles – and speculation has already begun into whether a 39-year-old Curry (let alone a 43-year-old LeBron James) will participate once more for the United States.
In the meantime, Raceway Kia of Freehold is your home for the 2024 Kia Telluride, 2024 Kia EV9, and the rest of Kia’s ever-expanding lineup. With hundreds of new and certified used vehicles in our inventory, you win every time you shop at Raceway.
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