2027 Kia Telluride vs. 2026 Hyundai Palisade:

Which Three-Row SUV Actually Deserves Your

Driveway

The Telluride and Palisade have been trading paint in the three-row segment since 2020, and it makes sense why people cross-shop them. Same corporate parent, same basic engineering DNA, similar mission: haul the family, look good doing it, don't fall apart at 80,000 miles. But the redesigns landed differently this time around. The 2027 Telluride grew up, and the 2026 Palisade got sharper edges and its own hybrid option. So which one actually wins?

Cargo Space: The Telluride Just Has More Room 

This is the category where the Telluride pulls ahead and doesn't look back. Kia stretched the wheelbase specifically to buy back cargo room, and you can feel it the second you start loading the back.

2027 Kia Telluride (gas):

• Behind the third row: 22.3 cu. ft.
• Behind the second row: 48.7 cu. ft.
• Everything folded down: 89.3 cu. ft.

2026 Hyundai Palisade:

• Behind the third row: 19.1 cu. ft.
• Behind the second row: 46.3 cu. ft.
• Everything folded down: 86.7 cu. Ft.

Three extra cubic feet behind the third row doesn't sound like much until you're the one trying to jam a double stroller in next to the grocery haul. The Telluride wins this fight cleanly.

Under the Hood: Turbo Four vs V6 

Here’s where it gets interesting, because these two took different paths to get similar results. 

2027 Kia Telluride:

• Gas: 2.5L turbo I4, 274 hp / 311 lb-ft, 8-speed automatic
• Hybrid: 329 hp
• Towing: up to 5,000 lbs (gas)

2026 Hyundai Palisade:

• Gas: 3.5L V6, 287 hp / 260 lb-ft, 8-speed automatic
• Hybrid: 2.5L turbo plus dual motors, 329 hp / 339 lb-ft
• Towing: up to 5,000 lbs (V6), 4,000 lbs (hybrid)

The Palisade's V6 still edges out the Telluride's turbo four on raw horsepower, but the Telluride makes up for it with more torque lower in the rev range, which you'll notice more when pulling away from a stoplight than on a spec sheet. The hybrids are basically tied on power, though the Palisade Hybrid keeps its full towing capacity, whereas the Telluride's numbers get murkier once you add the battery. If you're planning to tow anything with a hybrid, that's worth digging into further before you sign anything.

Kia Telluride vs. Hyundai Palisade Pricing 

• 2027 Kia Telluride: starts around $40,735
• 2026 Hyundai Palisade: starts around $38,935

The Palisade wins on sticker price at the base trim. But sticker price is only half the story with these two.

The Warranty 

Kia and Hyundai share the same parent company, so it's no surprise their warranties look like copy-paste jobs:

• Both: 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty
• Both: 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty

Where they split is what happens after you drive off the lot. Kia warranty still has complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first three years. Hyundai quietly dropped that perk starting with the 2026 Palisade. So that lower Palisade sticker price gets a little less impressive once you're the one paying for oil changes the Telluride owner isn't.

Telluride vs. Palisade 

If you're the family that actually uses the third row and needs the cargo space to match, the Telluride is the easy pick, and it comes with a few years of free maintenance to sweeten the deal. If a lower starting price and a little extra V6 punch matter more to you, the Palisade holds its own and is a solid choice, too. Both are genuinely solid three-row SUVs. This isn't a blowout in either direction; it's a real choice.

Want to see the cargo space difference for yourself instead of just reading about it? Come sit in a Telluride at Battleground Kia, 2927 Battleground Ave., Greensboro, NC, or call 336-850-8060 to set up a test drive.