Kia's 2025 Telluride Still Relies On A 20 Year Old Engine Design: Here's Why

The Kia Telluride has been on the market for over five years now, and it has proven to be a hugely popular addition to Kia's lineup, where it serves as the brand's flagship gasoline-powered SUV. SlashGear's many road tests of the Telluride, along with its Hyundai counterpart, the Palisade, have shown that Hyundai and Kia's serious commitment to the North American SUV market has paid off big time over the last half a decade.

A hot commodity since its debut in 2019, the three-row, mid-sized Telluride continues to be a hit among crossover buyers, with over 100,000 examples sold annually during the previous two years. Despite the fresh appeal and modern styling of the Telluride, you'll find a surprisingly old school engine under the hood of this SUV.

With the rise of downsized turbocharged engines and hybrids, naturally aspirated V6 engines like the one in the Telluride have become increasingly rare in the auto industry. But so far, having an outdated engine seemingly hasn't affected demand for the Telluride. Some more analog-minded buyers actually prefer the V6 to a smaller turbo engine. Let's take a closer look to see why the Telluride has been so successful despite its old school engine.

There are no turbochargers or hybrid systems in the Telluride. Instead, you get an old-fashioned, naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 which comes from Hyundai's Lambda family of engines, which started production all the way back in 2005.

Over the last 20 years, Lambda engines have been used in everything from the Hyundai Genesis Coupe to the Kia Carnival minivan. The latest 3.8-liter G6DN version of the Lambda that currently powers the Telluride makes 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque.

Despite its lack of turbochargers or electrification, the Telluride's V6 has gotten the job done, with 0-60 times coming in the high six-second range. Still, some have raised issue with the Telluride's lack of instant, low-end torque when compared to turbocharged or hybrid models, with its fuel economy also suffering compared to hybrid competition. 

While the current first-generation Telluride may still seem like a fresh new model to casual observers, it's actually due for a new generation. If you want to see what the new Telluride will offer in terms of powertrains, you don't have to look far for a big hint.

Hyundai has already debuted the new, second-generation 2026 Hyundai Palisade, which will, again, share its underpinnings with the Telluride. The new Palisade will continue to use a naturally aspirated V6 as its base engine, though it's now slightly smaller at 3.5-liters. 

The big news is the addition of a Palisade Hybrid, which will use a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine combined with two electric motors to make 329 horsepower, and it's aiming for 30 mpg. Kia has yet to officially reveal the 2026 Telluride, but it's very likely to have the same powertrain options as the Palisade.

Despite the Telluride's popularity, additional powertrain choices, especially a hybrid option, are something both buyers and have been asking for since 2020, and it looks like that request will be honored soon. To this point, the aging but proven Lambda V6 has served the Telluride well, but a more powerful, more fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain should only improve things for this popular SUV as it prepares to enter its second generation.