The Award-Winning Kia Telluride Cannot Be Stopped
Photo: Kia
November was an outstanding month for the award-winning Kia Telluride. The rugged SUV won a handful of accolades from some of the nation’s top organizations, including MotorTrend, Car and Driver, the Texas Auto Writers Association and Kelley Blue Book. And to top it all off, the Telluride was just recently named a finalist for the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year Award.
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The November wins
It all started mid-month, when the Telluride was named MotorTrend’s SUV of the Year thanks to its spacious, tech-filled cabin; attractive exterior style; and reasonable price. Just two days later, KBB awarded the Telluride with two top honors: Best New Model and Best 3-Row Midsize SUV. The editors at KBB had similar comments regarding the Telluride being named the best:
“The Telluride impressed everyone on the editorial team with its eye-catching styling, notable driving dynamics, all-inclusive list of standard features, and well-integrated safety technology,” said Michael Harley, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book. “Even more striking is the crossover’s extremely attractive price, which alludes that ‘value’ is the Telluride’s middle name.”
It seemed like it couldn’t get much better; but the very next day, Car and Driver added the Telluride to its 10Best Trucks and SUVs list, citing its long list of useful features and smooth, responsive ride as reasons it was included. The Texas Auto Writers Association joined in on the Telluride praise by awarding it the overall category-winning title of “SUV of Texas” as well as the “Mid-Size SUV of Texas.”
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Previous honors
The Telluride should be used to winning by now. The new Kia vehicle was named the “CUV of Texas” and the “Mid-Size CUV” category winner by the Texas Auto Writers Association at its TAWA Auto Roundup event in mid-April. It also nabbed two additional awards in May from the Northwest Automotive Press Association and the Texas Off-Road Invitational before being named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS in July.
Will it claim the NACTOY title?
There’s no guarantee that the Telluride will be named the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, but with its background in acquiring trophies for the past nine months, the odds seem to be in the SUV’s favor. The Telluride will be going up against the Hyundai Palisade and Lincoln Aviator for the crown, with the winner announced at 8 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2020 in Detroit.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.