Kia Telluride concept SUV revealed

Kia has revealed the Telluride concept SUV it has been teasing over the past few days at the Detroit motor show.

The new model provides a glimpse into the future of Kia’s design and technology, suggesting the carmaker is eager to enter the large SUV market that’s still so popular in North America. As such, the SUV is as large as it looks in pictures, standing 1800mm tall, 2029mm wide and 5001mm long.

It sits on 22-inch five-spoke wheels and flaunts a muscular profile that has been designed by Kia’s Design Centre America. Focus has been placed on making the Telluride as practical as possible, so the rear doors swing open a full 90 degrees in opposing directions, and there are three rows of seats inside.

The middle seats can fold down almost flat, suggesting the SUV has been designed with long distance driving in mind, and there’s a new touch-sensitive infotainment system with wireless charging - which previews what’s to come in forthcoming Kias.

Power comes from a direct injection 3.5-litre V6 that produces 270bhp, mated to a 130bhp eletric motor. The hybrid drivetrain sends power to all four wheels, and is claimed to be good for 30mpg US (about 36 European mpg).

Kia says there are no plans to put the Telluride into production, but given how complete the concept looks, it appears that Kia is experimenting with the idea of building a similarly sized vehicle for the US market.