2022 Kia Telluride EX Nightfall

The Kia Telluride is one of the hottest family cars on the market right now and if you’ve been around for a while you know I love it and we’ve toured it several times (2021 tour and 2023 tour). For this tour we’re going to take things up a notch. Not only will we take a look at the blacked out Nightfall edition, but also dig a bit deeper into the car seat setups and how this car can (or can’t) grow with your family. 

Exterior

The 2023 version of this Kia Telluride is out and has come with some mixed reviews. A Lot of people like the exterior of this 2022 more. Either way, this blacked out 2022 Nightfall edition is beautiful. I like the big, boxy exterior that makes the car look more high end. People are comparing it to the Range Rover because of its rugged look. It also has the new Kia logo they redesigned in 2021.

Interior

Front Row

In this EX trim level of the Telluride, there are some wood and trim accents on the door that look simple, but really nice. The steering wheel is beautifully designed and has tons of features right there like automated cruise control and bluetooth. The touch screen display is super easy to use and loaded with some of my favorite family-friendly features like passenger talk that projects your voice to the second and third row, quiet mode, which turns the radio off in the second and third row (great when the kids fall asleep), and sounds of nature, which is a built in sound machine that is also great for naps. The volume and climate control are pulled out of the touch screen display, which I like for ease of use. 

Moving down from the display, there is a cubby space with a wireless charger, USB, USBC and 12 volt plugs, 2 cupholders (they don’t quite fit my giant cup), heated and ventilated seats, a great sized center console, a sun roof, and 2 more cup holders on the back of the center console within driver’s reach. 

The Telluride also comes standard with all the safety features and crash prevention technology that you want to keep your family safe like blindspot detection, brake assist, and automatic emergency braking.

Second Row

Jumping into the second row I am excited to tell you the Telluride comes with built in sunshades. These are a game changer. I don't know if I would buy a new car without them. I’ve bought a lot of aftermarket sun shades but nothing beats a built-in sunshade. The door cubby is pretty good sized and can fit a water bottle. As for knee and head clearance, I have plenty and the front seat is set for a tall driver. This car has one of my favorite features: USB outlets on the back of the front seats so anyone in the back seat has super easy access to those. There are also hooks on the back of the seat to hang a purse or bag. Back here we also have our own climate control and ceiling vents, which is so ideal for car seats.

Third Row

To get to the third row of this Kia Telluride you have a few options. Either you can shimmy in between the captain chairs if there aren’t rear facing car seats in the way or you can press one of two buttons on the second row seats—either at the top of the seat or on the bottom, which is great so older kids can get in and out of the car by themselves at grade school drop off. The Telluride has one of the roomiest third rows and I could sit all the way back here for a long road trip and be comfortable. But 3 people cannot fit back here. The middle seat is basically nonexistent. It is 5.5” wide, which doesn’t fit anything. Can’t fit a human, can’t fit a car seat, can’t fit a booster seat. But, this is not to harp on Kia. I still think this is a great family car but want you to know this is a 6 passenger car—just ignore the middle seat in the third row.

Car Seat Set Up

Now let’s dive deep into the car seat set up. There are lower anchors and tether anchors in both captains chairs so you can safely put two rear or forward facing car seats in the second row. In the third row there is one set of lower anchors on the driver’s side so you could put two rear-facing car seats back there either using the seat belts or one using the lower anchors. There are also 2 tether anchors in the third row, but, and this is a big but, the 2 tether anchors are next to each other and like I said before, the middle seat is super narrow so really there is only room for one forward facing car seat in the third row. This means you can fit at most 3 forward facing car seats in this car. Another thing to note, is this car does not have the car seat tilt so if you have the bench seat with rear facing car seats on either outboard seat there is no way to get to the third row. I have a Family Planning Map worksheet that helps walk you through all the car seat configurations of any car so you can better plan how a car will work for you and your growing family. I recommend it before any family buys a new car. 

Trunk

Mid size SUVs always disappoint when it comes to the trunk space, but the Kia Telluride does not. There is extra space in the floor that can be separated to throw in gear that you always want handy like blankets, diapers or wipes, or you can open it up to fit something larger. The Uppababy Vista stroller fits well even without the extra floor space. If you’re looking for more trunk space you’re going to either need a minivan or a larger SUV like the Expedition, Suburban or Wagoneer, which is going to give you about twice as much room. 

Trim

The Telluride has 4 different trim levels (LX, S, EX and SX). If you can get a Telluride for MSRP I think you should go for the luxury features of the SX, but the markups are insane right now because of the chip shortage. I’ve heard of people paying $20K over MSRP, which is too much. You’re in Volvo pricing at that point. Also when considering the different trims, a few trim levels give you the option for bench seats or captain chairs in the second row, but the bench is very narrow and not very car seat friendly so I’d skip it.

Overview

The hype for the Kia Telluride is real. I think it is one of the best family cars on the market right now. One of the questions I get asked most is Kia Telluride or Hyundai Palisade? Tomato/Tomahto. They are made by the same manufacturer and are fraternal twins. Everything is basically the same, including the car seat set up, so it’s up to you on which one you like more.