2020 Hyundai Palisade vs. 2020 Kia Telluride

As platform-mates, the DNA profiles of both the 2020 Hyundai Palisade and the 2020 Kia Telluride are so closely related that a 23andMe genetic test would struggle to tell the two apart.
 

Both are motivated by the same transversely mounted, 291-hp V-6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both share suspension components, brakes, and optional all-wheel-drive systems. Each can tug up to 5000 pounds when properly equipped. But it's only natural for us to wade into the gene pool to sniff out just exactly how similar these two impressive mid-size, three-row SUVs are side-by-side. For this matchup, we selected top-spec, all-wheel-drive models in the form of a $47,655 Hyundai Palisade Limited and a $46,910 Kia Telluride SX.

On the Road
Unsurprisingly, the driving experience between these two Korean utes essentially is a wash. Perhaps the Telluride missed a morning bathroom break, weighing just three pounds more than the 4440-pound Palisade, but the extra mass is negligible. Each exhibit excellent wheel control over washboard surfaces versus some of their direct competitors, such as the Subaru Ascent and Volkswagen Atlas. Their electrically assisted steering feels precise and light—activating their Sport driving modes dials in some additional heft—and body roll is adequately maintained relative to others in the segment. Jumping back and forth between these two SUVs reveals a the slightest difference in ride quality, with the nod going to the Hyundai, but we doubt most drivers will ever tell the difference.

At the test track, the Hyundai backed up the brand's claim that the two automakers separately perform their own powertrain tuning. The Telluride's 7.0-second sprint to 60 mph is competitive for the class, but a rather violent shift from first to second gear under wide-open throttle puts it 0.2 second behind the Palisade. The Kia never closes the gap in the quarter-mile, requiring 15.3 seconds to cross the line at 93 mph versus the Hyundai's 15.1-second pass at the same speed.

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