First you found the right Kia Telluride to buy, now you’re looking for ways to customize your new ride. Well, you came to the right place! We’ve helped people personalize hundreds of Kia Tellurides! In this article we talk about some of the best upgrades and accessories to add that every Kia Telluride owner should consider. Not every alteration may make sense for your custom Kia Telluride build, but this guide will give you some options to start personalizing your Kia.
Chrome Deletes
Chrome deletes, where you black out all the chrome accents, have been a popular trend over the past few years. In fact, vehicle manufacturers now offer higher priced trim models with blackout accents. Kia has the special edition Telluride Nightfall which is completely black. They also have some offerings with black accents on their more expensive trims. If you didn’t want to pay extra or couldn’t wait for one to hit the lot, you can always erase the chrome by taking it to a custom auto shop like ours.
So why is black trim so popular? Having blackout trim accents creates a sleek and sophisticated look on the vehicle compared to generic chrome. For luxury SUVs like the Kia Telluride black trim adds that more high-end appeal. Even still the black trim levels can still have chrome emblems. To solve that we offer complete blackout replacement emblems to achieve that Nightfall edition look. We also have an easy and customizable fix for chrome emblems in the next section.
The options you have for a chrome delete are vinyl wrap, paint, or even replacement pieces. Each option has its positives and negatives. While wrapping is usually the cheapest it’s also the most temporary. On the other hand, painting is a bit pricey but can be used on almost every existing part on the car. While blackout replacement pieces can be difficult to find and vary widely in price.
Emblem Overlays
Vinyl emblem overlays are the perfect option to complete your blackout or add a pop of color to your ride. 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 leaving any damage or sticky adhesive making them a good modification to consider.
We offer some of these overlays ourselves to help you customize your emblems whichever way you want. They are made from easy to install automotive vinyl and don’t damage your vehicle. Plus, they are fully customizable to any color or pattern. What makes them easy to use is the vinyl’s unique low initial tac and air release that allows it to easily peel back up, move around, and smooth out air bubbles.
Not to mention we have an instruction sheet and video to help you install it. Our overlays help you save some money by doing it yourself! Other overlays you might get from websites like Etsy won’t have these benefits and can be trickier to apply.
Custom Wheels
Wheels are an area of your new Telluride that can be used to create awesome custom styling. There are so many creative wheel designs available from companies like Fuel, Black Rhino, and more. The popular Telluride show models like the offroad Horizon Roamer feature Black Rhino’s Barstow wheel design. These showcase builds also feature 32-inch Milestar Patagonia Mud Terrain tires if you were curious. Now, if you want custom wheels but don’t want to drop a chunk of cash on a whole new wheel design, there is another option!
You can improve the look of your current wheels by using a powder coat finish to save a bit of money. Powder coat finishes provide benefits like color customization and durability. Since wheels are a big focal point on a car, and they take a lot of damage from debris and gravel along the road it’s good to guard them. These powder coat finishes help form a layer of protection while enhancing the appeal of your ride.
Another thing to consider while working on the wheels is painting your brake calipers. Painted calipers stand out behind the wheels and add a subtle color pop. Most often people choose colors like racing red or yellow for their association with speed, but you can use any color. This addition creates more depth to the vehicles color scheme and styling while protecting the caliper.
Custom Leather Seating
Custom leather is a great option that creates a unique luxury feel in your vehicle. When you bought your Telluride, it may not have been the interior color you really wanted, or it came with cheaper material like cloth. Leather seating isn’t on the LX or S trim levels of the Telluride. If you were spending $6,000 to buy a higher trim level for the leather seating DON’T! You can actually save about half that money by installing it aftermarket.
Katzkin Leather offers vehicle-specific kits that replace factory cloth or vinyl with the leather of your choice. You can create a design or choose one of their preset designs to style your interior however you want. They offer a great way to have a luxury interior that perfectly fits your custom Kia Telluride.
Either design you decide to go with will give you durable full seat upholstery, not seat covers. They are created to completely replace your Telluride’s factory seats with seamless application. The old upholstery will be removed from the seat and replaced with whichever luxurious Katzkin leather you choose. Make sure you find a preferred Katzkin installer for a professional installation.
