2024 Kia Telluride vs 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

The 2024 Kia Telluride was offered in five core trim levels: LX, S, EX, SX, and SX Prestige. The rugged X-Line treatment was available for all trims except the LX and S, while the X-Pro package was exclusive to the top two trims. The X-Line package enhanced the Telluride with standard all-wheel drive (AWD), a center locking differential, increased ground clearance to 8.4 inches, improved approach and departure angles, unique grille and 20-inch wheel designs, and roof rails. The X-Pro package further added 18-inch matte-black wheels with all-terrain tires and heavy-duty engine cooling, increasing the maximum towing capacity to 5,500 pounds. Prices ranged from $35,990 for the LX to $53,185 for the SX Prestige with the X-Pro package, excluding the destination charge. The SX Prestige with the X-Line package, featuring Wolf Gray paint and floor mats, had an MSRP of $54,270, including the $1,365 destination charge.

The Telluride's design attracted buyers with its appealing forms and proportions, despite some mixed reactions to last year's styling updates. The Wolf Gray paint complemented the blacked-out X-Line styling, including the grille surround and bumper details. The test car featured a black interior with premium Nappa leather seats, though other color options like Mahogany brown, Terracotta brown, light gray over black or dark blue, and Sage Green were available, each complementing the simulated open-pore wood trim. The interior's shiny plastic lower portions were a downside, especially in the SX Prestige, which otherwise nearly met luxury SUV standards with its soft leather, artificial suede headliner, 24-inch dual-screen digital display panel, classy metallic accents, and thoughtful details.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 maintained its distinctive appearance, drawing retro comparisons to the 1986-1991 Lancia Delta, particularly with the high-performance Ioniq 5 N variant. The mid-cycle refresh kept the styling largely unchanged, with mild revisions to the lower front fascia. It retained the “Parametric Pixel” headlights and taillights, round wheel arches, stark diagonal crease, and high rear spoiler. The new XRT trim stood out with red tow hooks and black plastic bumper cladding featuring a “digital camouflage” pattern. Exclusive colors for the XRT included Ultimate Red and Cosmic Blue Pearl, while the overall color palette expanded with Atlas White Matte and Ecotronic Gray Matte.

The Ioniq 5's new wheel designs included 19-inch wheels standard on the SE and SEL trims and 20-inch wheels on the Limited. The XRT featured exclusive 18-inch wheels with rally-style references. The interior saw minor changes, maintaining its open and uncluttered space with a minimalistic and modern feel typical of Hyundai electric vehicles. The center console was revised for functionality, and the XRT trim leaned more rugged with its dark interior, all-weather floor mats, and XRT logo debossed in the seats.

The 2024 Kia Telluride was powered by a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered both front-wheel and all-wheel drive options. Most Tellurides could tow 5,000 pounds, but the X-Pro package increased this to 5,500 pounds with heavy-duty engine cooling. The AWD version included a locking center differential and a Snow driving mode, alongside Comfort, Sport, and Smart modes. Ground clearance was 8.0 inches in standard spec, rising to 8.4 inches with the X-Line and X-Pro packages, and the SUV featured a self-leveling rear suspension.

The Telluride accelerated easily to freeway speeds and provided good passing power, though it was not very fuel-efficient. The EPA rated the AWD versions at 20 mpg in combined driving, but real-world testing averaged 19 mpg on a mountainous evaluation loop and 17.5 mpg during city driving. A hybrid drivetrain was suggested as a future improvement. The Telluride's driving experience was quick and refined, with standard brake-induced Torque Vectoring Cornering Control enhancing its athletic feel in curves and corners. The steering was responsive, and the brakes resisted rumble, pulsing, and fade.

The Telluride's ride was firm at lower speeds on city streets but soft and compliant at higher velocities, absorbing pavement undulations on winding roads. Off-road, the Telluride proved more capable than expected, handling various terrains from soupy trails in Colorado to ruts and ridges in Texas.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT featured etched badging, extra cladding, and a solid front fascia for protection, though it lacked skid plates or armor, indicating it wasn't intended for rock crawling. The XRT added a Terrain Mode button on the steering wheel, offering Snow, Mud, and Sand modes that adjusted throttle mapping, wheel slip, power distribution, and regenerative braking. The XRT handled loose sand admirably, allowing controlled slippage for confidence and enjoyment. Hill-descent control was unnecessary due to regenerative braking, which also proved effective on twisty mountain roads.

