It’s no secret in the automotive world that Hyundai and Kia are closely aligned companies. In fact, Hyundai technically owns a portion of Kia, and that’s why many Hyundais and Kias share similar features. With that being said, however, the latest 2021 Hyundai Palisade ultimately costs a bit more than the Kia Telluride does, and here’s a look at why that is.

A look at what the 2021 Hyundai Palisade offers

While both are highly-rated SUVs, at the end of the day, customers are probably only going to buy one or the other. That’s why U.S. News compared the two SUVs with each other, and it’s a very close contest.

Off the bat, while it’s true that the Palisade costs more than the Telluride does, it’s not by much. The Palisade starts at about $32,500, while the Telluride starts at about $32,000, meaning that the Palisade is about $500 more expensive.

Customers are getting quite a deal on their car no matter what. Like U.S. News wrote, both SUVs are reliable and safe, both come with the same standard 3.8-liter V6 engine, and both have similar ride and handling qualities. 

Furthermore, both SUVs are very well-equipped in terms of standard features. Both have about the same infotainment system, though there are differences in the options. For example, while the Telluride can come with an optional 10-speaker premium sound system, the Palisade can get a larger 12-speaker premium sound system. 

A look at what the 2021 Kia Telluride offers

That small difference in options isn’t an isolated incident, either. There actually are quite a few differences between the Palisade and the Telluride when you look at the details. For example, while both SUVs are equipped with a lot of standard smart safety features, there are small differences in what is offered as standard. 

The Telluride comes standard with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, according to U.S. News, while those systems are merely options on the Palisade.

The Palisade, meanwhile, comes standard with automatic high-beam headlights, a feature that’s optional on the Telluride. But, since U.S. News considered blind-spot monitoring to be a very important safety feature, it ultimately gave the Telluride the win in terms of safety. 

This is a similar story when it comes to the interior design and seating quality. Both cars are well-designed, according to U.S. News, and both can seat up to eight people. However, the Telluride does use synthetic leather upholstery, while the Palisade only uses cloth. That’s why U.S. News gave the Telluride the win in those categories. 

Furthermore, there’s also a slight difference in cargo capacities. The Telluride has 21 cu. ft. of cargo space without folding its seats, while the Palisade only has about 18 cu. ft. of cargo space. Both have similar cargo capacities with the seats folded, but otherwise, the Telluride is the clear winner here. 

Why the 2021 Hyundai Palisade costs more than the Kia Telluride

Ultimately speaking, it’s clear that while both SUVs took a lot of design cues from each other, both companies also allowed its engineers and designers to make some choices that were different from what the other company was doing. Those design differences, while largely small, added up, and that’s why the Palisade is slightly more expensive than the Telluride is. 

But, like U.S. News said, the Telluride is ultimately the better SUV of the two. Both are similar, and both are great, but the Telluride simply does a bit better in most categories than the Palisade does. And, since the Telluride is a bit cheaper too, it’s just a better overall value than the Palisade is.