The ever-popular Kia Telluride is bigger, better, and bolder than ever. This well-known mid-size SUV has topped the charts for its ride quality, styling, and comfortable interior. Given how common this car is out on the road we wanted to make a custom Kia Telluride that wouldn’t get lumped in with all the rest.
This custom 2023 Kia Telluride stands out from the crowd compared to other high-end SUV’s. What makes it the star of the show is the bright cyan blue hue that draws heavy attention to the telluride’s dark black accents making them pop. On top of its bold color scheme this build has lowered stature along with new luxury black wheels and street tires. For a closer look at each of these added accessories keep on reading!
| PART LIST | |
|---|---|
| 3M Keywest Color Change Wrap | Painted Calipers |
| 3M Premium Window Tint | Ceramic Coating |
| Blackout Kia Emblems | Niche Misano 22-Inch Wheels |
| Nexen Roadian HP Tires | Vicrez Coilover Lowering Kit |
Cyan Color Change Wrap
Changing the exterior appearance of a vehicle is usually easiest with a vinyl color change wrap. The color we chose for this Telluride was the satin KeyWest wrap from 3M. It’s a bold cyan blue color that comes off quite bright even in evening capturing glances left and right.
Vinyl wraps can be customized to nearly any color you can think of. This wrap in particular also has a satin finish which makes the car less glossy or shimmery. You achieve the same color and finish change with paint although satin, matte, and specialty-colored paints cost a lot more!
Blackout Kia Emblems and Lettering
With bright colors like the cyan blue, it’s best to balance the appearance with a dark contrasting color. When in doubt black goes with everything so we removed all the Kia emblems to give them a coat of gloss black paint before re-installing them. These fresh blackout Kia emblems match the trim accents and grille making a more cohesive look on the car and giving the branding a pop.
For the 2023 Tellurides the front end was redone which removed the lettering on the hood. In our heads something just felt too naked about it, so we added some blackout Telluride lettering back on. Blacking out all the chrome emblems with a chrome delete has become a popular style on all vehicles. So much so in fact that many auto-manufacturers now offer trim levels with all black features although they tend to not blackout the emblems.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to achieve the blackout look for your Kia Telluride’s emblems, consider vinyl Kia emblem overlays. The best advantage of using an overlay is that they can be easily removed if you want to change color or stop using them. You won’t need to worry about quality overlays like ours leaving any damage or sticky adhesive because they are made with automotive grade vinyl. If you want more ideas like these take a look at 8 of the best Telluride upgrades.
Lowering Kit
Having a wrapped Telluride just wasn’t enough for us though so we had to hook up a Vicrez Coilover lowering kit. Lowering kits reduce the ride height of a vehicle giving it a different stature that’s lower to the ground. An addition like this is mainly done to change the look, but if it’s done correctly, it can improve handling since theirs a lower center of gravity. The lowered Telluride isn’t recommended for offroad travel due to its shorter ground clearance, so this build is intended for street use only.
Street Wheels and Tires
Since this is a luxury style street build, we wanted to emphasize those aspects with new wheels and tires. Changing the rigid old wheel design into something bigger, sleeker, and more stylish to drive a newfound sense of class. We found the Niche Misano 22-inch Wheel design to satisfy those desires. This gloss black wheel has 5 thin double spokes that branch out into a shape with an aggressive racing inspired feel.
To go along with this dynamic wheel design, we found quality all-season tires. Street sport tires like the Nexen Roadian HP (265/35R22) matched the criteria we were looking for. These are balanced tires that work particularly well with mid-large sized street SUVs like this Kia Telluride build or the Dodge Durango.
Black Painted Calipers
Painted calipers are a simple mod to make on your custom Telluride that adds to its overall appeal. We almost painted these calipers cyan blue but decided to go with a more restrained black since it’s such a strong color. This modification is both aesthetic and practical because the paint helps resist corrosion of the caliper over time.
Brake calipers take a lot of abuse too, so we recommend applying a ceramic coating top of the paint. This coating it makes break dust, mud, and debris easier to clean while applying another barrier of protection.
Ceramic Coating
The very same ceramic coating applied to the calipers was also applied to this entire vehicle. This graphene ceramic coat can cover both paint and vinyl to resist water and buildup of other debris being out on the road. Again, it makes washing and maintaining your ride so much smoother.
Window Tint
The last piece of this puzzle was to darken the windows so that they better matched the cars black accents. We used FX Premium window film from 3M. It’s our go-to film since switching to 3M for our window tint films and paint protection. We used 35% VLT film on the front windows since rear windows are usually darker when they leave factory and don’t always require an additional tint.
When you go to select your tint, you need to keep in mind your local laws so that you don’t get ticketed. We always recommend a professional install for this modification. Poor tint jobs will bubble and discolor over time. Make sure your window tint installer has a good warranty to protect your investment!
Potential Add-Ons
Another option to add more personalization could be quarter glass window decals. We offer a couple quarter glass window decals ourselves and were happy to create custom designs too. Whichever way you decide to style your Telluride we are here to help make it happen!
To see all Kia telluride customization options, look at our CATALOG!
Interested in a custom build, blackout, or chrome delete for yourself? We offer pickup and delivery across the contiguous united states. Learn More
