--- title: "Here’s Why Kia Is Getting Weird With Interior Colors, According to Its Design Boss" date: "2026-02-03" modified: "2026-02-03" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/heres-why-kia-is-getting-weird-with-interior-colors-according-to-its-design-boss" categories: - "Kia News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Kia" - "suv/crossover" - "Telluride" --- # Here’s Why Kia Is Getting Weird With Interior Colors, According to Its Design Boss ![2027 Telluride SXP]() *\Kia\* Poke around the online configurator for the [2027 Kia Telluride](), and you'll find a range of inventive color combinations and trim material choices for the interior. Many of them are a little off-beat—some dark sage here, eggplant there—to match the SUV's polarizing exterior. That's a very conscious decision, paraphrasing the words of Kia design boss, Tom Kearns, to inject some energy inside the car beyond the standard neutral cabins we've come to expect. "This offers something that's dark and neutral, but not black or gray," Kearns, who serves as Chief Designer at [Kia]() Design Center America, told *The Drive* in an interview, speaking of the partially purple interior option. "This gives a little more life to the interior, without being overpowered, you know? It's pretty subtle." The eggplant/cream combination is only available on the Telluride Hybrid, a new model and powertrain for the second-generation SUV. The leather-looking surfaces are made of Syntex, a synthetic material that Kia has used on other models that's been designed to be easy to wipe down. That's a necessity, considering we're talking about a family vehicle at the end of the day. ![2027 Telluride SXP]() ![2027 Telluride SXP]() ![2027 Telluride SXP]() Other interior colorways include a Deep Navy and Tuscan Umber combination on the gas Telluride. The latter can best be described as a brick-like hue, and this, too, appears to be an alternative to a conventional interior flavor. Many cars—[the Telluride included]()—offer caramel tones, but this redder upholstery is distinctive, especially against the navy. Millstone, Kia's name for a more camo-green shade, can also be paired with black or Saddle Brown, which is closer to beige. ![2027 Kia Telluride SXP]() *The Dark Navy/Tuscan Umber combination. *Kia** Altogether, the new Telluride has six interior colorway options if you include the hybrid-exclusive eggplant flavor. And that's a lot for a volume SUV that many consumers likely take home in black. But these options do give the vehicle a more upmarket feel, even if Kia's going after the same demographic as before with this iteration. After all, we're used to seeing purple interiors in made-to-order Bentaygas and Cullinans, but in a Telluride? That's a different look. "We're making it look expensive, not necessarily be expensive," Kearns summed up about Kia's design ambitions. You expect people to show up for the new Telluride, like they showed up for the old one. The real question is how many we see in the wild will be optioned in purple. ![2027 Telluride SXP]() ![2027 Telluride SXP]() ![2027 Telluride SXP]() *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()