The 2020 Kia Telluride Goes into Production

The 2020 Kia Telluride has come a long way since the original concept received the greenlight for production of the new Kia SUV . Updates for the Telluride slowly petered out, and the SUV even popped during the 2018 New York Fashion Week , outfitted with some adventure and style. Finally, in 2019, the 2020 Kia Telluride debuted at the 2019 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Going into production already, all of the features displayed in the concept didn’t show up. However, Kia showed us a lot of interesting technology at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show – perhaps they’re still test-running things like the second-row media control band or the LED light-rejuvenation sunroof. At least their new SUV has some nice fuel economy specs.

2020 Kia Telluride EPA Numbers

Sure, it’s an SUV. Can consumers really expect amazing numbers from a large vehicle? The 2020 Kia Telluride doesn’t use any fancy tricks to lower its fuel consumption – the three-row midsize SUV doesn’t break any records. It does, however, still provide enough for consumers that wouldn’t be a deal breaker. The 2020 Telluride will only arrive with one powertrain option in the spring of 2019. Under the hood is a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 engine, able to generate up to 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the most change consumers will see in the fuel economy is their choice of powertrain.

Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the standard setup for the 2020 Kia Telluride. Kia Motors has noticed the rise in consumer desire for all-wheel drive (AWD) however and has added the option to the SUV for additional security and driver control. If sticking with the standard drivetrain (FWD), then consumers can expect a fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. If choosing AWD, there’s a slight drop to 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

The Old Concept

One would hope the hybrid option returns. That would make the 2020 Kia Telluride the first hybrid SUV, and with some of the technology, the original concept boasted, a real kick in the pants for the auto market. The sunroof was designed to be a wing-shaped, ceiling mounted LED panel that would act as a Light-Emitted Rejuvenation (LER) therapeutic system for passengers. Smart Sensors were to be embedded into the front four seats that will monitor the health information of the first and second-row passengers, and a Swipe Command touch-sensitive second-row media-control band were also supposed to show up.

Perhaps Kia Motors is working out the kinks before putting such ground-breaking technology into the new crossover. We only got a glimpse of the new V-Touch, short for “virtual touch”, the world’s first virtual touch-type gesture control technology straight from Kia Motors at the 2019 CES. With a simple finger gesture, consumers can change the cabin environment, including lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning), and entertainment systems. We do get a simple version of the Kia Motors Sound Zone Technology with a “Quiet Mode” that plays music only in the front of the vehicle with the touch of a button.

The 2020 Kia Telluride SUV has already gone into production, so these futuristic concepts may not show up in this model year. Then again, Kia Motors has promised artificial intelligence in vehicles by the end of 2019 . Keep up with the new technology from Kia and the Kia Telluride by following Miami Lakes Kia social media .

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia.com

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