Five mainstream SUV redesigns have now been revealed for 2027 with most changing less than the press releases suggest.
Price is not the measure here. The better question about the redesigned 2027 SUVs is harder to answer: what did the redesign actually change about the vehicle? Sort the field that way and it splits into two groups: SUVs that improved the formula, and SUVs that changed direction completely.
The 2027 SUV Models At A Glance
| Model | Status | Starting MSRP | EPA Combined |
| Kia Telluride | New generation, first hybrid option | $39,190 | 22 FWD / 20 AWD, up to 35 hybrid |
| Kia Seltos | New generation | $24,990 | 30 FWD / 28 AWD |
| Volkswagen Atlas | New generation | $41,610 | 25 FWD / 23 4Motion |
| Toyota Highlander | All-new, now electric | Not announced | Not rated |
| Subaru Getaway | All-new, electric | Not announced | Not rated |
All prices exclude destination and handling.
What Counts As A Redesign
- A new generation
- A facelift with real exterior or interior work
- A nameplate arriving in the United States for the first time
Trim reshuffles and carryover models with fresh press releases fall outside that, which matters because the 2027 SUV redesigns get reported in the same breath as vehicles that changed nothing. The 2027 bZ is the clearest example: Toyota announced a $34,980 starting price on August 4, but the vehicle itself is unchanged from the prior year. That is a price announcement, not a redesign.
Luxury SUVs are treated separately in this analysis. Premium models compete on different priorities, from materials and technology to performance and pricing, making direct comparisons with mainstream SUVs less useful.
2027 Kia Telluride SUV: The Most Complete Rebuild Of The Year
Kia stretched the wheelbase by 2.7 inches and overall length by 2.3. That buys more second-row headroom, easier third-row access, more room behind the third row, and a maximum of 89.3 cubic feet (88.3 in the hybrid) with everything folded.
The old 291-horsepower engine is gone. A 2.5-liter turbocharged four is now standard at 274 horsepower, with 49 lb-ft more torque than the powertrain it replaces. Alongside it sits the first hybrid in the model’s history, at 329 horsepower.
Base LX, $39,190. Hybrid EX, $46,490.
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on every trim
- Dual wireless charging pads standard for front occupants
- 10 airbags including a front-row center airbag, targeting IIHS Top Safety Pick+
- Lane Following Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist and Rear Occupant Alert standard; Highway Driving Assist available
- Towing: 5,000 pounds with the turbo, 4,500 with the hybrid
- At its best, the hybrid returns 35 mpg combined and 637 miles of range, backed by a 10-year/100,000-mile hybrid powertrain warranty
- X-Pro adds 9.1 inches of ground clearance, an e-LSD, all-terrain tires and a Ground View Monitor
- Assembled in West Point, Georgia
Kia
Kia
Kia
The flaw: the gas car drinks. Twenty-two mpg combined with front-wheel drive, 20 with all-wheel drive, which the EPA puts at $2,800 and $3,100 a year in fuel against $1,750 for the hybrid. Downsizing to a turbo four is supposed to buy economy. Here it bought torque instead. Get the hybrid.
2027 Kia Seltos: A New Generation That Still Starts Under $25,000
A new generation across five trims. Prices went up, as they did almost everywhere this year, but the entry point stayed under $25,000.
Base LX, $24,990
- 2.0-liter four, 16-inch alloys
- 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay
- 13 collision avoidance and safety assist features
- LED headlights, rear privacy glass
- 28 city, 33 highway, 30 combined
Cole Attisha/Autoblog
Kia
Kia
A 12.3-inch screen and this level of safety equipment used to sit two segments above this price point.
The flaw: the 190-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter is reserved for the X-Line SX at $32,790, nearly $8,000 above the LX. Most buyers get the naturally aspirated engine and 30 mpg.
Volkswagen Added Almost Everything Except A Low Price
Second generation, with an upgraded 2.0-liter that Volkswagen says makes more power and returns better economy than the engine it replaces.
Base SE, $41,610 FWD and $43,610 4Motion, plus $1,525 destination
- Three-zone Climatronic climate control
- Heated and ventilated front seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Front and rear Park Distance Control, rear sunshades
- 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, 12.9-inch center display
- Dual wireless charging with Qi2, seven USB-C ports
- Real wood trim, 10-color ambient lighting
- 18-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights, power liftgate
- 25 mpg combined FWD, 23 with 4Motion
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
Adam Lynton / Autoblog
Heated and ventilated seats and a heated wheel among the standard features at the SE level are unusual at this money, and it returns better economy than the gas Telluride.
The flaw: it costs $2,420 more than the Telluride to get in the door, and the destination charge applies on top of every trim in the range.
The Two That Changed Direction, And Will Not Name A Price
Several all-new SUVs have shown themselves this year and gone quiet on cost. Two of them are in this segment.
| Model | What It Is | Confirmed So Far |
| Toyota Highlander | Three-row, now battery electric | 320 miles est. combined (AWD, 95.8 kWh), up to 80 cu ft cargo, seats seven, 14-inch touchscreen, vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid |
| Subaru Getaway | Three-row electric, arrives fall | 420 hp standard, 300-plus miles available, 80.6 cu ft cargo, 8.3 in ground clearance, 3,500 lb towing, Tesla Supercharger, 10 to 80 percent in 30 minutes |
These two are closely related, sharing an underlying platform architecture, and the two were revealed weeks apart.
The Highlander is the biggest change of direction on this entire list. A nameplate that spent more than two decades as the default suburban three-row is now battery electric, full stop. It is also the one we cannot judge, because there is no number to weigh it against.
Toyota
Toyota
Subaru’s own vehicle page states plainly that the MSRP is currently not available. Any figure attached to the Getaway came from somewhere other than Subaru.
A fourth-generation Rogue is expected for 2027. Nissan has detailed the e-POWER hybrid system it will use and previewed the design at a company event, but full specs and pricing remain unannounced. Nothing to evaluate yet.
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
The Verdict
Among the mainstream SUVs redesigned for 2027, the Telluride delivered the most meaningful change.
Three reasons, in order:
- It changed the most of anything with a price. Longer wheelbase, more cargo room, a new standard engine with 49 lb-ft more torque, and a hybrid the model has never offered before. Most of this year’s redesigns managed one of those. Kia managed all four.
- It won in the crowded part of the market. Several new three-row entries landed this year. Coming out on top there counts for more than winning an empty category.
- The price backs it up. The redesigned Atlas asks $2,420 more to start, which makes the Telluride the value pick as well as the most improved one. Useful, though it is the weakest of these three reasons.
The Highlander made the bolder move and might well undercut everything here once Toyota speaks. Until then there is nothing to weigh. Kia has published its numbers, several all-new SUVs have not, and a car you cannot price is a car you cannot recommend.
The Seltos deserves a mention of its own for keeping a new generation under $25,000 even after a price rise. It is the quietest achievement on the list.
About the author
Adam Lynton
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Autoblog