Key Factors
- A Kia govt reveals the onerous knowledge behind the Telluride’s most debated powertrain determination.
- The 2027 Telluride Hybrid’s new engine outperforms the V6 by a metric that surprises even seasoned journalists.
- Federal emissions requirements have completely closed the door on a V6 return.
Sitting throughout from a senior Kia product planner throughout a press occasion is at all times attention-grabbing. However generally the dialog reveals one thing greater than a easy product replace.
That’s precisely what occurred once I attended the media drive for the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid and the 2027 Telluride X-Professional off-road mannequin in Santa Barbara, California. Kia gathered journalists from throughout the automotive trade to check the subsequent technology of considered one of America’s hottest three-row SUVs.
At one level in the course of the occasion, I sat down with Sang Lee, Product Planning Nationwide Supervisor at Kia America, and requested him a query that many Telluride homeowners have been asking for the reason that first rumors of the redesign appeared.
As a result of the unique Telluride constructed a powerful following round its 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine.
And now it’s gone.
The Query Many Telluride House owners Are Asking
So I requested Lee immediately:
“The unique Telluride constructed a loyal following round its naturally aspirated V6. Why did Kia resolve this technology was the second to get rid of it fully, and had been you involved about backlash from current homeowners?”
It’s the form of query that issues as a result of many SUV patrons nonetheless want easy, naturally aspirated engines. They belief them. They perceive them.
Lee didn’t dodge the query.
As a substitute, he gave a surprisingly direct reply. It was data-driven, calm, and – I’ve to say – fairly convincing.
This is what Lee advised Torque Information, in full:
“The naturally aspirated V6 is technically, at this level, inferior to the 4-cylinder Turbo (used within the 2027 KIA Telluride).
“Goal knowledge corresponding to the two.5 GTDI in Turbo GDI within the new ’27 Telluride, the output in torque – 311 foot-pounds of torque at 1700 RPMs (right here he gave a node to Torque Information) versus 262 foot-pounds of torque within the V6 at 5200 RPMs.
“It’s a fully superior torque supply with the brand new turbo. And within the phase – and this isn’t simply the phase, however only a snapshot of what is going on on within the phase – there are only some remaining naturally aspirated V6 autos which are accessible: Pilot, Pathfinder, and for no matter purpose, the brand new Palisade, which determined to use 3.5 liter V6. Not the three.8, however a 3.5.
“Now, the opposite good thing about the two.5 Turbo GDI (used within the 2027 KIA Telluride) is it is in a position to meet increased emissions requirements. It is ACC2 SULEV 30 compliant. No manner we may have met that with the V6, naturally aspirated V6.
“So it is increased torque output, and higher decrease emissions.
“And the opposite factor is the torque output. This car, the brand new 2027 Telluride, is about – relying on the trim – 265 kilos heavier. With the intention to transfer that further weight, we would have liked the extra torque. And this was the reply.”
Learn that once more. The V6 could not even legally survive underneath the brand new emissions requirements. That is not nostalgia, however moderately physics and regulatory actuality colliding.
Let’s Break Down the Technical Phrases As a result of They Matter
Should you’re not an engineer, a couple of phrases in Lee’s assertion might need gone proper over your head. Let me translate.
GTDI stands for Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection. It means the engine injects gasoline immediately into the combustion chamber – not into the consumption port – whereas additionally utilizing a turbocharger to drive extra air in. The result’s a smaller engine that produces extra energy and torque than its dimension would recommend, whereas additionally utilizing gasoline extra effectively underneath many circumstances.
GDI stands for Gasoline Direct Injection, which is similar direct-injection idea with no turbocharger. The 2027 Telluride makes use of the turbo model – the GTDI – which is why it may possibly squeeze 311 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5-liter engine.
ACC2 SULEV 30 is the place it will get actually essential. ACC2 is the California Air Assets Board’s Superior Clear Automobiles II regulation, which units strict limits on car emissions for mannequin years 2026 and past. SULEV stands for Tremendous Extremely Low Emission Car, and the “30” refers back to the allowed non-methane natural fuel and NOx emissions threshold of 30 milligrams per mile. That is among the many most stringent tailpipe emission requirements on the earth. Lee was clear: the previous V6 merely could not meet it. Interval. No quantity of engineering refinement may have saved it.
