Kia campaign presents 2027 Telluride Turbo Hybrid SUV

Kia presents the 2027 Telluride Turbo Hybrid, highlighting a new campaign, 329 hp output, and up to 637 miles of range. Learn key details about the updated SUV.

Kia has put the first-ever Telluride hybrid at the center of its new 2027 campaign, using the second ad, Sea Lion, to present the SUV not just as a family vehicle, but as a longer-range and more efficient version of its flagship three-row model. For the EX FWD trim, the company says the turbo-hybrid can deliver an EPA-estimated 35 mpg combined and a total driving range of up to 637 miles.

That marks a meaningful shift for the nameplate. The second-generation Telluride is the first to offer an available turbo-hybrid powertrain, and Kia is not positioning it as a fuel-saving compromise. Official figures put the hybrid at 329 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, compared with 274 horsepower and 311 lb-ft for the standard gasoline-powered 2027 Telluride. The hybrid also comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, a standard towing capacity of up to 4,500 pounds, and a seven-seat layout.

This is also why the campaign matters beyond the ad itself. While the earlier Horse Herder spot highlighted the X-Pro trim and the SUV’s off-road image, Sea Lion shifts the focus to the hybrid version, long-distance driving, second-row comfort, and everyday family use. Kia’s broader media plan follows that same split, spanning TV, CTV, paid social, paid digital lifestyle, out-of-home, and owner channels, with multiple ad lengths built around different parts of the Telluride story.

The product context reinforces the message. The new Telluride is larger than the previous generation, with a 116.9-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 199.2 inches. Kia ties those changes directly to improved room in the second and third rows. For the hybrid, the company lists 178.3 cubic feet of total interior volume, with 88.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row, 47.7 behind the second, and 21.3 behind the third. A slide-and-tilt second row is designed to make access to the back easier, including when a child seat is installed.

The launch also carries manufacturing weight. Telluride Hybrid is Kia’s first hybrid assembled in the United States and the first hybrid vehicle built in the state of Georgia. Kia linked the start of production in West Point to three milestones at once: the launch of the all-new Telluride, the first hybrid built there, and the plant’s five-millionth vehicle. That gives the model added significance for Kia’s U.S. business, not only as a high-volume three-row SUV, but as a key part of the company’s next phase of local production.

The market picture is already taking shape as well. In the U.S., the hybrid lineup starts at $46,490 for the EX FWD, before destination charges. The range includes EX, SX, SX-Prestige, and X-Line versions, with pricing reaching $57,590 at the top end. Kia has already said the standard 2027 Telluride is in showrooms, while the Telluride Turbo Hybrid is expected to arrive there in the coming weeks.

Seen in that light, Sea Lion is doing more than extending a launch campaign. It presents the 2027 Telluride as a three-row SUV that keeps its familiar shape and broad appeal while adding a more powerful and more efficient hybrid option, more space, stronger family-focused usability, and new manufacturing importance for Kia in the U.S. That is what gives the second spot its real purpose: it explains what the new Telluride is meant to be in this next chapter.