2023 Kia Telluride vs 2022 Land Rover Defender

The 2022 Land Rover Defender was noted for retaining its iconic exterior design, connecting strongly to its roots with a boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare tire, and flat hood. These elements visually tied it to the classic Series Land Rovers that preceded it. Features like a white contrasting roof and steel wheels added retro flair. Despite these nostalgic touches, the Defender offered a thoroughly modern design, including rounded corners for aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights. The Defender's larger size compared to its predecessors enhanced interior space and ergonomics, making it less cramped and more comfortable than older models. It had generous headroom and legroom, and a more traditional SUV driving position.

The interior emphasized ruggedness with an aesthetic twist, such as bare metal and exposed screws in the door, which contrasted with conventional all-leather luxury interiors, reflecting a unique character. Even high-end models like the Defender 90 V8 combined leather upholstery with suede, a practical choice for dealing with mud and dirt, making it more user-friendly for off-road adventures.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Kia Telluride underwent significant styling updates. New front and rear designs, revamped headlights and taillights, and multiple new paint and interior colors added to its fresh appeal. The Telluride X-Line replaced the Nightfall Edition and featured a raised suspension, unique grille design, raised roof rails, body-color door handles, and black 20-inch wheels. The X-Pro variant introduced exclusive 18-inch wheels and all-terrain tires, enhancing its off-road persona.

Inside, the Telluride received updates like a new digital instrumentation panel and a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, housed under a curved 24-inch piece of glass on the dashboard, presenting a modern look. Other interior changes included new colors, minor trim modifications, a redesigned steering wheel, and an improved center console. Trim names embossed on the front seatbacks of X-Line and X-Pro variants gave them a distinctive touch.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrain options, starting with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. A mid-level option included a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid engine, generating 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Both engines utilized a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and came with standard 4WD and a two-speed transfer case. The highlight for 2022 was the addition of a V8 engine, delivering a powerful 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque, enabling the Defender 90 to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 149 mph. This V8 engine, coupled with special suspension tuning, offered sportier handling but was less poised than the six-cylinder model.

Despite its off-road prowess, the Defender provided impressive on-road comfort, with its suspension effectively absorbing bumps and reduced noise from the large 22-inch tires. Its boxy shape was surprisingly resistant to crosswinds. Off-road capabilities were also noteworthy, featuring a 4WD system with low range, significant ground clearance (up to 11.5 inches with optional air suspension), and drive modes for different terrains via the Terrain Response 2 system. The Defender had an 8,201-pound maximum towing capacity.

The 2023 Kia Telluride retained its 3.8-liter V6 engine, producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered various driving modes, such as Eco, Comfort, Smart, Sport, and Snow, with optional AWD featuring a low-speed Lock setting to distribute power evenly. During tests, the Telluride X-Line achieved an average of 24.1 mpg, while the X-Pro recorded 20.4 mpg, the latter including off-road driving.

Kia's updates for the X-Line and X-Pro variants included a 10mm raised suspension, improved ground clearance of 8.4 inches, enhanced approach and departure angles, and a modified traction control system for better off-road performance. The Downhill Brake Control system, mandatory for downhill driving, worked smoothly after initial adjustments. The X-Pro variant fitted with all-terrain tires increased towing capacity to 5,500 pounds.

Off-road, the Telluride demonstrated its capability across varied terrains, maintaining stability with its AWD Lock mode and Downhill Brake Control system. Nevertheless, it couldn't quite match Jeep or Land Rover off-road standards. On highways, it delivered a smooth ride, with some wind noise at high speeds, and felt slightly softer in turns due to its off-road tires.

Both the 2022 Land Rover Defender and the 2023 Kia Telluride excelled in offering spacious and functional interiors, with significant differences catering to different preferences and needs.

The Land Rover Defender, available in both the two-door Defender 90 and four-door Defender 110 configurations, accommodated various passenger and cargo needs. The two-door model had surprisingly comfortable 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats but limited cargo space, which could be expanded by folding the rear seats. The four-door Defender 110 offered more versatility with two-row (five-seat) and three-row (seven-seat) configurations. The three-row models provided 11.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, expandable to 35.4 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 70.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. Two-row models had 18.1 cubic feet with rear seats up and 51.7 cubic feet with rear seats folded. Interior design focused on functionality, with cleverly placed controls, substantial storage space, and options for a jump seat or a colossal center console storage bin that could be refrigerated.

In contrast, the Kia Telluride catered to families with its seven or eight-passenger configurations. Test vehicles featured premium Nappa leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and heated and ventilated front- and second-row captain’s chairs. The second-row seats also featured manual sunshades, armrests, USB ports, storage pockets, and overhead climate controls. The third-row seats were accessible via a button that moved the second-row seats forward, providing better ease of access than many competitors.

In terms of cargo space, the Telluride offered 21 cubic feet behind the third-row seat, expanding to 46 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 87 cubic feet with both rear rows down, which is comparable to and often better than other midsize SUVs in its class.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender featured a Pivi Pro infotainment system with a standard 10-inch central touchscreen, upgraded to an optional 11.4-inch touchscreen for the 2022 model year. The standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster added to the modern feel. The system supported wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, making menu navigation easy with well-thought-out graphics and layouts. Optional tech included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, a head-up display, and a surround-view camera system, useful for off-roading.

The 2023 Kia Telluride, emphasizing tech, made a 12.3-inch touchscreen standard across all models. Additionally, it included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, navigation, Kia Connect services, and a new Wi-Fi hotspot. The voice recognition system passed tests with ease but did not support climate control adjustments. Drivers could use the Kia Access app to control some functions via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and received over-the-air updates for the infotainment system. The Telluride featured six USB charging ports, Driver Talk and Quiet Mode systems, and an optional 10-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. New digital-key technology allowed use of a smartphone or smartwatch as a key. The optional head-up display and Leading Vehicle Departure Alert system added to the driver-assist features.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist features such as lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition with speed-limit adapter. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. Lack of standard adaptive cruise control was in line with many luxury brands. Safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable for the Defender.

The 2023 Kia Telluride came equipped with an extensive list of standard safety features, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction turning system, blind-spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping and centering assists. Additionally, adaptive cruise control, Highway Drive Assist 1.5, and Highway Drive Assist 2.0 with Lane Change Assist function were standard on higher trims. New collision avoidance features related to oncoming traffic, evasive steering assist, and lane-change accident prevention were included. Advanced systems like Automatic High Beam, Driver Attention Warning, and Rear Occupant Alert were also standard.