See How the 2027 Kia Telluride Changes the Game

Powerful, three-row SUVs are in a league of their own for folks who want a large, spacious vehicle for a growing family. After skipping the 2026 model year, the Telluride is back with an all-new, incredibly upgraded version that shows how well Kia understands what drivers want. Looking at the all-new Telluride compared to another popular model, like the 2026 Toyota Highlander, makes it abundantly clear why so many people are interested in a new Kia Telluride for sale these days. Let’s check out how these two vehicles stack up, and you’ll see that the Telluride changes everything we’ve come to expect from these kinds of SUVs. 

Power and Performance on Another Level

Although we find performance important with any kind of vehicle, it’s especially vital when you’re looking at large and powerful models. These are both three-row SUVs, so you want to see impressive engines designed to ensure you have a great time behind the wheel each day. With the all-new 2027 Telluride, Kia gives you two incredible engines to choose from. While the 2026 Highlander also offers two engines, there are some big differences between them. Let’s see what kind of performance they each offer:

2027 Kia Telluride

• 2.5L Turbocharged I-4: 274 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque
• 2.5L Hybrid Engine: 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque

2026 Toyota Highlander

• 2.4L Turbocharged I-4: 265 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque
• 2.5L Hybrid Engine: 243 hp and 175 lb-ft of torque

Looking at the standard engines, the Kia Telluride has a clear advantage in terms of power, although things aren’t too crazy. Where the Telluride steps up its game is with the available hybrid engine, which provides 86 more horsepower than Toyota’s hybrid. Toyota doesn’t advertise the Highlander hybrid’s torque figures, but the spec sheet lists it as just 175 lb-ft, compared to the 339 lb-ft of torque the Telluride produces. Toyota’s figure may be for the gas engine alone, which would explain why it’s so much lower, but even that isn’t much for an engine of this size. The electric motor would add to it, but likely not enough to make up the 164 lb-ft difference. This can directly affect your daily driving experience, and makes the Telluride a fantastic choice. 

Enjoy Your Choice of Drive Type

A great daily drive is about more than just the power that your car’s engine puts out, although that’s certainly a huge part of it. You want something that provides excellent handling to keep you in control, terrific suspension for added comfort, and robust braking power so you can stop as quickly as you need to. The Kia Telluride comes through beautifully in this regard, with independent front and rear suspensions, up to 5,000 lbs of towing capacity, and a tight turning diameter of less than 40 feet even though it’s a large, three-row SUV.

Where we find the Telluride really takes the lead, however, is that it offers you the choice between front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). That might seem like a given, but it’s actually not. The 2026 Highlander is only available with AWD, which can be great for certain driving conditions, but it means you have no other option. Kia lets you choose the driving experience you prefer. FWD is easier to handle in the city and typically offers better fuel economy, while AWD provides excellent traction on dirt and gravel roads and when the weather gets messy. With both options available, Kia lets you get just what you want. 

Tremendous Interior Features

As important as other factors are, most of your time is spent inside your vehicle. The 2027 Telluride has a gorgeous interior with an incredible range of standard features, plus more options to upgrade your daily drive. The starting LX model comes with a gorgeous 12.3-inch infotainment display with navigation, a 4.2-inch instrument screen, and a separate five-inch climate display for controlling interior comfort. You also get an eight-speaker sound system, a dual wireless phone charger, and tri-zone automatic climate control, all standard in the 2027 Telluride. 

There are also numerous upgrades if you’re interested in the features of a higher trim. The SX Prestige, for example, comes with a larger 12.3-inch instrument display that’s easy to read at a glance, along with a 12-inch head-up display that projects important information into your line of sight. You also get a stunning 14-speaker Meridian Premium sound system in the SX Prestige, along with a 10-way power driver’s seat and an eight-way power front-passenger seat. It has heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, with comfortable SynTex and SynTex Suede seating that you’ll just about melt into.

By comparison, the 2026 Toyota Highlander starts with an eight-inch infotainment display that’s far smaller than what Kia gives you, with a 12.3-inch screen available in higher trims. There’s an available 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, but you won’t find features like the climate display or a 12-inch head-up display in the Highlander. Toyota provides a single wireless charging pad, and there’s a nice 11-speaker JBL sound system available, but it can’t compete with what Kia offers. Ultimately, there’s some good stuff here, but nothing that can truly keep up with what you can get in the 2027 Telluride.

The Telluride also beats the Highlander in cargo space, offering 22.3 cu.ft. behind the third row, and 89.3 cu.ft. with the second- and third-row seats folded down. The Toyota Highlander comes up short in this area, with only 16 cu.ft. behind the third row and 84.3 cu.ft. of total cargo volume with the seats down. No matter how you slice it, Kia gives you more room to utilize.

Industry-Leading Warranty Coverage 

No one wants to think about things going wrong, but there’s no denying that sometimes life can get messy and problems come up. When you have an issue with your vehicle, especially if you buy a new model, you want to know that the manufacturer has your back. That’s where the warranty comes into play, but not all warranties are the same in the auto industry. Kia is proving that by providing incredible coverage on their vehicles, including a 60-month/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty on the Telluride.

In contrast, Toyota provides a 36-month/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 60-month/60,000-mile powertrain warranty on the 2026 Highlander. This is a pretty standard warranty with decent coverage that gets the job done, even if it’s not remarkable. Looking at other car companies, those numbers are pretty consistent with what you’ll find. That is, until you get to Kia, whose warranty coverage is dramatically different from other manufacturers. The Telluride has full-vehicle coverage for as long as only the powertrain on the Highlander is covered, and nearly double the powertrain warranty protection. As you drive and enjoy the 2027 Telluride each day, you know that Kia has you covered if anything goes wrong.

Ready to Upgrade Your Daily Drive? 

It’s clear that Kia has cooked up something truly special with the 2027 Telluride, and we understand why they took the 2026 model year off to make sure it returned at its best. The Telluride is better than ever and offers an incredible range of options, including two engines, two drive types, seven- or eight-passenger seating, and ten trims (plus five for the hybrid powertrain) to consider. The result is an incredible range of options designed to meet just about any need, although things can get a bit overwhelming. That’s why we’re here at Cable Dahmer Kia to show you everything the 2027 Telluride has to offer and make sure you get an SUV that you’ll love driving today, tomorrow, and for many years to come.

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