Compare the2026 Hyundai PalisadeVS 2027 Kia Telluride

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Palisade are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Kia Telluride doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Palisade achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Telluride has not been tested.

Both the Palisade and the Telluride have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Hyundai Palisade achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Telluride has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Palisade’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Telluride’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

The Palisade’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 13 more horsepower (287 vs. 274) than the Telluride’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Palisade gets better mileage than the Telluride:

The Palisade stops shorter than the Telluride:

The Palisade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Telluride doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Palisade Calligraphy HTRAC handles at .82 G’s, while the Telluride SX Prestige pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Palisade Calligraphy HTRAC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Telluride SX Prestige (27.2 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

The Palisade has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more third row headroom and .3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Telluride.

The Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Telluride offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Palisade SEL/XRT/Limited/Calligraphy/Hybrid has standard heated front seats and second and third row heated seats also available, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Kia doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Telluride.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Hyundai Palisade retains 52.47% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 51.21% resale value of the 2027 Kia Telluride after five years, which can save the Hyundai’s owner.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its April 2026 issue and the Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy HTRAC won out over the Kia Telluride SX Prestige.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Palisade as the 2026 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Telluride was last chosen in 2020.

The Hyundai Palisade outsold the Kia Telluride by 648 units during 2025.