Kia just dropped the numbers on its first-ever Telluride Hybrid, and the sticker is going to sting a little. The electrified three-row SUV starts at $48,035 for the base EX front-wheel-drive trim, climbing all the way to $59,135 for the fully loaded X-Line SX Prestige with all-wheel drive. That’s real money for a Kia, but this isn’t the Kia your parents remember.
The $48,035 entry point lands $7,300 north of the cheapest nonhybrid Telluride, which kicks off at $40,735 in bare-bones LX trim. But that comparison is a bit misleading. The hybrid lineup skips the LX and S trims entirely, starting at the better-equipped EX level. Compare apples to apples — EX to EX — and the hybrid premium shrinks to a more palatable $2,700.
Under the hood sits a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with electric motors and a small 1.65-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, all routed through a six-speed automatic transmission. Combined output hits 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. That’s a serious jump over the old V6, which made 291 horses and 262 pound-feet.
The non-hybrid turbo four in the new Telluride makes just 274 horsepower, so the hybrid is genuinely the powerhouse of the lineup.
Fuel economy is the headline number here. The EPA rates the EX FWD at 35 mpg combined, with an estimated total driving range of 637 miles on a single tank. For a seven-passenger SUV that can tow 4,500 pounds, those are impressive figures.
Kia also touts a standard electric-Vehicle Motion Control system that uses brake and motor inputs for sharper handling and a quieter ride.
The trim ladder is straightforward. Five configurations are available: EX FWD at $48,035, EX AWD at $50,035, SX FWD at $53,035, X-Line SX AWD at $56,035, SX Prestige AWD at $58,135, and X-Line SX Prestige AWD at $59,135. All prices include the $1,545 destination charge. All-wheel drive adds $2,000 on the EX trim, and you’re forced into AWD once you step up to the X-Line and Prestige models.
The competitive field is thin but fierce. The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, which shares the same turbo-hybrid powertrain, undercuts the Telluride at $45,760 to start. That’s a meaningful gap when you’re shopping family haulers.
Toyota’s Grand Highlander Hybrid opens at $46,505 but makes only 245 horsepower — nearly 85 fewer ponies than the Kia. The Mazda CX-90 PHEV starts at $52,025 with standard AWD, but it’s a plug-in, which is a different animal entirely.
What’s notable is who isn’t in this fight. Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge still don’t offer hybrid versions of their three-row SUVs. That vacuum gives Kia and Hyundai an open lane to grab buyers who want space, capability, and better fuel economy without plugging anything in. The domestic brands are simply asleep at the wheel on this one.
Kia’s VP of Sales, Eric Watson, called the Telluride HEV “the new benchmark in the three-row SUV segment.” That’s corporate talk, sure, but the numbers back it up. A 329-horsepower hybrid three-row with 35 mpg combined, assembled at Kia’s West Point, Georgia, plant, starting under $50,000 — that’s a legitimate proposition.
Nonhybrid Tellurides are already sitting on dealer lots. The hybrid models should follow shortly. If you’ve been waiting for a fuel-efficient family hauler with genuine muscle, the wait is almost over. Just be ready to pay for it.
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