It seems like not long ago that we welcomed the mid-cycle refresh of Kia’s three-row family SUV, but in the brutal world of automotive product cycles, that was an entire lifetime ago. Kia’s next-generation replacement is already deep in development, and production-ready bodies have already been spotted in the wild, doing SUV things. These prototypes appear to be undergoing hot-weather durability testing, making sure the car’s powertrain cooling systems are up to everyday tasks—and then some.
There’s still extensive vinyl wrap on these prototypes, but we can see that Kia chose to lean into the boxier design we saw on the updated first-generation model. That overhaul brought with it a more chiseled nose and the entire X-Pro aesthetic, which has proven successful for Kia despite its mild functional upgrades.
Judging by the grille and tire selections on display, we’re looking at two or three trim grades here. There appear to be at least two configurations wearing knobby, off-road-adjacent tires (one with the rectangular mesh grille; the other with the white wheel “accents” and vertical grille orientation). We suspect one is the X-Line, which leans more toward looks, while the other is the full-blown X-Pro.
We don’t know specifics of what Kia has in store for the next-gen Telluride, but we have a pretty compelling crib sheet in recently redesigned Hyundai Palisade, which rides on the same platform and utilizes the same powertrains. Hyundai’s new SUV will offer a hybrid powertrain for the first time, along with the returning V6. Those trailers in the gallery below aren’t foils; the new Palisade hybrid can tow 4,000 pounds, and we have every reason to suspect the Telluride will keep pace.
2026 isn’t far away, so we expect to see the new Telluride in the metal sooner rather than later. For now, you can check out these prototypes by swiping or clicking through the full gallery below.
Spot something weird in the wild? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com.
Byron is a contributing writer and auto reviewer with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
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