The Torque Numbers Are Genuinely Surprising
This is what’s attention-grabbing, and what I believe plenty of V6 loyalists are going to must wrestle with. The previous 3.8-liter V6, the engine individuals beloved, made its 262 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 RPM. Which means you needed to rev the engine pretty excessive earlier than you felt its full pull. The brand new 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder produces 311 lb-ft at simply 1,700 RPM. You are feeling that torque the second you push the throttle, virtually from idle. That is the form of low-end grunt that makes a heavy SUV really feel alive in visitors, on the freeway on-ramp, or on a mud path. It is the form of factor that might make even a V6 loyalist really feel, quietly, like they could have been improper about this.
We have been protecting the Telluride’s evolution at Torque Information for years. Again in 2021, when the Telluride was nonetheless driving excessive on its V6 popularity, our writers famous that as turbocharged four-cylinders continued to achieve traction, the Telluride remained one of many final V6-powered fashions in its class – a distinction that appeared like a promoting level then, however now reads like a countdown clock.
The Weight Drawback No one Was Speaking About
Lee additionally dropped a element that I believe most individuals have not targeted on sufficient. The 2027 Telluride is roughly 265 kilos heavier than its predecessor, relying on the trim. Take into consideration that. You are asking an engine to maneuver a car that is greater than a quarter-ton heavier. If Kia had stored the V6 and tried to go emissions requirements whereas additionally transferring all that further weight, the efficiency would have felt sluggish, even unlikeable, to patrons who take a look at drive it back-to-back with a turbo-powered competitor.
The turbo four-cylinder solves each issues concurrently, giving it extra torque for the heavier physique, fewer emissions from a extra environment friendly combustion system. It is a chic engineering resolution, even when it stings emotionally.
It is also price noting that Kia’s personal platform sibling, the Hyundai Palisade, selected a special path – going with a downsized 3.5-liter V6 moderately than the three.8. Lee’s reference to that call had only a trace of aggressive commentary in it. He was not volunteering that the Palisade made the smarter name.
Our 2024 Telluride SX-Status X-Line evaluation, one which checked out how the last-generation V6 SUV rivaled the most effective in its phase, made clear how a lot affection there was for that outgoing engine. Kia knew what they had been giving up by way of emotional resonance. They made the decision anyway.
What About Lengthy-Time period Reliability of the Turbo 4-Cylinder Engine Utilized in The 2027 Telluride?
A few of you will ask this, so let’s tackle it. Turbocharged engines, traditionally, will be extra complicated and doubtlessly costlier to take care of than naturally aspirated ones, particularly at increased mileages. It is a truthful concern. But, the V6 was not with out its personal flaws.
The turbo four-cylinder within the 2027 Telluride, as defined by Lee, is a contemporary, well-developed unit that Kia and Hyundai have been refining throughout a number of platforms. Time and proprietor studies will in the end inform the true story, however the engineering pedigree is strong.
The Telluride’s Function in Kia’s Evolution
The Telluride has turn out to be considered one of Kia’s most essential autos.
When it launched, it modified the model’s popularity in the USA.
It shortly turned probably the most awarded SUVs within the phase, even profitable a number of Greatest Purchase awards for three-row midsize SUVs in keeping with trade evaluations highlighted in reporting from Torque Information about Kia’s repeated recognition in Kelley Blue Guide Greatest Purchase rankings for the Telluride.
And the mannequin helped push Kia’s gross sales progress within the U.S., the place the model has seen record-breaking annual gross sales pushed partly by sturdy SUV demand.
Through the years we’ve additionally seen how the Telluride advanced with new expertise, security techniques, and design updates. For instance, Torque Information beforehand examined how family-focused security expertise like Protected Exit Help helped make the Telluride fashionable with dad and mom and road-trip households, exhibiting how Kia focused practicality as a lot as type.
The Larger Development within the SUV Phase
Lee additionally talked about one thing that’s straightforward to miss.
