Explorer or Telluride: Find the Perfect Family SUV

When looking for a vehicle, we think your family deserves the best, providing everything you need in one vehicle. Three-row SUVs are terrific for large or growing families, but choosing the right one can be tricky. Even if you focus on the 2026 Ford Explorer vs 2027 Kia Telluride, it still takes some work to figure out which SUV is right for you.

Today, we’re going to take you through what these two vehicles have to offer. We’re going with the 2027 Telluride because Kia skipped the 2026 model year for its three-row SUV. With its return for 2027, the Telluride has a lot to offer; yet, it still can’t keep up with everything Ford delivers in the Explorer, as you’re about to see.

The Explorer Delivers Superior Performance

With a small SUV, the engine might be far down the list of things you look at after many other features, but with a large model like this, you want a great powertrain. You deserve something that feels great on the road. Three-row SUVs need plenty of power under the hood; both Ford and Kia understand this, but the Explorer consistently delivers greater performance.

Standard Powertrains and Performance

Both SUVs offer two engines, so we’ll look at each one individually to get a good sense of what they deliver. Standard engines need to be great since not everyone wants to spring for upgrades just to get a good drive. Fortunately, Ford offers one of the finest powertrains available as standard, with even more power available.

With the 2026 Ford Explorer, you get a standard 2.3L EcoBoost turbocharged engine that provides 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. This is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission for an incredibly responsive drive. You can choose between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (AWD) to suit your preferred overall experience, though we suggest AWD.

The 2027 Telluride comes standard with a 2.5L turbocharged I-4 engine that delivers 274 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque. You can see that torque is solid, but it falls short of Ford’s engine’s horsepower. This engine comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is fine but not as smooth and responsive as Ford’s 10-speed automatic.

Available Engines and Power

One of the biggest points that Kia is pushing for the updated 2027 Telluride is its available hybrid engine. This is the first time a turbo-hybrid engine has been available in the Telluride, and it certainly boosts its performance. The available turbocharged hybrid engine delivers 329 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, providing a nice power upgrade, though it comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, which isn’t our favorite.

Looking at the 2026 Explorer, Ford offers an incredible option for enhanced performance: a 3.0L EcoBoost turbocharged V6 that delivers 385 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. At a glance, you can see this is a substantial boost in power over the standard engine in the Explorer. It’s not just a hybrid version of the standard engine; it’s a completely different powertrain that you’ll love.

What’s more, you can see that this is a much greater performance than the turbo-hybrid in the Kia model. It’s nice to see that Telluride drivers can get something with more power, but you’ll get a lot more under the hood of the Explorer. Plus, this available engine still comes with an incredibly responsive 10-speed automatic, for a terrific drive all over town.

Ford Gives You Fantastic Interior Features

Although Kia is doing a lot of good things with the 2027 Telluride, there are still numerous ways that it can’t keep up with the 2026 Ford Explorer, beyond their engines. Looking inside, the Telluride has some impressive standard features, including spacious eight-passenger seating. SynTex and cloth seating are standard, which is nice, along with an eight-speaker sound system.

The Telluride has a large 12.3-inch infotainment display, which is a good size in a three-row SUV like this. And yet, Ford goes further and gives you a standard 13.2-inch infotainment screen in every Explorer model. This is joined by a 12.3-inch cluster display in the instrument panel, giving you two gorgeous screens to keep track of important info as you drive.

A pair of captain’s chairs in the second row is standard in Ford’s model, but you can choose a bench seat if you need seating for eight passengers. You get tri-zone electronic automatic temperature control in the Explorer standard, along with a power-adjustable driver’s seat. And if you want more, then options include leather-trimmed seats and a 14-speaker B&O sound system.

What About Trim Levels?

As you shop for a great SUV, you need a good number of options to choose from, since that makes it easier to get everything your family needs. Both models offer numerous trims, but the Explorer lineup gives you exciting options without going overboard. The off-road Tremor trim, in particular, is a favorite of ours.

2026 Ford Explorer Trims

We’re not doing a deep dive into each Explorer trim because that’s beyond the scope of what we’re looking at today. But here are some highlights for each of these Explorer models:

• Active 100A: This model comes with the standard 2.3L engine, seven-passenger seating, and cloth seats inside.
• Active: Moving up to the Active gets you heated front-row seats, a 10-way power driver’s seat, and a rear power liftgate.
• ST-Line: This trim features a 10-speaker B&O sound system, unique cloth-trimmed seats with red stitching, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
• Tremor: The off-road trim for the Explorer, you get an off-road tuned suspension with increased ride height, underbody protection, and a Torsen limited-slip rear axle.
• Platinum: This incredibly luxurious trim comes with heated, ventilated, massaging front-row seats with leather inserts, plus Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving system.
• ST: You get the powerful 3.0L EcoBoost V6 engine with this model, along with a sport-tuned suspension and performance brakes to handle all that power.

No matter what you’re looking for in a three-row SUV, you can find it here. Ford provides just enough options to give you tremendous freedom as you shop, without going overboard. Kia, unfortunately, has lacked that restraint.

2027 Kia Telluride Trims

Kia has overloaded the Telluride’s options and created far too many choices. There are 10 trim levels for the 2027 Telluride, and we’d be here all day trying to get into all of them. It’s honestly one of the biggest flaws with how Kia has revamped the Telluride.

The starting LX model has the standard engine, eight-passenger seating, and numerous advanced safety features, which is all nice. From there, each trim tends to add things like seven-passenger seating (thanks to captain’s chairs) in the S trim, and ventilated front seats in the EX. Where things get overly complicated is with the addition of the X-Line models.

X-Line trims come with AWD, rather than just having it as an option on other trims. This is a major reason their trim selection is confusing. The high-end X-Pro SX Prestige model has some adventurous features, like all-terrain tires and enhanced ground clearance, but it doesn’t stack up to what the Tremor delivers for off-road use.

Discover Everything the Explorer Offers

As you can see, the Ford Explorer comes through again and again, providing you with a fantastic family SUV. Whether you want terrific comfort features, robust off-road capabilities, or big performance, there’s an Explorer that delivers it. And our team at DePaula Ford is ready to show you what it can do and help you find the right model with everything you need.