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Welcome to Car and Driver's Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We've been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).
The second-generation Kia Telluride is now on sale, joining its Hyundai Palisade counterpart that launched late last year. The two SUVs have shared a platform since the first-gen models debuted for the 2020 model year, but while the original Telluride and Palisade shared a 3.8-liter V-6, the two SUVs now have divergent base engines. Hyundai stuck with a naturally aspirated V-6 for the 2026 Palisade, while Kia opted for a turbocharged inline-four for the 2027 Telluride. Now that we've tested both SUVs, the numbers clearly show the Telluride coming out on top. But perhaps the bigger surprise is that we actually preferred driving the four-cylinder engine too.
Michael Simari|Car and Driver
Intriguingly, the Telluride actually makes less power than the Palisade. The Kia's turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder is rated at 274 horsepower, while the Hyundai's 3.5-liter V-6 produces 287 hp. The big difference comes in the torque department, where the Kia churns out 311 pound-feet, versus the Hyundai's 260 pound-feet of twist. Surprisingly, the Palisade Calligraphy we tested also outweighed the Telluride SX Prestige (comparable top trims), tipping our scales at 4902 pounds versus the 4798-pound Kia.
The Telluride accelerates more quickly than the Palisade in every metric too. We tested a Telluride X-Line SX-Prestige AWD model, which wore Kumho Majesty X Solus tires. The Kia scooted to 30 mph in 2.4 seconds, 40 mph arrived in 3.9 seconds, and reaching 60 mph took 7.4 seconds. Gunning it up to 80 mph from a standstill required 12.3 seconds, and in our 5-to-60-mph rolling-start test, the Kia managed 8.3 seconds.
Michael Simari|Car and Driver
The Palisade we tested was a Calligraphy trim, the priciest nonhybrid version available, which is also all-wheel drive but wore Pirelli Scorpion MS tires. The tire sizes are the same on both SUVs, measuring 265/45R-21. The Palisade's torque deficit reared its head off the line, with the Hyundai needing 2.8 seconds to hit 30 mph and 4.3 seconds to get to 40 mph. The Kia extended its lead to six-tenths of a second at 60 mph and eight-tenths at 70 mph. Our 5-to-60-mph rolling-start test usually penalizes turbocharged engines, where waiting for the boost to show up slows them down. Still, the Kia won out with an 8.3-second run to the Hyundai's 8.5 seconds. However, the gap between the zero-to-60-mph time and 5-t0-60-mph time, which we often use to judge engine responsiveness or flexibility, is much closer for the naturally aspirated Palisade.
The Telluride also pulled ahead in our top-gear passing tests. The Kia took 3.7 seconds to jump from 30 to 50 mph, four-tenths better than the Hyundai; it needed 5.0 seconds to get from 50 to 70 mph, eight-tenths ahead of the Palisade. The Telluride also covered the quarter-mile run in 15.6 seconds, half a second before the Palisade crossed the line, though both posted the same 89-mph trap speed.
Michael Simari|Car and Driver
The Kia's four-banger also proved to be a bit quieter than the Hyundai's V-6. While they recorded an identical 37 decibels at idle, the Telluride was one dBA lower during a wide-open-throttle run to 70 mph (71 to 72 dBA). The Telluride was also slightly quieter cruising at 70 mph, 66 dBA to 67.
Not that the mid-size three-row SUV segment lives and dies by acceleration times, but the primary thing that kept the V-6-powered Palisade from joining the hybrid model on our 10Best list this year was the V-6's lazy responses in routine driving, a sluggishness exacerbated by upshifting and holding onto too high a gear too early. While the new Palisade and Telluride are both significantly slower to 60 mph than their predecessors—a rare occurrence—we found the Telluride's four-cylinder to be the more pleasant companion in day-to-day driving. More responsive, more eager, and well isolated.
Both the Telluride and the Palisade are also offered with a shared hybrid powertrain, which pairs the 2.5-liter turbo four with two electric motors that together make 329 hp and 339 pound-feet of torque. While we haven't yet tested a Telluride Hybrid, a Palisade Hybrid sprinted to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds, a big improvement. But the hybrid models also cost a few thousand dollars extra. So, if you're looking to save some money but acceleration is important to you, the nonhybrid Telluride's turbo four provides more straight-line speed than the Palisade's V-6.
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Review, Pricing, and Specs for the Kia Telluride
Review, Pricing, and Specs for the Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai Palisade vs. Kia Telluride Spec Comparison
SpecificationsSpecifications
2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $58,160/$58,405
Options: carpeted floor mats, $245
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve Atkinson-cycle V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 in3, 3470 cm3
Power: 287 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.6-in vented disc/12.8-in disc
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion MS
265/45R-21 108V M+S PNCS
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.9 in
Length: 199.4 in
Width: 78.0 in
Height: 69.5 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 63/60/37 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 87/46/19 ft3
Curb Weight: 4902 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.1 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 20.9 sec
120 mph: 34.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.8 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 129 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 175 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 37 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 72 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/21 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 19 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 25 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 470 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/18/24 mpg
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2027 Kia Telluride X-Line SX Prestige AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $56,435/$57,435
Options: Ebony Black paint, $495; all-season floor liners, $255; carpeted floor mats, $250
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 152 in3, 2497 cm3
Power: 274 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque: 311 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.6-in vented disc/12.8-in vented disc
Tires: Kumho Majesty X Solus
265/45R-21 10V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.9 in
Length: 199.2 in
Width: 78.3 in
Height: 70.5 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 59/58/36 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 89/49/22 ft3
Curb Weight: 4798 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.6 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 20.0 sec
120 mph: 35.3 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.7 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.0 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 130 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 170 ft
Interior Sound
Idle: 37 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 71 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 66 dBA/20 sone
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/18/24 mpg
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Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.