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2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid vs. 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Comparison: Same DNA, Different Personalities The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are siblings in all but name. These three-row SUVs share their architecture, powertrain, wheelbase, and tech, and even their dimensions are nearly identical. The real separation comes down to personality. The Telluride plays the rugged, upscale adventurer, while the Palisade leans into a softer, more indulgent vibe. Both models are entering their second generation after overdelivering out of the gate. The Telluride made an immediate impact, taking home MotorTrend’s 2020 SUV of the Year award in its debut year. The Palisade has never been far behind, consistently ranking among our favorites; we even named it the best three-row SUV you could buy following its midcycle update. To compare the two, we headed to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California. Known for its constant land movement, the area offers a bit of everything: twisty roads, city streets, highway stretches, and even rough pavement shaped by landslides and minor quakes. Along the way, we evaluated their space across all three rows, ease of access to that third row, and how their infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems stack up. Spoiler alert: This was a razor-close comparison. Both Kia and Hyundai have delivered standout models, and you can’t really go wrong with either. But we don’t do ties here at MotorTrend. After a thorough evaluation, one ultimately edged out the other. And as you can guess, it wasn’t an easy call. But First, Some Context For this comparison, we lined up the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD against the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid SX-Prestige AWD. Both sit at the top of their respective lineups and are powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and two electric motors that combine to produce 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque in all. A six-speed automatic transmission routes the power to all four wheels. The Palisade comes in at $60,625; the Kia undercuts it slightly at $60,210. Neither is exactly affordable, but in today’s market, a $60,000 three-row hybrid SUV isn’t necessarily crazy to think about. One important difference: The Telluride is built in West Point, Georgia, whereas the Palisade is imported from Ulsan, South Korea. Front Row Revelations They’re similar in many ways, but once you’re inside their cabins, you’ll notice significant differences, especially in the front row. The Kia leans into a midcentury modern aesthetic that feels both minimal and elegant. Materials quality is excellent throughout; the leather is supple, the Alcantara headliner wouldn’t feel out of place in a Bentley, and the wood-look trim across the dash and center console come across as genuinely premium. \ \n\n\n\n” } ] } \n\n\n” } ] } \n\n” } ]\n” } \n\” }\n]\n\” }\n]\n” }” } \n” }” }\n\” }\n]\n\”” }\n]\n\”\”” }\n]\n\”\”\”\n\”\”\n\”\”\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\”\\n\\n\”\\n\”\n\\n\\n\\n\”\n\\n\\n\”\n\\n\”\n\\n\\n\\n\”\n\\n\\n\”\”\n\\n\\n\”\”\n\\n\\n\”\”\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\”\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\”\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\”\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n