The Ioniq 5 XRT was AWD-only, while the base SE Standard Range was RWD. SE, SEL, and Limited trims were RWD by default, with AWD available for a fee. The 2025 model year saw increased battery capacity, extending range: RWD models could travel 318 miles, while the base trim had a 245-mile range. AWD reduced range to 290 miles for SE and SEL, 269 for Limited, and 259 for XRT. Power output varied with powertrain choice: RWD models produced 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque with the standard-range battery, or 225 horsepower with the long-range battery. AWD models featured dual motors, totaling 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. Despite the vehicle's weight, the instant torque of the electric motors provided a fun driving experience.

The 2024 Kia Telluride offered a comfortable interior, especially in higher trims. The SX Prestige X-Line test vehicle featured premium Nappa leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with lumbar massage, heated and ventilated second-row captain’s chairs, and a third-row seat suitable for adults. A dual sunroof panel added light to the interior. Controls were oriented horizontally, with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system that was easy to use, though metallic finish buttons were hard to read in bright sunlight.

The Telluride included thoughtful details like a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel with a scenic landscape view that changed with the time of day. Storage space was generous, with a covered cubby, smartphone tray, and roomy door panel bins. A hands-free power liftgate with automatic closing was available, though its activation could be undesirable in certain situations. Cargo space measured 21 cubic feet behind the third row, 46 cubic feet with it folded, and a maximum of 87 cubic feet. The X-Line and X-Pro offered useful roof rails for additional storage.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 addressed previous complaints by adding a standard rear windshield wiper. The movable center console featured fore-and-aft cupholders, a wireless charging pad, and controls for seat and steering wheel heating and parking cameras. Heated front seats were standard, with a heated steering wheel available from the SEL trim. The Limited trim offered front seat ventilation and driver’s seat memory, though heated rear seats were unavailable. The driver’s seat was power-adjustable in all trims.

Interior dimensions remained unchanged, with headroom measuring 39.1-39.8 inches front and 37.5-38.7 inches rear, and legroom at 41.7 inches front and 39.4 inches rear. Cargo space was 26.3 cubic feet with rear seats up, 58.5 cubic feet with them folded, and an additional .85 cubic feet in the frunk. The Ioniq 5 transitioned to the North American Charging System (NACS), allowing access to the Tesla Supercharger network, and included a Combined Charging System (CCS) adapter for public and fast charging.

The 2024 Kia Telluride came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, though Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required a cable connection. An active Kia Connect subscription was needed for conversational voice recognition. The test vehicle's Kia Connect subscription was inactive, but past experiences indicated good performance. Four Kia Connect plans were available, with the Ultimate plan offering the most features for $199 annually.

The Telluride included satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. Thoughtful features included a blue-light filter for the infotainment display, Quiet Mode for playing music only through front speakers, and a function to deliver the driver’s voice to rear-seat occupants. A digital key function allowed smartphone or card key use, and a camera-based rearview mirror offered a clear view behind the SUV. A 10-inch head-up display and a 360-degree camera system were also available.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 retained its pair of 12.3-inch screens, with improved functionality and faster processing speeds. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard. The Bose Premium Audio system was available on the XRT and Limited trims, while SE and SEL had a six-speaker system. All trims featured standard navigation, dynamic voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, and five USB-C ports. The central USB-C port could be set for charging only or charging and data transmitting. A head-up display was available on the Limited trim, and a wireless charging pad was standard from the SEL trim.

The 2024 Kia Telluride featured the Kia Drive Wise collection of driver assistance features, including collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear occupant protection. Highway Driving Assist was standard, offering semi-autonomous driving with adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist. Safety feature upgrades included front parking sensors, cross-traffic alert, evasive steering assist, lane-change assist, and automatic rear braking. The Telluride received a five-star overall crash test rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 maintained its high safety standards, earning a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and five stars from the NHTSA. New standard safety features included an enhanced driver attention system with haptic steering wheel feedback and hands-on detection, as well as reverse and forward parking-distance warning. The Ioniq 5 XRT and Limited trims included a surround-view monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Highway Driving Assist 1 and 2 were available, with HDA 2 offering lane-changing capability and machine learning.