The Kia Telluride is a very hot vehicle. During the first year, it wasn’t unusual to see these SUVs selling above the MSRP.
It’s a nicely sized SUV therefore and you would think that means mounting a phone, tablet or GPS will be easy, but that’s not the case. We have previously looked at a few Kia SUVS including the Kia Sorento which proved to be a little easier to find good mounting spots.
Windshield is nice and wide but a bit of a reach for the driver. The vents are horizontal and the ones in the middle are very wide with a display seated directly above them. That raised display makes the dashboard difficult as the clearance between the dash and windshield might prove to be too short. There is no CD player so that’s out. The cup holders aren’t the worst location, so might work best for certain devices.
Now, let’s take a look at a few specific mounts that should work well in the Kia Telluride. The attached photo is from the interior of a 2019 model.
Windshield and Vent Mount Recommendations for a Kia Telluride
I believe the best place for a smartphone or GPS will be the center air vents. Use the big one in the middle closest to the driver. These vents are big with horizontal slats. The center vents are in a great position because they are within eye level and easy to reach versus many other locations. You will want to rotate the phone into landscape mode to avoid blacking the view of the extended center console display.
The Square Jellyfish Jelly-Grip Car Air Vent Mount is one that we have been recommending for awhile and will continue to do so. The Square Jellyfish Jelly-Grip mount can be used to hold most phone models with or without a case or skin. It has a ball and socket so the cradle swivels into any orientation. This mount will work on flat vent slats that are 3/8 to 1 inch deep. The included cradle opens to 3 5/8 inches which is fairly large.
Now, most Kia models, including the Telluride support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so using the GPS function from your phone will work for the majority. However for Garmin purists, the Square Jellyfish Jelly-Grip mount can also be used. All Garmin vehicle GPS devices made over the past ten years include a custom cradle that has a 17mm socket on the back. Remove the cradle from the Jelly-Grip mount and you have a 17mm ball. Just snap the Garmin cradle onto the Jelly-Grip mount minus the cradle and your GPS can be mounted to the air vent.
We did a full review of the Square Jellyfish mount awhile back and it’s worth reading for more information.
A windshield mount will work just fine on a Kia Telluride.
Consider the iOttie Easy One Touch 2 Car Mount for SmartPhones
Other Mount Recommendations for a Kia Telluride
The front cup holder can be used for a phone or small tablet. Cup holders are less than ideal for apps that need to be referenced while driving so only use this location for apps that are setup prior to the drive and do not need to be referenced while driving.
Consider the iKross Cup Holder Mount for Tablets and Phones. These mounts include two different cradles. One for a phone and another for a tablet. The mount is adjustable and solidly made to easily handle the weight of your tablet. You will see a lot of mounts on the market for tablets or cell phones. This is the only car mount kit known of that offers two different cradles, one for the phone, the other for the tablet. You will not find a universal cradle that fits phones and large tablets. The tablet cradle will hold devices from 7 to 10.2 inches.
If looking to entertain the back seat riders with a tablet or smartphone, consider a headrest mount. We covered a variety of head rest mounts in our article entitled Car Headrest Mounts for Tablets, Phones or Cameras.
