The New Telluride X-Pro Can See the Trail Under Its Own Tires

The second-generation 2027 Kia Telluride gives its X-Pro trim real off-road hardware for the first time, including a Ground View Monitor that shows the trail beneath the SUV at speeds under 6 mph. The camera view, stitched together from the exterior cameras, joins 9.1 inches of ground clearance, wider all-terrain tires, an electronic limited-slip differential and a locking center differential.

The X-Pro sits at the top of a lineup that otherwise runs LX, S, EX, SX, SX-Prestige and X-Line, with a 2.5-liter turbo four making 274 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque standard across the board, an increase of 49 lb-ft over the old V6. The new Telluride rides on a wheelbase stretched 2.7 inches to 116.9 and is 2.3 inches longer overall at 199.2, seats seven or eight, and has been in showrooms since March at prices from $39,190 to $56,790 before a $1,545 destination charge.

Kia unveiled the SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 20, 2025, in a reveal release that called the X-Pro a "rugged halo variant," and set prices in a January 8 release that puts the X-Pro SX at $53,690 and the X-Pro SX-Prestige at $56,790, both with standard all-wheel drive. "The Telluride redefined expectations for Kia when the first-generation debuted as a 2020 model," Eric Watson, Kia America’s vice president of sales, said in the pricing release.

The X-Pro’s changes go deeper than the tires. It gets its own suspension with more stroke, front and rear recovery points, a Terrain drive mode and a standard integrated tow hitch that hides in the rear bumper and supports the Telluride’s full 5,000-pound rating. The electronic limited-slip differential shifts torque front to rear and side to side, a center lock holds a fixed 50/50 split, and a new off-road status screen in the infotainment system shows pitch, roll and steering angle alongside the Ground View Monitor feed. LED ground lighting around the front, sides and rear is exclusive to the X-Pro, as is the Ground View Monitor itself.

The trade-off is at the pump. CarBuzz lists the X-Pro’s EPA rating at 17/22/19 mpg, against 18/24/20 for other all-wheel-drive gas Tellurides and 20/26/22 for front-drive models, and Kia’s own drive release notes the 0.30 drag coefficient it quotes for the new body applies to non-X-Pro models. The X-Pro is also the one trim that cannot be had as the new 329-horsepower turbo hybrid, which is sold in EX, SX, X-Line SX and SX-Prestige forms.

Every 2027 Telluride shares the rest of the redesign. The cabin gets available front relaxation seats with power leg rests, an Ergo Motion driver’s seat that uses air pockets for massage and support, power-operated second-row captain’s chairs with heating and ventilation, heated third-row seats, two standard wireless charging pads and a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with memory. Dual 12.3-inch displays run Kia’s ccNC software with over-the-air updates, a 12-inch head-up display and a 14-speaker Meridian system are available, and Digital Key 2.0 works with compatible Apple and Samsung phones and the Apple Watch. Kia’s March 10 release puts maximum cargo space at 89.3 cubic feet, with 48.7 behind the second row and 22.3 behind the third.

Structural changes include a rack-mounted electric power steering system in place of the old column-mounted unit, triple door seals and thicker door glass for noise, and ten standard airbags including a new front-center bag between the driver and passenger. The body was designed around the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ test, and Kia’s September sales release confirms the 2027 Telluride earned the 2026 TSP+ for models built after June 2026. The same release shows Telluride sales up 42 percent in September to 11,927 units, with 110,038 sold through nine months against 92,498 a year earlier.

The Telluride is assembled at Kia’s plant in West Point, Georgia, and its X-Line trim, which shares the X-Pro’s blacked-out trim and raised roof rails, rides on 21-inch wheels and is available with either powertrain.

The HyundaiHQ Take

The first X-Pro was mostly tires and a tow rating, so a real limited-slip differential, a center lock and a camera that shows the rocks under the bumper move it into territory the Toyota Grand Highlander does not even try to enter. The cost is three mpg and no hybrid option, which is a fair trade for the small share of Telluride buyers who will use any of it, and a smart piece of marketing for the rest, who get to buy the family SUV that looks like it could.