The key question, if you’re one of the 90 per cent of buyers who choose a lower trim level, is to compare exactly what you want and what you’ll get for your money. A colourful heads-up display that disappears as soon as you put on your polarized sunglasses? Check. Doors that won’t open when parked if there’s a cyclist coming up from behind on that side? Check.

Semi-autonomous driving that stays on for up to three minutes without touching the wheel or pedals? Check. These two testers’ fully-loaded editions featured all the technology that’s available, and it’s all shared between the vehicles. The Palisade has a smoothly integrated central touch screen and push buttons for the transmission. Carry an extra passenger or hockey bag and this all becomes moot, anyway. For some reason, Kia doesn’t disclose a curb weight for the Telluride’s high-end SX Limited or Nightsky editions, to compare it to the Hyundai’s curb weight of 2,022 kg. Highway consumption is almost the same, but it’s the more thirsty city consumption that makes the difference. Perhaps this is why the Telluride has a slightly less efficient fuel consumption rating than the Palisade, ranked by the Canadian government at an average consumption of 11.3 L/100 km compared to 11.1. Press the Sport option on the electronic driving modes and both vehicles drop a gear and seem a bit more powerful I drove the Telluride mostly in Sport, while I left the Palisade mostly in Comfort. If anything, the Kia feels a little more sporty, perhaps firmer on its springs than the Hyundai, but there’s not much in it. It’s matched to an 8-speed automatic transmission that you won’t notice or even think about, so the push-button controls are well-suited – just press D and forget it.Īll this said, the powertrains and drivetrains are individually tuned by the two companies’ engineers, so they’re not quite identical. They’re powered by the same 3.8-litre V6 that produces 291 hp and 262 lbs.-ft. There’s no real difference between the two.

2021 kia telluride review