Texas Judges Picked the Seltos and Telluride X-Pro

The 2027 Kia Seltos X-Line SX AWD and the 2027 Telluride X-Pro SX Prestige won their categories at the Texas Auto Writers Association’s 2026 Truck Rodeo, with the results announced on November 2. The Seltos took the Compact Sports Utility Vehicle class and the Telluride the Mid-Size Sports Utility Vehicle class.

More than 50 of the association’s members evaluated 26 trucks, SUVs and crossovers on off-road and street courses before voting for a favorite in each category. Kia describes both winners as all-new for 2027, and both set October sales records last month.

Kia announced the wins in a release that quoted the association’s president, Marc Newman. "Kia understands what Texas families need: a vehicle that’s affordable, capable, and comfortable," he said. Eric Watson, Kia America’s vice president of sales, said that "Texas knows a thing or two about trucks and SUVs, so we’re especially proud to see the Seltos and Telluride recognized at this year’s Truck Rodeo."

Two days later Kia picked up a third award on the other side of the country. The 2027 EV3 GT-Line AWD was named Best EV at the Western Automotive Journalists’ 2026 Best of the Bay awards after two days of testing on roads in Sonoma County, California, according to a November 4 release. "Everyone who drove the EV3 was extremely happy with it," said Charlie Vogelheim, the group’s president. The GT-Line AWD tested by the jurors starts at $43,490 and carries an EPA-estimated 280 miles of range, well above the EV3’s $29,890 starting price for the base Light model.

The awards land as the three models are posting strong sales. Kia’s October sales release shows the Seltos up 43 percent to 8,052 and the Telluride up 63 percent to 14,009, its best month ever, while the EV3 added 976 sales in its first full month on sale. The Bay Area award follows the EV3’s win as Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year, and the Telluride Hybrid and K4 Hatchback took categories at the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s event.

The HyundaiHQ Take

Regional press awards are a soft measure, but a Texas jury naming the Telluride its favorite midsize SUV is a useful signal in a segment it shares with the Toyota Grand Highlander and Ford Explorer. The more useful takeaway for shoppers is that the judges drove the expensive versions: the Telluride X-Pro SX Prestige and the EV3 GT-Line AWD both sit near the top of their price ranges, so a winner’s badge on the window does not mean the base model drives the same.

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