The Telluride is one of the best-reviewed SUVs right now, and as a result of those stellar reviews, the Telluride was, too. That said, the Telluride has a cousin competing in the same segment, the . Despite being similar SUVs, here’s a look at how much more popular the Kia Telluride is over the Hyundai Palisade.
The Kia Telluride has sold much better than the Hyundai Palisade
According to data compiled by , in 2022, the Toyota Highlander was the best-selling three-row crossover SUV, having sold just under 223,000 units in the year. This was actually a 15.6% decline from a year earlier, as Toyota sold 264,000 units in 2021.
, however, finished in third place with just under 100,000 units sold. Additionally, Kia reported a year-over-year increase in sales, making Telluride one of the few models to experience year-over-year sales increases.
Telluride sales grew 6.6%, one of the largest year-over-year growth in the segment. Also, since so many other models saw sales declines, it ultimately allowed Kia to move up several notches.
Despite the fact that Kia and Hyundai are both South Korean automakers that work closely with each other, the Palisade’s sales have not been as impressive as the Telluride’s.
Hyundai sold about 82,700 units of the Palisade, which is a good amount, but that’s a decrease from 2021 sales. Hyundai sold 86,500 units in 2021, which means the Palisade sold about 4.5% in less than the previous year.
The two midsize SUVs are actually very similar to each other
On paper, the two cars are , so it’s hard to say why car buyers prefer the Telluride to the Palisade. In fact, the Kia is actually slightly more expensive than the Hyundai, as the Kia starts at around $35,700 while the Hyundai starts at around $35,300. The two midsize SUVs are also powered by the same engine, and it’s a 3.6-liter V6 that gets 291 hp.
Both SUVs were also designed on , so many of their bones are the same. Additionally, both South Korean automakers have approached their car interiors in a similar way.
Both wanted their midsize SUVs to have a refined and spacious interior, and that’s exactly what they’ve achieved. Both SUVs feature a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, both have three rows of seating, and both also have a similar maximum cargo capacity of approximately 87 cu. ft.
Here are some possible explanations for why the Kia Telluride is more popular
However, they are not identical and have differences both in terms of appearance and data sheets. For example, the Palisade has a more traditional SUV-style look, while the Telluride, despite having the same engine, can tow 500 more pounds than the Hyundai. Overall, these small differences added up and many automotive critics and consumers alike came to the conclusion that the Kia was .
The Palisade is a large SUV, but automotive critics have commonly ranked the Telluride above the Palisade. It’s possible that car buyers read those articles and decided to buy a Telluride instead of a Palisade. It’s also possible that Hyundai had worse supply chain problems than Kia, and the company had to scale back production of the Palisade to compensate.
