2026 Kia Telluride: Everything We Know About the 3-Row Phenom's Next Generation

It could be argued that the Kia Telluride is the Korean automaker’s franchise player. The three-row SUV has been one of Kia’s most popular vehicles, and it even earned a MotorTrend SUV of The Year Award in 2020. Considering that track record it’s no surprise that Kia is running it back and working to bring an all-new, second-generation Telluride to market.

It’s only been a year since the Kia Telluride was refreshed, so going off what our experience tells us about product cycles, we don’t think this new Telluride is going to be a blank page completely new model. Rather, its likely that it will mostly carry over its chassis and running gear with a few key—and very visible—upgrades.

We recently spied the new Kia Telluride doing some public street testing while wearing the obligatory OEM camouflage. Now that we’re seeing the new Telluride out in the wild, this is a great time to discuss everything we know about it, so far. 

Freshen the Refreshed Styling

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So, while we believe that the 2026 Kia Telluride won't be an entirely clean-sheet, wheels-up redesign, these spy shots reveal some obvious visual upgrades—after all, that's what's up with all that camo. We think that the cover-up is hiding styling updates that will bring the Telluride more in line with Kia’s hot new “EV” electric SUV family (EV9, EV6, etc.), but with some more rugged lower body touches. The fact that the camo seems to be more substantial on the lower part of the body kind of gives that away.

One thing the shots definitely give away is a new “four-square” wheel design that give the Telluride a “heftier” vibe in our opinion. If we squint our eyes, the prototype also seems to reveal an updated front fascia with new grille and headlight designs that just barely peek out from behind the camo cladding.

We only have the smallest look at the interior from the spy photos, but we can tell that the 2026 Kia Telluride will have a new steering wheel, which also leads us to believe there will be some dashboard design updates. Expect some tweaks to interior and exterior color choices, as well.

The Engine is Probably Going to Carry Over, But Won't Be Alone

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The 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission offered in all trims of the current Kia Telluride is probably going to carry over to the new model. At an EPA-rated 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway (in its most efficient, front-wheel-drive form), the current Telluride with this powertrain is on the thirstier side, though it affords up to 5,500 pounds of towing capacity.

We don’t think that the 3.8-liter V-6 will be the only engine option in the 2026 Kia Telluride, though. There’s a chance that the SUV could get the 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder from the Sorrento line, or even the hybrid setup that SUV shares with the newest Carnival minivan. It's something Kia has put some thought into before.

Trimming The Telluride

There are no fewer than 10 different trims available for the 2024 Kia Telluride. While we’re fans of consumer choice, we also understand if that could be overwhelming for some shoppers. There is a slight chance that Kia may streamline the trims to make the options more concise. Either way, expect Kia to offer some packaging and trim enhancements which will largely be informed by customer feedback.

Still Early Days

We’re not exactly sure when the next Telluride will hit the market, though this prototype in the photos you see here looks relatively close to production (minus the camouflage), so it likely won't be years from now, but possibly months before we see this new SUV. That suggests it could launch as a 2026 or early 2027 model-year offering. Stay tuned as we dig up more clues!

Images provided by KindelMedia