2025 Kia Telluride Configurations: Trims, Features, and What Changes Between Them

The 2025 Kia Telluride is a three-row midsize SUV offered in multiple trim levels, each adding features, technology, and capability on top of the last. Understanding how the lineup is structured — and what actually changes between trims — helps you figure out which version aligns with what you need before you ever set foot in a dealership.

How the 2025 Telluride Lineup Is Structured

Kia organizes the Telluride into a tiered trim structure. For 2025, the lineup runs:

• LX — base trim
• S — adds comfort and convenience upgrades
• EX — mid-range, adds tech and interior refinements
• SX — upper trim with more features and style options
• SX Prestige — near-top trim with luxury-oriented additions
• X-Line — adventure-oriented variant with styling and light off-road touches
• X-Pro — adds more capable off-road hardware
• X-Pro Prestige — top of the lineup with both off-road and premium features

Each tier builds on the one below it. You're not trading one feature set for another — you're adding to a cumulative package.

Powertrain: The Same Across All Trims

One of the simpler parts of the Telluride lineup: every 2025 trim uses the same engine — a 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 producing approximately 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

What changes with some trims is the drivetrain configuration. The LX comes standard with front-wheel drive (FWD), while all-wheel drive (AWD) is either optional or standard depending on the trim. The X-Line, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige come standard with AWD and include Kia's terrain mode system, which allows the driver to select different drive modes for conditions like mud, sand, or snow.

The X-Pro specifically adds locking rear differential capability and increased ground clearance compared to non-X trims — meaningful if light off-road use is part of the picture.

What Changes Between Trims 🔍

Features listed represent general trim differences. Confirm exact configurations with current model documentation, as packages can vary.

Seating Configurations

Most Telluride trims seat eight passengers across three rows using a second-row bench seat. Some trims offer an optional second-row captain's chairs configuration, which reduces total capacity to seven but improves access to the third row and adds a center console between the second-row seats.

The choice between bench and captain's chairs affects both passenger count and how the interior feels on a daily basis — especially relevant for families who use the second row regularly.

Technology and Safety Features by Trim

The base LX includes Kia's standard suite of driver assistance features: forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver attention warning. These come standard across the lineup.

As you move up:

• EX and above typically add features like a larger infotainment display, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a surround-view monitor
• SX and above often add a heads-up display, premium audio (Bose or similar), and additional ADAS features like highway driving assist
• SX Prestige and X-Pro Prestige tend to include the most complete technology packages, including rear-seat entertainment screens in some configurations

X-Line vs. X-Pro: What's the Actual Difference

Both the X-Line and X-Pro use AWD and feature exterior styling cues like roof rails, blacked-out trim, and skid plates. The distinction matters if off-road use is a real consideration:

• X-Line is primarily a styling package — it looks rugged but doesn't add meaningful off-road hardware beyond standard AWD
• X-Pro adds the locking rear differential, increased ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and the multi-terrain drive mode selector — actual functional upgrades for unpaved driving

If the goal is weekend trails or gravel roads, the X-Pro delivers capability the X-Line doesn't. If the goal is appearance, the X-Line gets the look without the additional mechanical complexity.

Pricing Spread and What It Means

The Telluride spans a significant price range from the base LX to the X-Pro Prestige — often a difference of $15,000 or more depending on options and dealer pricing. That spread reflects real differences in content, not just badge upgrades.

AWD adds cost at the trims where it's optional. Captain's chairs may affect price and configuration. Regional dealer markups, incentives, and inventory also affect what you actually pay — MSRP and transaction price can differ meaningfully depending on market conditions and timing.

The Variables That Shape Your Decision

The right trim depends on factors that vary by household:

• How many passengers you regularly carry affects whether a bench or captain's configuration makes sense
• Where you live and drive shapes how much AWD or terrain capability matters — AWD adds weight and cost that may not be necessary in mild climates
• Which technology features you'll actually use determines whether mid-tier trims offer enough
• Budget ceiling, including financing terms and insurance costs, shifts which trims are realistic options

The Telluride lineup is genuinely tiered — not padded — so the configuration that fits one driver's life doesn't automatically fit another's.