The variety of naturally aspirated V6 engines on this phase is shrinking.
Look across the midsize SUV market immediately.
Many opponents are switching to:
- turbocharged four-cylinder engines
- hybrid powertrains
- plug-in hybrid techniques
Even patrons who as soon as insisted on giant engines are starting to prioritize:
- gasoline effectivity
- torque supply
- emissions compliance
And this transition isn’t taking place in isolation.
For instance, in one other Torque Information dialogue we checked out how Kia’s shift towards electrified SUVs just like the EV9 displays a broader technique to maneuver the model towards lower-emissions powertrains throughout its lineup.
What This Means for You as a Purchaser
Should you’re searching for the 2027 Telluride or making an attempt to resolve whether or not to carry onto your present V6 mannequin, this is the trustworthy image: the brand new powertrain is technically superior by the numbers. Extra torque, accessible earlier, with higher emissions compliance and a hybrid possibility that the V6 may by no means assist. Again in 2021, Torque Information writers had been already speculating about when Kia would lastly electrify the Telluride and supply an HEV model. That prediction has now absolutely come true with the 2027 mannequin.
Should you’re an off-road purchaser eyeing the X-Professional trim, the low-end torque supply is arguably much more essential than it’s on the pavement. Extra twist from decrease RPMs means higher crawling functionality, higher towing management, and extra assured efficiency within the conditions the place the X-Professional is designed to shine. And for winter driving followers, the six methods Kia engineered the Telluride X-Professional to excel in difficult circumstances carry proper over into the brand new technology, now backed by superior low-RPM torque.
The Ethical of the Story, and It Applies Past Automobiles
This is what I need you to remove from this, and it goes past the Telluride. Sang Lee did not inform me what most individuals most likely needed to listen to. He advised me what the information confirmed. And there is a actual lesson in that for all of us as automotive patrons, as decision-makers, as individuals.
All of us have issues we love due to how they really feel, how they sound, how they hook up with a reminiscence. That V6 rumble? That was actual. However when the target proof clearly factors in a special course like higher efficiency, higher emissions, higher functionality underneath load, the wisest factor we are able to do is comply with the information and never the emotion. That applies to purchasing a automotive. It applies to careers, relationships, and investments too. Loyalty to what was greatest is admirable. However loyalty to what is greatest is knowledge.
The 2027 Kia Telluride did not kill the V6 out of carelessness. It outgrew it. And that is price respecting, even when it is onerous to let go.
Now it is your flip. I need to hear from you immediately within the feedback part beneath:
Should you at present personal a V6-powered Kia Telluride, has Lee’s clarification modified your perspective on the brand new turbo four-cylinder, or does the thought of a smaller engine nonetheless really feel like a downgrade to you, whatever the numbers?
And for these of you contemplating the 2027 Telluride, does the ACC2 SULEV 30 compliance and the hybrid possibility make this probably the most compelling Telluride but, or are you holding out to see how the turbo engine performs over 100,000 miles earlier than committing?
Drop your expertise and ideas within the feedback beneath. Your real-world perspective is probably the most invaluable factor we are able to supply one another on this neighborhood.
Photographs by Armen Hareyan.
About The Creator
Armen Hareyan is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Torque Information and an automotive journalist with over 15 years of expertise writing automotive opinions and trade information. Now primarily based within the Charlotte area (Indian Land, SC, he based Torque Information in 2010, which since then has been publishing knowledgeable information and evaluation in regards to the automotive trade. He will be reached at Torque Information on X, Linkedin, and Youtube. Armen holds three Masters Levels, together with an MBA, and has turn out to be one of many recognized voices within the trade, specializing within the panorama of electrical autos and real-world tales of precise automotive homeowners. Armen focuses on offering readers with clear, data-backed evaluation bridging the hole of complicated engineering and automotive purchaser practicality. Armen incessantly participates in automotive occasions all through the USA, nationwide and native automotive reveals and personally test-drives new autos each week. Armen has additionally been printed as an automotive knowledgeable in publications just like the Transit Tomorrow, discussing how will autonomous autos reshape the availability chain, and rising applied sciences in car upkeep.
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