- Designed specifically for the U.S. at Kia’s design studio in California – and assembled in West Point, Georgia – the Telluride redefined the midsize SUV segment to become one of the most in-demand and award-winning SUVs in America
- New campaign spotlights the big, bold and boxy SUV’s game-changing impact on the Kia brand ahead of the world premiere of the next-generation Telluride on November 20
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — From shocking concept car to widely acclaimed production vehicle, the Telluride SUV has played the starring role in Kia’s total brand transformation for nearly a decade. As the first Kia designed specifically for the U.S., the Telluride stands alone as the only SUV to capture World Car of the Year, North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, MotorTrend SUV of the Year and Car and Driver 10Best honors – in the same year (2020).
The first-generation Telluride fundamentally altered and reshaped critical and consumer opinion of Kia and redirected the brand’s trajectory. Telluride sales have increased every year since the model hit dealer showrooms in 2019, and Kia’s flagship SUV quickly became one of the most in-demand and award-winning three-row eight-passenger SUVs in the U.S. In 2025, both the vehicle and Kia America, are on pace for best-ever annual sales in 2025.
“The Telluride signaled Kia’s arrival in the top tier of the world’s automotive manufacturers as the rarest of flagship vehicles to serve as a symbol of innovation and challenge while also being as attainable as it is attractive,’ said SeungKyu (Sean) Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America. “Customer love and demand for the Telluride has grown each and every year, and as we prepare to bid farewell to the current generation, it is impossible to overstate its lasting impact on Kia in the US.”
The creative campaign, titled, “Telluride Legacy“, recounts when the Telluride production began seven years ago in West Point, Georgia. With the second-generation Telluride on the horizon, Kia continues to raise the bar even higher by delivering more of everything that made the original Telluride great.
The all-new 2027 Telluride will make its official world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 20, 2025.
Kia America – about us
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and WNBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America*.
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* Select trims of the 2025 all-electric EV6 and EV9 all-electric three-row SUV, Sportage (excludes HEV and PHEV models), Sorento (excludes HEV and PHEV models), and Telluride are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
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SOURCE Kia America
