2020 Kia Telluride vs 2021 Chrysler Pacifica

The 2020 Kia Telluride had a transformative design that aimed to erase Kia's reputation for cheap adequacy. It appeared more expensive than it was, but the Kia badge somewhat hurt its style. The Telluride's design was a blend of boxy presence and fluid curves, with upright, rectilinear themes defining the front. The interior was reminiscent of a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, featuring twin grab handles, wide air vents, and an ultra-wide touchscreen. Despite some lower sections being hard plastic, the fit, quality, and colors were tasteful and classy. The SX-trim with the Prestige Package added Nappa leather seats and a soft headliner, making it feel like a $60,000-$70,000 vehicle, though it cost $46,930 fully loaded.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica underwent a mid-generation refresh that gave it a more muscular aesthetic with new standard LED headlights and a hexagonal grille. The rear featured an all-LED taillamp running the width of the model. The Pacifica offered six new wheel designs and the S Appearance Package, which included darkened features and black accents. Inside, the Pacifica balanced practicality and luxury, especially in the Pinnacle trim, which featured quilted leather seats, suede center row pillows, and Beber floor mats. The dashboard was flat with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and the interior had a well-weighted feel with sound-deadening technology to keep noise at bay.

The 2020 Kia Telluride came with a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It offered both FWD and AWD options, with AWD being a $2,000 upgrade. The Telluride's performance was adequate but not exceptional, with delayed and inconsistent response from the transmission. It had a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds with the $795 Towing package and an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined for AWD models.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica offered two powertrain options: a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, and a hybrid powertrain with a combined 260 horsepower. The V6 engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid used a dual-motor electrically variable transmission. AWD was available for the first time in 16 years, automatically activating when needed. The hybrid model had an all-electric range of over 30 miles and a total range of over 500 miles, delivering 82 MPGe and 30 mpg combined. The traditional V6 Pacifica achieved 19 mpg city, 28 highway, and 22 combined, with AWD models slightly lower.

The 2020 Kia Telluride could seat seven or eight passengers, depending on the trim. The base LX and EX trims seated eight, while the S and SX trims seated seven with optional captain's chairs. The SX trim added heating and cooling for the second row, manual side-window shades, and a third climate zone. The Telluride offered 21 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up and 87 cubic feet with seats folded flat. The interior featured analog gauges, buttons, knobs, and a regular PRNDL shifter, complemented by a 3.5-inch instrument panel display and an 8-inch dash screen, with EX and SX models getting a 10.3-inch screen.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica was designed with family life in mind, featuring power-sliding rear doors, three-zone climate control, and Stow 'n Go seats. The front seating area was spacious, with ample storage, including an under-stack bin. The second-row seats had under-console storage that slid outward, and the third-row seats offered plenty of legroom. The Pacifica Pinnacle provided best-in-class total storage of 227.6 liters. The cargo area was spacious, making family travel easy.

The 2020 Kia Telluride came standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Kia's UVO link, which allowed remote car location and unlocking via an app. Upper trims featured navigation with fast and accurate voice inputs, live traffic, and weather updates. The SX trim offered a live feed of blind spots on the instrument cluster, Highway Driving Assist, and a quiet mode. The SX also had dual moonroofs and a Harman Kardon surround stereo. However, it lacked onboard WiFi and a rear-seat entertainment option.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica featured Uconnect 5, a modern and customizable infotainment system. It included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The second-row in-seat entertainment system remained an option, with new games added. The Pacifica offered a six-speaker sound system, with 13-, 19-, and 20-speaker Harman Kardon upgrades available. The Pinnacle trim included FamCam, an interior monitoring camera with rear-facing child seat view, split-view display, and zoom-to-seat feature.

The 2020 Kia Telluride had not been crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS at the time of writing, but it was expected to receive top scores. It came standard with forward-collision alert, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, driver-attention monitor, adaptive cruise control, and Safe Exit Assist. Optional features included surround-view cameras and front parking sensors. A driver's knee airbag was standard, but the front passenger did not get one.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica came standard with 97 safety features, increasing to 100 in the Pinnacle trim. Key safety technologies included forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beams, advanced brake assist, third-row lockout, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. The Pacifica received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA, but IIHS had not yet rated the model.