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Compare the2027 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid VS 2027 Kia Telluride

2027 Kia Telluride2027 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Safety

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Telluride has not been tested.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Telluride have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all-wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Telluride has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Telluride’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Hybrid gets better mileage than the Telluride:

MPG

Santa Fe Hybrid

FWD

1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid

37 city/36 hwy

AWD

1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid

35 city/34 hwy

Telluride

FWD

EX 2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid

34 city/36 hwy

EX 2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid

32 city/34 hwy

2.5 turbo 4-cyl.

20 city/26 hwy

AWD

2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid

30 city/32 hwy

2.5 turbo 4-cyl.

18 city/24 hwy

X-Pro 2.5 turbo 4-cyl.

17 city/22 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops shorter than the Telluride:

Santa Fe Hybrid

Telluride

60 to 0 MPH

121 feet

125 feet

Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Santa Fe SE/SEL Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Telluride LX/EX Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Telluride doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid HTRAC AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Telluride SX Prestige pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Telluride’s (37.9 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

Chassis

The Santa Fe Hybrid is 9 inches shorter than the Telluride, making the Santa Fe Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and .3 inches more third row headroom than the Telluride.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Kia Telluride by 16% during 2025.