Categories: Cars

Better Than Bronco And Defender In Water

Kia quotes a wading depth of 38.6 inches for the new Telluride X-Pro.
The Land Rover Defender 110 has a wading depth of 35.4 inches, while the Bronco Raptor is rated for 37 inches.
You’d need a Rivian R1 to go deeper, as that is rated for 39 inches—or a raised intake.

The most hardcore off-road offerings on the marketplace have nothing on the new 2027 Kia Telluride X-Pro. At least, in one very specific metric that you don’t actually use that often: wading depth.

That would be the figure an automaker quotes to let you know the depth of water you can safely cross before your intake starts sucking H2O into the engine. Kia states that the new Telluride is good if you need to slowly charge through 38.6 inches of water.

Photo by: Ralph Hermens | Motor1

By comparison, a Land Rover Defender 110 has a wading depth rating of 35.4 inches. The Bronco Raptor? Don’t go deeper than 37.0 inches. If you need to forge a more aggressive water-covered path greater than the Telluride, you’ll need a Rivian R1S; the electric truck can handle 39.0 inches of water.

Rivian R1S — 39.0 Inches
Kia Telluride X-Pro — 38.6 Inches
Ford Bronco Raptor — 37.0 Inches
Land Rover Defender 110 — 35.4 Inches

Of course, both the Defender and Braptor (and even the R1S) are far more capable off-road vehicles. The ability to put a vehicle into four low coupled with purpose-built suspension systems and more aggressive tires equals machines made to explore far off the beaten path.

Still, it’s rather intriguing that Kia delivered a Telluride ready to dispatch water crossings far better than you ever did back when you played Oregon Trail. The new Telluride X-Pro can handle far more than any owner will ever attempt to traverse.

Motor1’s Take: I had to double-check this figure three times after hearing it. The product planner I spoke with confirmed it, as did more than one member of the communications team. The 38.6-inch figure is remarkable for a vehicle engineered mostly for soft-roading rather than true off-roading.

The X-Pro might not be ready to ramble up the Rubicon, but it’s definitely far more capable than I expected.