It's Official: The Kia Telluride Is the Early '90s Maxima

Awards mean damn little around here, as most “official” accolades foisted upon various models carry as much weight as a gnat. The GM X-body once boasted a well-stocked trophy case.

And that’s the way it remains, for now and forever, though the recipient of the most recent big-ticket award deserves mention, if only because it reinforces a conclusion this writer landed on months ago.

If you haven’t heard already from family members and Facebook friends, the Kia Telluride was the big winner at the 2020 World Car Awards (announced Wednesday). Specifically, it is World Car of the Year — the first time any Korean vehicle has earned the title.

Don’t we all want to be World Car of the Year? I’m not sure about you, but I wouldn’t mind a little praise, dammit.

Clearly well regarded by a posse of journalists from around the globe, the Telluride is more than just a large-ish midsize crossover from a Korean manufacturer with a value-focused bent. Besides its obvious — but hardly groundbreaking — attributes (standard V6 engine, good level of content, spacious interior), the Telluride has something else. And it’s something few expected of Kia; certainly not in this segment, anyway.

Panache. Gravitas. Street cred. A certain machismo baked into its design that instantly sets it apart from other car-based CUVs, most of which look ready for the Whole Foods parking lot, not the parking spot in front of the nightclub. The Telluride, in this humble author’s opinion, is the crossover John Shaft would own, were his offspring more numerous than that one reedy dweeb in the most recent film.

Given its persona, one can easily imagine used examples of this vehicle being driven, far into the future, by that 18-21-year-old we all knew. You know, the one with the connections. Regardless of what aftermarket additions might crop up, no one will assume the Telluride is packing a base four-cylinder under that hood. There isn’t one. Nor is the model’s personality watered down by a hybrid or plug-in variant. One powertrain, no waiting. Now choose your options.

For all of these reasons, the Kia Telluride is the third-generation Nissan Maxima of its day (especially in secondhand form). Fêted upon their debut, they appealed to two different mindsets and lifestyles; much more so than other entries in their respective midsize segments. Both represented something of an outsider invading the mainstream, bringing with them unexpected upscale-leaning pretensions, plus a dose of status and respect.

As you read here, the Telluride boosted Kia’s bottom line in 2019 by romancing buyers left and right. Consumers liked what they saw, and Kia noticed. It’s no wonder the automaker is reportedly planning a loftier rung on the model’s trim ladder.

Am I way off base? Tear me to pieces in the comments.

[Images: Kia Motors]