2024 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica maintained its contemporary appeal despite not undergoing frequent redesigns. Its smooth exterior styling, featuring a modest grille, offered a refreshing alternative to the flashier designs of competitors like the Toyota Sienna. Chrysler's decision to keep the sliding-door tracks hidden above and below the door frame contributed to the Pacifica's clean look, avoiding the need for additional styling features to camouflage them, as seen in the Honda Odyssey. The Pacifica was available in various trim levels, including the base Touring, Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle, with options for different wheel sizes and appearance packages. The interior of the Pacifica was distinctive, with a minimalist dashboard design that integrated controls seamlessly. The Pinnacle trim, in particular, boasted luxurious touches like brown Nappa leather upholstery and quilted contrast stitching, although some interior elements felt less upscale.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid presented a bold reinterpretation of its design, which could polarize opinions. The grille, with its flat, faceless look, spanned the entire width of the front end, dividing opinions among shoppers. The Telluride's personality varied with color and trim level, with body-colored vertical strakes at each edge. The X-Line and X-Pro models featured distinctive grille blocks and amber accent lights. The side profile showcased unique faceted fender sculpting and black plastic tabs atop each wheel well, contributing to its boldness. The rear view adopted a different style, with rounded corners and vertical taillights reminiscent of a Range Rover. Inside, the Telluride's interior was less controversial, featuring a simple horizontal dashboard layout and a modern appearance. The Hybrid SX Prestige trim offered a luxurious two-tone palette, although some buttons were difficult to read. The seats, covered in synthetic leather and suede, provided comfort, but the cushions were somewhat firm for longer drives.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, producing 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, while all-wheel drive was available on higher trims. The V6 engine, known as the Pentastar, had been a reliable choice across the Stellantis lineup, offering peppy acceleration and a towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The Pacifica prioritized comfort and stability, with a suspension that effectively dampened body motion and road imperfections. While some weight transfer was noticeable during acceleration and deceleration, the Pacifica remained quiet and comfortable, living up to Chrysler's reputation for refinement.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid featured a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Hybrid variant added electric motors, increasing output to 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed transmission. The Telluride Hybrid excelled in providing ample power and a quiet ride, with seamless transitions between electric and gas power. The X-Pro Prestige trim offered off-road capabilities, while the Hybrid SX Prestige had a stiffer ride with its 20-inch wheels. The Telluride's suspension delivered a smooth ride, and the vehicle remained composed on winding roads. The brake pedal effort was soft, requiring some adjustment, but brake response was immediate during panic stops.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica offered ingenious Stow ‘n Go seating, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating large in-floor storage bins. The Pacifica accommodated seven seats with second-row bucket seats and a 60/40 split-folding third-row bench seat. An eight-seat configuration was available with the Touring L trim, but it couldn't be combined with Stow ‘n Go or AWD. The Pacifica provided competitive passenger space, with ample headroom and legroom in the first two rows. Cargo space was generous, with 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 87.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and 140.5 cubic feet with both rows folded. The Stow ‘n Vac built-in vacuum cleaner was available on select trims, offering convenience for cleaning.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid provided ample space for adults in all three rows, although the rearmost row was better suited for smaller passengers. The seat cushions were mounted low, reducing thigh support for adults, but headroom and legroom were adequate. The Hybrid SX Prestige trim featured power-adjustable second-row seats with heating and ventilation, offering comfort comparable to business-class airline seats. The middle-row seats had significant travel fore and aft, allowing for more cargo or third-row legroom. The Telluride offered up to 22.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, with a total of 89.3 cubic feet with the second-row seatbacks folded. The Hybrid models lost only about one cubic foot of cargo space. The Telluride could tow up to 5,000 pounds, with the Hybrid variant towing up to 4,500 pounds.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica came standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The instrument cluster featured analog gauges with a 7-inch digital display. The Pacifica offered up to 12 USB-C ports, built-in navigation, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Uconnect 5 system was intuitive and sharp-looking, although a shortcut icon for the 360-degree camera system would have been appreciated. The Pacifica could be equipped with a rear-seat entertainment system, including Amazon Fire TV connectivity and FamCam, a rear-facing interior camera.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch touchscreen for climate controls. The infotainment system included native navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and dual wireless phone chargers. The system was easy to use, although there were occasional delays and hard taps required for screen responsiveness. The Telluride offered customizable infotainment screen themes, including collaborations with NBA, National Geographic, Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel. The SX trim and above featured a 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system, delivering powerful bass and clear tones.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests. It was named a 2023 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), although it missed the highest Top Safety Pick+ award due to low scores in updated crash tests. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear park assist. Optional features included a 360-degree camera system and park assist systems.

The 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid had not yet received crash test scores from NHTSA or IIHS at the time of writing. Standard advanced safety features included frontal collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, parking proximity sensors, highway driving assist, and rear passenger sensors/reminders. Higher trims offered additional features like a surround-view camera system, blind-spot camera system, and automatic reverse braking. The Telluride's driver attention monitor had operational issues at night, but the highway driving assist was particularly helpful on longer trips.