2023 Kia Telluride Gets Refreshed Looks And New Tougher Off-Road Trim Levels

Kia’s largest model in North America, the Telluride mid-size SUV, is getting a mid-cycle facelift for the 2023MY. Making its world premiere alongside the refreshed Hyundai Palisade at the New York International Auto Show, the eight-passenger SUV gets a modestly revised design, additional tech features, and two new rugged trim levels named the X-Line and the X-Pro.

Starting outside, the Telluride retains much of its design but gets new vertical headlights with standard LED bulbs and available fog lamps, updated taillights, revised bumpers, a new grille, reworked rear fascia, revised lower door garnishes and side sills, plus new wheel designs for every trim. It also gets extra colors for 2023: Midnight Lake Blue, Dawning Red, and Jungle Wood Green.

Inside, the model gets Kia’s latest dual 12.3-inch display screens for the gauge cluster (which is optional) and the infotainment system. With that, the dashboard has been redesigned to accommodate the massive screen, as has the steering wheel. The model will also get new interior color packages.

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Buyers will additionally be able to opt for a full display digital mirror that can connect to HomeLink. A new power liftgate with an “Auto Close” function is also present. Owners will also be able to turn their smartphone or smartwatch into a Digital Key to lock and unlock the vehicle through Kia Connect. An in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect up to five devices to 4G LTE-based internet is also available.

Kia Connect also introduces navigational benefits. Both the infotainment system and the maps will be capable of being updated over the air. The map will also benefit from “connected routing,” which Kia says uses real-time and predicted road information to calculate the optimal directions to your location.

To keep you safe, the facelifted Telluride adds speed limit sign recognition and “Forward Collision Avoidance – Junction Turning” as standard, as well as navigation-based smart cruise control and a series of other additional collision avoidance technologies that aim to prevent accidents when drivers are turning left, going through intersections, changing lanes, and more.

No changes in the powertrain department

Powertrains, meanwhile, will be carried over for the 2023 model year. The Telluride is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 GDI engine that produces 291 hp (217 kW/295 PS) and 262 lb-ft (355 Nm) of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is the only option, while all-wheel-drive is optionally available unless you get one of the two new trims, in which case it comes as standard.

The new X-Line and X-Pro models seek to add a little off-road spice to the Telluride lineup. Starting with the former, it gets its own grille design, bridge-type roof rails, body-color door handles, “X-Line” badging, and exclusive 20-inch wheels. Inside, meanwhile, it gets “X-Line” embossing on the front seats and exclusive color packages.

It’s not all aesthetic changes, though. The trim, which replaces the Nightfall Edition, comes with 10mm (0.4-inches) of added ground clearance, improved approach and departure angles, a tow mode for optimized trailering, an upgraded traction control system, and downhill brake control.

The Telluride X-Pro, on the other hand, gets many of the same modifications plus some even more aggressive off-road features. That means exclusive 18-inch black wheels that come wrapped in 18-inch all-terrain tires from Continental. It also gets “X-Pro” badging and embossing on the front seats, as well as a 110-volt inverter outlet, and 5,500 lbs of towing capability, up from 5,000 lbs.

Pricing has not yet been announced for the updated model. As before, the 2023 Kia Telluride will be built at the brand’s Georgia manufacturing facility alongside the K5, the Sportage, and the Sorento.