Production capacity is at 100,000 units per year, from the planned 60,000, and it’s not enough.
There are no deals to be found or had on the Telluride, and the Hyundai Palisade.
The Kia Telluride has received numerous accolades from the automotive media since its introduction early last year.
Car companies are all suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a whole, sales are down dramatically but one SUV seems immune to the virus: The Kia Telluride. Demand for it, and the Hyundai Palisade, remains very strong while its competitors are gathering dust.
On average, in the US, strong-selling products “sit” on dealer lots for an average of 60 days before selling. Before the world halted due to the pandemic, Kia Tellurides were lasting an average of 11 days on lots! As of earlier this month, national inventory listings showed only 700 Tellurides in stock, and 4,000 Hyundai Palisades. You might think that this is enough but consider this: carsdirect.com has found that there are over 20,000 Ford Explorers ready for delivery and more than 12,000 Honda Pilots in stock.
2020 Hyundai Palisade
Crazier still is that Ford and Honda are offerings enticing deals that range from 0% financing for 72 months to dirt-cheap leases for less than $240 per month. Meanwhile, financing rates for the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are decent at between 0.9% and 1.9% but there are no rebates or further deals to be found.
Kia’s problem is far from over; it’s a good problem. Initially, Kia had planned to build 60,000 units per year but have since increased that number to 100,000. The pandemic forced the West Point, Georgia facility to shut down for eight weeks, and even if they want to get the lines running up again, they are also experiencing parts shortages from their Mexican supplier.
2020 Kia Telluride | Photo: Kia
If you wanted a Kia Telluride soon, or a Hyundai Palisade for that matter, best be patient.
2020 Kia Telluride | Photo: Kia
