Kia's posh Telluride has 'good chance' to move forward, Schreyer says

PARIS -- Fans of Kia’s posh Telluride crossover concept that debuted at January's Detroit auto show received some encouragement today at the Paris auto show.

Peter Schreyer, Kia and Hyundai’s chief design officer, told Automotive News that he is optimistic the Telluride will be approved for production.

“The concept has been accepted very well,” Schreyer said. “I think it has a good chance to be developed.”

The production version of the Telluride, the largest SUV or crossover in the Kia lineup since the Borrego, would also maintain the general size and proportions of the concept.

“When we do concepts we always try to do that,” Schreyer said.

Helping the Telluride’s case even further is the fact that it can be built using existing pieces in Hyundai/Kia’s parts portfolio.

The recipe is straightforward: Take a stretched Sorento chassis or one plucked from the Genesis brand, mix with either the 3.3-liter naturally-aspirated V-6 engine from Kia’s Cadenza or the new 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine in the Genesis G90 (and expected in Kia’s larger sport sedan due within the next six months) and you have a large -- and profitable three-row crossover.

A production Telluride would likely land as a 2019 model.