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- Built-In Second Row Sunshades: An underrated but incredibly practical family feature — built-in sunshades help keep kids comfortable without needing suction-cup window shades everywhere.
- Flexible Sliding Second Row: The second-row seats slide on tracks, allowing families to adjust legroom between rows and improve third-row access depending on who’s sitting where.
- Ceiling Air Vents in All Rows: The Telluride does a great job with airflow throughout the cabin, including ceiling vents for second- and third-row passengers.
The Exterior
Exterior Updates
The 2023 Telluride gets:
- A redesigned grille with a textured 3D radiator-style pattern
- Updated front fascia styling
- New taillight detailing
- Blacked-out exterior trim
- Raised roof rails for a sportier look
- Exclusive 20-inch wheels on the X-Line
Kia also kept the fan-favorite Wolf Gray exterior color and added several new colors for 2023, including blue, green, and red options.
The X-Line has a more rugged appearance than the standard Telluride, while the X-Pro leans even further into off-road styling and capability.
First Row
Interior Design Feels Surprisingly Luxurious
One thing Kia continues to do incredibly well is interior design.
The materials throughout the cabin feel thoughtfully designed, and honestly, this Telluride starts to feel like a luxury SUV without the luxury price tag.
Massive Upgraded Screens
For 2023, the Telluride now features:
- A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster
- A 12.3-inch infotainment display
- A beautifully curved integrated screen setup
Everything feels clean, modern, and high-end.
One of the Best Heads-Up Displays I’ve Used
The upgraded heads-up display in the 2023 Telluride was genuinely impressive.
It shows:
- Navigation directions
- Blind spot warnings
- Adaptive cruise control visuals
- Lane-change assistance
- Speed limit assistance
One of the coolest features is how the display visually represents surrounding vehicles in real time. It almost feels like augmented reality while driving.
The Telluride’s Highway Driving Assist system can also help with lane changes and automatically adjust your speed based on posted speed limits.
Family-Friendly Technology Features
Kia packed the Telluride with practical family tech, including:
Blind Spot Camera
This remains one of my favorite Telluride features.
When you activate your turn signal, a live camera feed appears directly in the gauge cluster showing your blind spot. It adds another layer of visibility that’s incredibly useful for busy family driving.
Digital Rearview Mirror
New for 2023, the Telluride now offers a camera-based rearview mirror.
This is a huge win for parents because car seats, passengers, and cargo can easily block visibility in traditional mirrors. With the digital mirror, you still get a perfectly clear view behind the vehicle.
Additional Features Families Will Love (Trim Specific)
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Faster wireless charging pad
- Wi-Fi hotspot capability
- 3D surround vehicle view
- Harman Kardon sound system
Second Row
Second Row Comfort is Excellent
The Telluride continues to offer some of the best second-row legroom in the midsize SUV segment.
As someone who is nearly six feet tall and pregnant, I was genuinely comfortable in the second row even with the front seat adjusted generously.
Second-row amenities include:
- Built-in sunshades
- Ceiling vents
- Climate controls
- USB-C ports integrated into the seatbacks
- Heated AND ventilated second-row seats
The ventilated second-row seats are especially impressive because that’s a feature usually reserved for luxury SUVs.
Bench Seat Availability
For 2023, the bench seat is only available on:
- LX trim
- EX trim
Personally, I’m usually very pro-bench seat because of the flexibility it offers families, but the Telluride’s bench is narrow enough that I actually prefer the captain’s chairs here.
If your primary goal is fitting three kids across regularly, the Telluride would not be my first recommendation.
There are lower anchors and tether anchors in both captains chairs so you can safely put two rear or forward facing car seats in the second row. In the third row there is one set of lower anchors on the driver’s side so you could put two rear-facing car seats back there either using the seat belts or one using the lower anchors. There are also 2 tether anchors in the third row, but, and this is a big but, the 2 tether anchors are next to each other and like I said before, the middle seat is super narrow so really there is only room for one forward facing car seat in the third row. This means you can fit at most 3 forward facing car seats in this car. Another thing to note, is this car does not have the car seat tilt so if you have the bench seat with rear facing car seats on either outboard seat there is no way to get to the third row. I have a Family Planning Map worksheet that helps walk you through all the car seat configurations of any car so you can better plan how a car will work for you and your growing family. I recommend it before any family buys a new car.
Third Row
To get to the third row of this Kia Telluride you have a few options. Either you can shimmy in between the captain chairs if there aren’t rear facing car seats in the way or you can press one of two buttons on the second row seats—either at the top of the seat or on the bottom, which is great so older kids can get in and out of the car by themselves at grade school drop off. The Telluride has one of the roomiest third rows and I could sit all the way back here for a long road trip and be comfortable. But 3 people cannot fit back here. The middle seat is basically nonexistent. It is 5.5” wide, which doesn’t fit anything. Can’t fit a human, can’t fit a car seat, can’t fit a booster seat. But, this is not to harp on Kia. I still think this is a great family car but want you to know this is a 6 passenger car—just ignore the middle seat in the third row.
Trunk
Mid size SUVs always disappoint when it comes to the trunk space, but the Kia Telluride does not. There is extra space in the floor that can be separated to throw in gear that you always want handy like blankets, diapers or wipes, or you can open it up to fit something larger. The Uppababy Vista stroller fits well even without the extra floor space. If you’re looking for more trunk space you’re going to either need a minivan or a larger SUV like the Expedition, Suburban or Wagoneer, which is going to give you about twice as much room.
Safety
The 2023 Kia Telluride is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. It comes with an extensive standard safety with Kia's Drive Wise suite, including Forward Collision-Avoidance, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, plus optional features like Surround View Monitor and Blind Spot View Monitor on higher trims.
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