Kia Reveals Why The New Telluride Didn't Get A V6
The 2027 Kia Telluride made a bold decision. While its design is arguably a bold decision, that is not the largest change to the new model. The updated SUV debuted with a new engine: a smaller turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder replaced the old V6. The V6 was loved by owners for its simplicity, but Kia argues that the old engine was "inferior" and that the new engine will be a much better tool for motivating the Kia Telluride.
Speaking to Torque News, Sang Lee, Kia America’s product planning national manager, called the old engine inferior to the new one: "The naturally aspirated V6 is technically, at this point, inferior to the four-cylinder turbo," citing Kia's own "objective data." Kia's sister company, Hyundai, though, kept the V6 around in its updated Palisade. The Palisade is extremely similar to the Telluride, frequently sharing parts and powertrains throughout the model's history. It's curious, but perhaps a change will come to the Palisade soon.
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Regardless, one of the biggest reasons for the switch was power output. The old motor doesn't make as much torque, and that had to change due to the extra 265 pounds the new Telluride is hauling around. So, output in the four-cylinder is higher than the 262 lb-ft in the old V6, for a total of 311 lb-ft.
Emissions, of course, also played a role, says Lee: "Now, the other benefit of the 2.5 Turbo GDI [in the Telluride] is it's able to meet higher emissions standards. It's ACC2 SULEV 30 compliant. No way we could have met that with the V6, naturally aspirated V6." The string of acronyms is emissions regulations, none of which the old V6 would've been able to clear, says Lee.
Many of these decisions were made before the Trump Administration repealed certain emissions standards. Had Kia peered into a crystal ball, it may have chosen to keep the V6 around, as it did in the Palisade.