In many respects, the U.S. seems less and less like a First World country, but things haven't yet reached the point where our paved roads are being ripped out, leaving trails of dirt and rubble in their place. And yet, you'd think that was the case, given that more and more buyers of family SUVs are choosing extra-rugged off-road versions. It's as if the school run has become something akin to a trek through the jungles of Borneo, and a trip to Costco is like a scramble across the rocky wastelands of Mongolia. For buyers shopping the Kia Telluride, that means they may be considering the X-Pro, which is the most off-road-focused version.
Redesigned for 2027, the new Telluride—which replaced a multiple 10Best winner—is a three-row SUV that we hold in high regard, and it recently won an eight-way comparison test. That comparo-winning Kia, however, wasn't the X-Pro; it was a Telluride Hybrid, in SX Prestige trim.
The X-Pro comes as the SX and the fancier SX Prestige. Both X-Pro models get 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, and a special suspension with increased ground clearance—9.1 inches versus 7.4 in other Tellurides. The exterior styling is further blackened, and the front and rear fascias incorporate recovery hooks. The surround-view monitor adds a "ground view" of what's under the vehicle (it works at speeds up to 6 mph).
View Price on AmazonFor an additional $3100, the Prestige adds a digital rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, phone as key, remote parking, SynTex and SynTex suede upholstery (versus SynTex only), an "Ergo Motion" driver's seat with an under-thigh extension, heated second-row seats, acoustic rear door glass, a power-adjustable steering column, a head-up display, and a 115-volt power inverter.
None of that gear is going to challenge the off-road supremacy of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Ford Bronco, or the Toyota Land Cruiser, which bring to bear more hardcore equipment such as a locking center differential, disconnecting anti-roll bars, a two-speed transfer case, and off-road crawl control. Still, Kia's kit should give the X-Pro a bit of an edge over its siblings on an unplowed steep driveway to the ski house, when driving on the beach, or on a muddy two-track to a hiking spot. The question then becomes one of how compromised the X-Pro is when it comes to the driving most Tellurides will do most of the time: on pavement.
Well, for one thing, the X-Pro is not available with the hybrid powertrain; it comes only with the base engine, a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic, and, as you'd expect, all-wheel drive is standard here.
Given that the base engine is 55 horsepower and 28 pound-feet of torque shy of the hybrid powertrain, it's not too surprising that the X-Pro is not quite as quick. Whereas the gas-electric model hustles to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, the X-Pro takes a more lugubrious 7.5 seconds to complete the run. On the move, the gap is greater, with the X-Pro needing 8.6 seconds to get from 5 to 60 mph, while the Telluride Hybrid needs just 6.8. The X-Pro is also fractionally behind the other base-engine Telluride we tested, an all-wheel-drive X-Line SX Prestige, in both 60-mph tests as well as the 30-to-50 and 50-to-70 measures. Outside the test track, it doesn't feel painfully slow, but there is a brief moment of turbo lag that the hybrid powertrain's electric motor papers over.
Despite the lower power output, however, the base-engine Tellurides, including the X-Pro, have a bit more towing capacity than their Telluride Hybrid brethren, 5000 pounds versus 4500, and the X-Pro comes standard with a tow hitch, which is part of a $625 option on other models.
The X-Pro exacts a gas-mileage penalty, with EPA ratings of 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined, versus 21/28/23 mpg for the Telluride Hybrid in SX Prestige trim. On our 75-mph highway test, the X-Pro returned 22 mpg, 2 mpg shy of its EPA rating and 4 mpg behind the Telluride Hybrid.
Source: caranddriver.com
