2027 Hyundai Palisade vs. 2027 Kia Telluride

Car and Driver says for the non-hybrid versions, with AWD the two SUVs' EPA numbers are exactly the same at 18/24 mpg city/highway, while with front-wheel drive the Telluride has a 1-mpg advantage at 20/26 versus the Palisade's 19/25, and their off-road trims are similar in equipment, though the Telluride X-Pro has more ground clearance at 9.1 inches versus the Palisade XRT Pro's 8.4. Consumer Reports says the second-generation Telluride isn't as well-rounded as the original, with awkwardly placed controls, driving-position issues, and a noisy engine that mar an otherwise well-equipped, comfortable SUV, noting its 274-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, replacing the previous V6, sounds grumbly and unpleasant at low revs despite a suspension that absorbs bumps well.

Which to choose, and why

Nearly identical mpg and off-road equipment

Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says for the non-hybrid versions, with AWD the two SUVs' EPA numbers are exactly the same at 18/24 mpg city/highway, while with front-wheel drive the Telluride has a 1-mpg advantage at 20/26 versus the Palisade's 19/25, and their off-road trims are similar in equipment, though the Telluride X-Pro has more ground clearance at 9.1 inches versus the Palisade XRT Pro's 8.4.

The redesigned Telluride's new turbo-four draws criticism

Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) says the second-generation Telluride isn't as well-rounded as the original, with awkwardly placed controls, driving-position issues, and a noisy engine that mar an otherwise well-equipped, comfortable SUV, noting its 274-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, replacing the previous V6, sounds grumbly and unpleasant at low revs despite a suspension that absorbs bumps well.

Questions buyers ask

Which has more ground clearance in off-road trim, the Palisade or Telluride?

Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the Telluride X-Pro, at 9.1 inches versus the Palisade XRT Pro's 8.4.

Does the new Kia Telluride still use a V6 engine?

Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) says no, it now uses a 274-hp turbocharged four-cylinder.

Side-by-side matrix

The published fields that can change the decision.

Hyundai Palisade: 6 records · Kia Telluride: 6 records.

Decision field	Hyundai Palisade	Kia Telluride
Exact EPA records	6	6
Model / option labels	6	6
Drive layouts	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive	All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Engines / propulsion	2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; Hybrid, 3.5L 6-cyl SIDI & PFI	2.5L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI, 2.5L 4-cyl SIDI; Hybrid
Transmissions	Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (S8)	Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (S8)
Fuel types	Regular	Regular
EPA classes	Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD	Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Combined efficiency	19–34 MPG/MPGe	19–35 MPG/MPGe
Electric range	Not listed	Not listed
Annual fuel / energy estimate	$1900–3400 per year	$1850–3400 per year

Head to head

Hyundai Palisade vs. Kia Telluride: size, power, capability and price.

Measure	Hyundai Palisade	Kia Telluride
Starting price (KBB base)	$41,385	$40,735
Top trim price (KBB base)	$58,510	$58,335
Horsepower	287 hp	n/a
Torque	260 lb-ft	n/a
Curb weight	4,575-4,872 lb	n/a
Length	199.2-200.4 in	199.2 in
Wheelbase	116.9 in	116.9 in
Cargo volume	86.7 cu ft	89.3 cu ft
Towing capacity	5,000 lb	5,000-5,500 lb
Seating	7-8 seats	7-8 seats
Basic warranty	5 years	5 years

Figures are ranges across each model’s trims from Kelley Blue Book records (2027 model year); prices are KBB base prices.

The Kia Telluride starts $650 lower: $40,735 against $41,385 before options and fees.
On length, the Hyundai Palisade leads: 200.4 in against 199.2 in.
Both list the same wheelbase: 116.9 in.
On cargo volume, the Kia Telluride leads: 89.3 cu ft against 86.7 cu ft.
On maximum towing capacity, the Kia Telluride leads: 5,500 lb against 5,000 lb.
Both list the same seating capacity: 8 seats.
Both list the same basic warranty: 5 years.

Background on each vehicle

What public sources say about the Hyundai Palisade and the Kia Telluride.

2027 Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured and marketed by Hyundai Motor Company since late 2018. It replaced the Maxcruz (also known as Santa Fe XL outside of South Korea) as the flagship SUV under the Hyundai brand. A second-generation Palisade was introduced for the 2026 model's first hybrid powertrain.

Powertrain: Safety The Palisade was awarded "Top Safety Pick" and "Top Safety Pick+" (from 2021 to 2023 model years) by IIHS.

Source: Hyundai Palisade (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Hyundai Palisade overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 5 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (6 campaigns across the latest model years)

March 2026, Seat Belts: Rear/Other:Buckle Assembly. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2026 Hyundai Palisade and 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid vehicles equipped with "Limited" and "Calligraphy" trim packages. The internal wiring within the third-row driver-side seat belt buckle may become damaged and result in a permanent display… Consequence: A faulty seat belt status indicator may fail to alert occupants to an unfastened seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.
March 2026, Seats:Mid/Rear Assembly:Power Adjust. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2026 Palisade and 2026 Palisade Hybrid vehicles equipped with a Limited or Calligraphy trim package. The second and third row power seats may fail to detect a person. The seat may continue to move after… Consequence: A person, especially a child, may become trapped by a rear powered seat, increasing the risk of injury or death.
January 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument… Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Owners filed 245 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Hyundai Palisade, most often about service brakes (96), seat belts (57), unknown or other (43).

2027 Kia Telluride

The Kia Telluride is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured and marketed by Kia since 2019. Positioned above the Sorento, it was previewed as a concept car in 2016, with the production model debuting in early 2019 as a 2020 model. It shares components and specifications with its Hyundai counterpart, the Hyundai Palisade, including its engine, transmission, and wheelbase.

Safety: The 2020 and 2021 model years of the Telluride were awarded "Top Safety Pick" by IIHS, it was later awarded "Top Safety Pick+".
Recalls and problems: In March 2024, Kia recalled over 427,000 Tellurides from 2020 to 2024 model years, due to rollaway risks which the vehicles rolls away when placed in 'P' gear. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this is because of improper assembly of the intermediate shaft and the right front driveshaft could cause unintended vehicle movement, if the driver failed to engage the parking brake.
Awards: In 2020, the Telluride received the 2020 World Car of the Year as well as Motor Trend's SUV of the Year.

Source: Kia Telluride (Wikipedia)

NHTSA rated the 2025 Kia Telluride overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.

Recent recalls (5 campaigns across the latest model years)

June 2026, Seat Belts:Front. Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles. The driver seat belt emergency locking retractor may lock, causing the seat belt strap not to extend. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal… Consequence: A seat belt strap that does not extend can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
March 2026, Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Anchorage. Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly. Consequence: A seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
February 2026, Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride vehicles, equipped with power front seat(s). Due to a manufacturing error, the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may fail to properly restrain occupants in a crash. Consequence: A seat back frame that fails to properly restrain an occupant during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Owners filed 24 complaints with NHTSA for the 2027 Kia Telluride, most often about seat belts (7), power train (6), seats (5).

Open both dossiers

Resolve the exact engine, drive and EPA ID.

01 · 2027Hyundai Palisade6 configurations →02 · 2027Kia Telluride6 configurations →

Comparison answer desk

12 answers for this exact pairing.

Q01Which is more efficient: the 2027 Hyundai Palisade or the 2027 Kia Telluride?

Efficiency

The 2027 Kia Telluride lists the higher combined-efficiency midpoint in this snapshot (27 vs. the 2027 Hyundai Palisade's 26.5 MPG/MPGe).