Spy Shots and Updates for the Kia Telluride

Well, after all the talk about the 2019 Kia Telluride hybrid SUV, we’re finally getting spy footage of a prototype. It feels like not too long ago, the Kia Telluride got the greenlight to go into production , and we received updates about the Kia Telluride since then . Now, it’s good to see that Kia Motors isn’t just getting our hopes up. A new SUV is definitely hitting the roads in the future, and it will be wearing the Kia badge. Whether it’s the promised Kia Telluride is a whole other story.

The original spy shots were the usual stuff, a mystery car wrapped up to keep it camouflaged while testing. Even the badge is covered up, and one would need a keen eye and a good memory for automotive concept art to claim the image below is the Kia Telluride. Looks like any other SUV.

But then look at that image and compare it with the one below. Sure, the quality is grainy at night with a cell phone, but pay attention to that aesthetics. The two look very much alike. What else do they have in common?

Both photos have next to no similarity to the SUV concept (above). Without a look inside the cabin of this mysterious machine, it would be hard pressed to say this is the Kia Telluride. Perhaps Kia Motors backpedaled a bit on what kind of technology they thought they could offer. Or perhaps this prototype is simply testing how well the vehicle handles driving on various terrain, given one is in snow climate and the other is on the streets.

A prototype in testing tells us that Kia Motors is at least close to debuting what could be a retail version of the vehicle. Although the ceiling mounted LED panel that acts as a Light-Emitted Rejuvenation (LER) therapeutic system and the Swipe Command touch-sensitive second-row media-control band impress us, if such technology can’t make it here by the release of the Telluride, we’d still opt for the luxury features in mind. The original Kia Telluride concept came with leather-trimmed front and second-row seats, with both rows made up of captain’s chairs versus bucket seats, and the second-row seats come with foldaway footrests so passengers can put their feet up.

The powertrain for this vehicle has yet to be determined. Released as a hybrid concept, the original Kia Telluride is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine and an electric motor, able to produce 400 horsepower combined. Other sources suggest the Kia Telluride shares luxury features of the K900 and may ride on a similar powertrain if the hybrid concept was done away with, lending to a possible 3.8-liter V6 or even 5.0-liter V8 engine to give the SUV the kind of power they’re known for.

Right now, it’s anyone’s guess. Based on the prototype images above, the Kia Telluride isn’t shaping up to be anything fancy – but that’s why this is the prototype. Here’s hoping we get an official update soon. Follow us on Miami Lakes Kia social media to stay up-to-date, or check out other hybrid vehicles by Kia Motors from our inventory.

Photo Source/Copyright: Motor Trend, TopSpeed, and The Korean Car Blog

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