Vinyl Kia Telluride Graphics and Color Change Wraps
Using vinyl graphics or a wrap is a big way to change the appearance of your ride. It can be really exciting using these upgrades because you have a ton of freedom to make them however you want.
Most of the time vinyl wraps are misled as being super lavish or expensive. The truth is vinyl wraps can be very simple and add a lot of style to any vehicle. For SUVs like the Kia Telluride a roof and pillar wrap, like the one we did to this Cadillac Escalade Build, can compress the car making it appear more streamlined and athletic. Of course, there are full vehicle wraps too if you wanted a specific look or finish for your Telluride. Satin or matte wraps are a better option than their paint counterparts because they are cheaper and easier to care for.
Most vinyl wraps last for 5 years, but if well taken care of can last up to 8 years. If you don’t give any care to the wrap or don’t let a professional install it, then it could last for a shorter time period. You can find out the best way to take care of your vinyl by visiting a page like 3M vinyl or asking whoever wrapped it.
Stylized graphics like the racing stripes you see most often on muscle cars are another option that you have for you ride. Some of the Kia Telluride custom graphics we offer are a rocker panel stripe and some quarter glass window decal designs to choose from. If you have a specific idea in mind, we are always happy to help you create something unique too!
Window Tint
To really give your Telluride a classy feel applying a window tint is the right move. Window tint films protect your interior, your valuables, and most importantly you from the sun’s rays. In addition, darker windows create a mysterious allure while adding more privacy. There is an option to get an eyebrow tint at the top edge of the windshield to keep more of the sun out of your eyes too. Which helps you maintain a good visual while you’re driving during sunrise or sunset.
Your Telluride has factory tinted glass already, but it’s not very dark and doesn’t cover the front windows. Most often the front windows of a new car have very little, or no tinting at all. Kia (along with every automaker) does this to abide by state laws. They adhere to the strictest auto tinting regulations of states, that way the vehicle can be sold in any state. If you want all windows to match you can have a tinted film applied to the front driver and passenger windows only.
You can also choose to have all the windows tinted to an even darker VLT (visual light transference) level. We use tint film with a VLT of 5%, 20%, or 35%. The lower the number, the darker it is. Whichever direction you go make sure you’re aware of the laws in your area.
It’s a good idea to have 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!
Roof Rack Accessories
If you are leaning more towards the overlanding or off-roading use, then you will probably look into roof racks. There are a lot of different options for roof racks with ones that hold large equipment like kayaks or others that create more cargo space. Opting for a roof basket is widely popular for the Telluride to further expand room for supplies which is great if you often find yourself having a fully packed car.
When attaching more rugged accessories like roof racks you could also consider parts such as LEDs or brush guards. These attachments help to further the Tellurides look, durability, and function when in rougher terrain.
Floor Liners and Paint Protection Film
If you still are rolling around with plain carpet or carpet mats do yourself a favor and get some floor liners. Every car needs floor liner to protect its interior! Kia has floor liners they offer, but WeatherTech FloorLiners offers better coverage and more durability.
We recommend any liner over a generic mat. Additionally, we would recommend some kind of cargo liner for the trunk space. Liners will keep messes off your floor and make cleaning them up much easier.
Buying a Telluride or any vehicle is a big investment. We strongly suggest taking other measures to protect your ride like applying paint protection film or a ceramic coating to protect your vehicles paint and exterior for the years to come. For the interior it’s good idea to install a screen protector to stop spills, scratches, and sudden impacts from damaging expensive touch screen displays.
We hope that this was helpful to you as you consider creating your own Kia Telluride build! These upgrades and accessories are sure to give your vehicles appearance and performance a boost.
Looking to customize your Kia Telluride? To view our products, visit these links Kia Telluride accessories and all our other Kia accessories We offer all kinds of aftermarket accessories internationally and services across the contiguous U.S. to help you create your vehicle exactly how you want it. Reach out if you’d like a quote for building your vehicle!
