Kia has spent the last decade rewriting its reputation, transforming from a budget also-ran into a design powerhouse that turns heads on every continent. The Telluride, launched in 2019, became the poster child for that ascent—an angular, imposing three-row SUV that looked like it cost twice its sticker. Now, fresh spy shots of the 2027 Telluride reveal Kia is doubling down on what worked: sharper creases, a wider stance, vertically stacked LED headlights that echo the original’s bold grille, and a greenhouse that tapers aggressively toward the rear. Renderings based on those prototypes show a truck that could moonlight as a Range Rover if you squint.
Meanwhile, the EV9—Kia’s self-proclaimed “future flagship”—sits in showrooms today. It’s undeniably ambitious: a 99.8-kWh battery, up to 379 miles of range, and a cabin that seats seven in near-luxury trim. Yet walk around one and the proportions feel… off. The cab-forward design mandated by the E-GMP skateboard platform leaves a towering forehead and a slab-sided midsection that photographers struggle to love. The lighting signature is busy, the wheel arches cartoonishly flared, and the rear three-quarter view collapses into visual clutter. Critics have called it “a refrigerator on wheels,” and the phrase stings because it’s not entirely wrong.
This isn’t about gas versus electric; it’s about silhouette discipline. The 2027 Telluride retains a long hood and a dash-to-axle ratio that screams powertrain freedom. Designers could sculpt negative space, carve deep shoulder lines, and balance mass without the tyranny of a flat floorpan. The EV9, shackled to battery placement, ends up with a tall beltline and a greenhouse that looks grafted on. Kia’s own Concept EV9 from 2021 promised origami-sharp drama, but production reality softened every edge into anonymity.
Sales tell part of the story—Telluride routinely outsells the EV9 three-to-one in the U.S.—but aesthetics explain the rest. Buyers cross-shop the Kia against Grand Cherokees and Explorers, not Ioniq 5s. They want rugged theater, not efficiency minimalism. Kia knows this; the Tasman pickup heading to global markets proves the brand can still swing for traditional fences.
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So here’s the question that should keep Kia’s design VP awake at night: Why is the 2027 Kia Telluride so much better looking than their supposed “future” flagship, the EV9? Drop your theory in the comments—architecture excuse, committee cowardice, or something else entirely?
Special thanks to Spies regular Mesa West for posing this this question in our comments a couple days ago.